A broken back, broken metacarpal, a broken ankle or a severe concussion. Nienke Poll from the village of Zeeland calls her injuries in recent years the risk of the profession. With snowboard cross she sometimes reaches speeds of 85 kilometers per hour. “You have to have balls to play this sport.”
You can think of snowboard cross as BMX in the snow. On a course with bends, bumps and a ramp, you have to make sure you get to the bottom as quickly as possible. “The speeds are often around 60 kilometers per hour, but it often goes much faster. It also depends on the weather conditions. It’s the excitement that makes the sport so much fun. By the way, it’s not just about how fast and technical you are. In a race, tactics are just as important.”
Over the past two years, Nienke has participated less in competitions than she had hoped due to injuries. Her most serious injury was a broken back, which she suffered during a fall during training. “During an operation, pins were placed in my back. After six weeks I could quietly start doing a number of things. Within three months I was back on my snowboard. That wasn’t exciting, but the tension shot through my body during the first time I tried snowboard cross.”
“It’s really impossible to have doubts, it’s often too dangerous.”
Despite her injuries, Nienke has never doubted her sporting future. “We know that we are participating in a risky sport and that things can happen. Doubt is really unacceptable, it is often too dangerous. The moment you come off the ground, you can’t do anything anymore. I have also been in the air when I immediately knew that I was not going to land well. Then all you can do is try to land as softly as possible.”
“I can fully express myself in this sport.”
Her love for snow arose during her first winter sports holiday. Nienke soon exchanged the skis for a snowboard. “My brother Bart had gone snowboarding before and I followed him. Ultimately, I got into snowboard cross, a sport in which I can fully immerse myself.”
Nienke and her trainer drew up a ten-year plan, starting in 2016. “I then started at the bottom of the ladder and expressed my ultimate goal: the 2026 Olympic Games.”
Nienke drives many kilometers to reach the top. “It is not a sport that you can practice on Dutch soil. Every other week I drive to Switzerland, where I train with the national selection. Fortunately, I have great sponsors and a flexible employer who ensure that all this is possible. Financially it costs me more than it yields. The fantastic sport, the beautiful surroundings, the whole atmosphere and the family feeling ensure that I am passionate about snowboard cross.”
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