With night frost and some snowflakes here and there, the past week seemed a bit wintery, but Beau Hax (18) from Eindhoven is used to more. He is a Dutch star in mogul skiing. Exercising at minus 25 degrees is no exception.
What is mogul skiing? Beau: “The idea is to ski as quickly as possible over a course full of bumps with two jumps along the way. Attention is paid to speed and technique, but the jury also looks at how neat your jumps are. No matter how spectacular they are, you have to land neatly to be able to continue skiing quickly,” says Beau (18) from Eindhoven.
Beau is part of the Dutch team. “When I was 2 years old, I was already on skis. Until I was 14, I enjoyed skiing recreationally on holidays. I also played football, but when our team fell apart, I looked for a new challenge. I didn’t find normal skiing fun enough and after a search I ended up with mogul skiing.”
“Unfortunately I can’t change it.”
He joined the Snowriders team and made great strides. Within a few years he was already participating in competitions in Austria and last year he made his debut at the European Cup, the European Championship mogul skiing. “That was a good moment for me to get used to the top. I had relatively little experience. What would it have been like if I had gone for it as a child, but unfortunately I can’t change that anymore.”
The Winter Olympics are his ultimate goal. He spends a large part of the year abroad for training and competitions. “Those adventures in other countries are very cool. The Netherlands may be the flattest country in the world, but I can’t get any better here. Yet here I lay the foundation for the winter sports season. In the ski hall in Westerhoven, for example, and in the weight room.”
“Such a wetsuit is much tighter than our ski suit.”
An important part of his training takes place in the water. “A ramp has been recreated at Aquabest in Best that has the same slope as the ramp in the snow. We’re happy with it, although it doesn’t feel quite the same. Such a wetsuit is much tighter than our ski suit. And in the snow you have to land well to continue, here you fall into the water.”
