He is only 18 years old, but as a snowboarder he is one of the top in the world. Sam Vermaat recently jumped to second place in the Big Air event during a World Cup competition in America. No European had yet achieved a podium finish this season. The special story of a natural talent from Halsteren: “I grew up on the indoor courts in the Netherlands.”
With a father who is a snowboard instructor and a mother whose passion is snowboarding, it wasn’t surprising that Sam followed suit. “When I was 4 years old, I was already on a snowboard. Every year we went on a winter sports holiday a few times, which I really enjoyed. Three years later I tried to freestyle a little. I joined a ski club in Rucphen and by training more I quickly improved. When I became Dutch champion at the age of 11, that was the realization that I wanted to go for it seriously.”
At the age of 12 he was included in TeamNL and when he was 15 years old, he was already part of the senior selection. “I then started training full-time at Papendal. In the winter I of course spend a lot of time in the snow, but between competitions and during the summer break I work on my strength and fitness in my own country. This way I can prepare my body for the competitions. I also train a lot on large airbags, where you can learn tricks very safely.”
“I always dreamed of a podium place.”
Sam focuses on two aspects of snowboarding. With Big Air you go off a large ramp and show tricks during a jump. In Slopestyle, participants perform jumps and tricks on a course with all kinds of obstacles. Slopestyle is his preference, but he achieved his best performance ever at Big Air. “I finished eighth at the World Championships, but I always dreamed of a podium finish. A top five finish was my first goal, because I didn’t want to set the bar unrealistically high.”
“I surprised myself, but also others.”
“The fact that I now came second among all the world’s top players is fantastic. I surprised myself, but also others,” he said The Flying Dutchman. “Everything was right this day. It is the result of all those years of hard training. This podium spot shows how much potential I have. My competitors will start to take me even more into account. It is up to me to continue to qualify for the finals. Every final place is a chance for victory. My ultimate main goal is the Winter Olympics in 2026.”
“It’s a great life.”
The super talent is still very young, but has already gained a lot of experience in the international field. “As a result, I have started to feel more and more comfortable and I can deal with the tension better. It’s a wonderful life and I visit the most beautiful places. For example, this season I have been to New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria, China, Canada and America. After the holidays I will be traveling a lot again. I have to do a lot for top sport, but it is good to reflect on this success.”
Click here for his jump to second place.