| Rank | Event | Year | Location |
|---|
| FIS World Championships |
| 1 | Slopestyle | 2011 | La Molina, ESP |
| 2 | Big Air | 2011 | La Molina, ESP |
| 2 | Big Air | 2009 | Gangwon, KOR |
| 3 | Big Air | 2013 | Stoneham, QC, CAN |
| 26 | Halfpipe | 2011 | La Molina, ESP |
| 31 | Slopestyle | 2013 | Stoneham, QC, CAN |
| World Snowboarding Championships |
| 3 | Slopestyle | 2012 | Oslo, NOR |
| FIS World Cup Rankings overview - displays all rankings from 2010/11, top three for earlier seasons |
| Season | HP | BA | AFU | BA/SBS |
|---|
| 2013/2014 | - | - | 31 | - |
| 2012/2013 | - | 1 | 8 | - |
| 2011/2012 | - | 7 | 22 | - |
| 2010/2011 | 48 | - | 18 | 14 |
| Best performance per season in FIS World Cup events from 2010/2011 |
| Season | HP | BA | SBS |
|---|
| 2013/2014 | - | - | 1 x 7th |
| 2012/2013 | - | 1 x 1st | 1 x 4th |
| 2011/2012 | - | 1 x 2nd | - |
| 2010/2011 | 1 x 10th | 1 x 3rd | - |
| Rank | Event | Year | Location |
|---|
| Ten best FIS World Cup performances in current season |
| 7 | Slopestyle | 2013/2014 | Stoneham, QC, CAN |
| 11 | Slopestyle | 2013/2014 | Copper Mountain, CO, USA |
| X Games |
| 3 | Slopestyle | 2013 | Aspen, CO, USA |
| 4 | Big Air | 2014 | Aspen, CO, USA |
| 4 | Big Air | 2013 | Aspen, CO, USA |
| 5 | Big Air | 2012 | Aspen, CO, USA |
| 5 | Slopestyle | 2012 | Aspen, CO, USA |
| 10 | Slopestyle | 2014 | Aspen, CO, USA |
| World Snowboard Tour (Ranking) |
| 3 | Overall | 2010/2011 | |
| 4 | Slopestyle | 2011/2012 | |
| 9 | Slopestyle | 2012/2013 | |
| World Snowboard Tour |
| 2 | Big Air | 2010/2011 | Munich, GER |
| 2 | Big Air | 2010/2011 | Beijing, CHN |
| 3 | Slopestyle | 2012/2013 | Aspen, CO, USA |
| 3 | Slopestyle | 2011/2012 | Stratton Mountain, VT, USA |
| 3 | Slopestyle | 2011/2012 | Oslo, NOR |
| FIS Junior World Championships |
| 2 | Big Air | 2010 | Wanaka, NZL |
| 3 | Slopestyle | 2010 | Wanaka, NZL |
LegendALL-Overall, PGS-Parallel Giant Slalom, PS-Parallel Slalom, PAR-Parallel Overall, SBX-Snowboard Cross, ASP-Parallel and Snowboard Cross overall ranking, HP-Halfpipe, BA-Big Air, SBS-Slopestyle, AFU-Freestyle overall ranking, BA/SBS-Big Air and Slopestyle overall ranking, DNS-Did not start, DNF-Did not finish, DSQ-Disqualified
Additional Information
Start of sporting careerHe first tried skiing on holiday with his parents at age three. He became interested in snowboarding around age eight or nine after trying the sport with his brother. (veto.be, 20 Nov 2011; ttrworldtour.com, 16 Nov 2009)
Reason for taking up this sportHe loves the adrenaline rush the sport gives him. "For snowboarding you need imagination. You play the tricks off in your head before a run. In the air it's all quiet, when you land the crowd explodes and you feel your heart beating. That gives an adrenaline rush, it's the best drug in the world." (dna.be, 2012; veto.be, 20 Nov 2011)
AmbitionsTo compete at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and perform well there. (snowboardsteez.com, 23 Apr 2013)
HeroNorwegian snowboarder Mikkel Bang. (ttrworldtour.com, 16 Nov 2009)
Most influential person in careerHis brother. (redbull.com, 28 Jan 2013)
Superstitions / Rituals"When I hear 20,000 fans cheering me on, the adrenaline takes hold. I imagine that's how a rock star feels before a gig and it makes you want to give something back. But you're also an athlete who needs to focus. When I set off, I block out all the sounds until I finish my run. Then the noise hits me, that's a nice feeling." (humo.be, 02 Jan 2012)
Sporting philosophy / motto"Enjoy everything you do." (redbull.com, 28 Jan 2013)
AwardsNamed Antwerp Sport Figure of the Year in 2010 and 2011. (gsport.be, 25 Jan 2012; gva.be, 23 Dec 2010)
GeneralNO REGRETS
He accepts that snowboarding can be tough on his body and that it could affect him in later life. "If my knees are broken when I'm old, it happened doing something I love. Injuring myself in an accident outside snowboarding, falling down the stairs for instance, now that would be frustrating. I don't want to blame myself for anything, I want to live." (humo.be, 02 Jan 2012)
STUDIES ON HOLD
He was studying industrial engineering at Group T in Leuven, Belgium, but he had to stop due to his sporting commitments. "It was to hard to combine studying with my sport. I'm travelling eight months a year and miss a lot of courses and exams. I don't know if I'll resume the course later on, that's something for the future." (veto.be, 20 Nov 2011)
MANAGING THE RISKS
Snowboarding can be a dangerous sport but he tries not to let that affect his performances. "That doesn't cross my mind often. I know it's risky, but I try to keep it under control. You can't perform tricks when your head is occupied with all kind of things. It's more a concern for my parents, although they never tried to stop me from snowboarding. They trusted that my brother and I would asses the risks correctly and let us do our thing." (veto.be, 20 Nov 2011)
Social MediaHear more from the athlete via their
website and
Facebook.