SteepZone Whitedot Freeride Rookie Team

HÅKON BARANE - TEODOR WEDUM - GRETE SOLENG IVERSEN

PIA NIC GUNDERSEN - STIAN GARNES

HÅKON BARANE

Name: Håkon Barane

Home Town/County: Hegra / Norway and Oppdal / Norway

Nationality: Norwegian

Age: 17

What's your role at Steepzone /WDF: Rookieteam

What does Steepzone / WFD mean to me: For me it means that I am a part of a company that feels the same about skiing as me, I get to promote a company and at the same time get promotion myself. And last but not least get to ride new and exciting skis!

What does skiing mean to me: In the last 3-4 years skiing has grown from being just purely recreational to becoming a lifestyle for me. Everywhere i go, i scope for places to ski, either if it's a handrail or a nice spot to put a backcountry kicker. And now that I'm a student here at the ski academy in Oppdal, i hope to achieve the goal i've set for my skiing.

How do I ski: I try to be as a versatile skier as possible, but right now and many years to come my main focus will be park riding and jibbing. I would say I'm more of a jump guy rather than a rail guy, but i hope to even those out a bit this season. And of course, if my mountain gets fresh 3 feet of powder I'm not going to be hiking a rail or hitting a jump all day.

My favourite WDF skis and length is/why: The One 180, because it fits my use and it can also be taken into to backcountry so I can hit a BC kicker or just do some turns. I will also be looking into getting a pair The Preacher 189 for those deeper days.

Goals for 2010: Enter as many competitions as i possible can without traveling too far. Put down a run in the national championships for slopestyle I'm satisfied with and podium in some smaller events. Trickvise I will be working a bit on rightside spins, up my rail game as said earlier, try get more different grabs in spinning and last but not least forward 10/double cork 10.

My best results/Memorable moment: Last season, the 08-09 season I had the best season so far. I got two podiums, I placed second in Halti Slopestyle Attack in Åre / Sweden and I placed third in Sport Extreme Jumpalot in Storlien, Sweden. I also got to film and take photos quite a bit with a friend, so basically I had a blast!

When I'm not skiing I'm: At school getting edumacated(intentionally), training to get stronger for the upcoming season, cleaning up the constant mess in my apartment in Oppdal or chilling in my hometown of Hegra.

SEE MORE PICTURES OF HÅKON HERE...