The number one star of the Finnish Paralympic team is glowed in the world – Matti Suur-Hamari is part of an exceptional group: “Others are jealous”

A group of three happy men have gathered after the opening round of the Holy World Cup to chat in English. Canadian Alex Massien laughter refreshes in the fell as he recalls how the paths of the trio converged.

– Matti (Suur-Hamari) sent me a message on Facebook. I was surprised at the opportunity to train with them because he was the one who had to win. Maybe the only way to beat him is to work out with him.

The Canadian skier immediately seized the opportunity. He didn’t hesitate for a moment either a month later as an already deceased coach Mikko Wendelin asked if Australian skiers could also join the team.

Although the decisions were made quickly, Massie has not regretted it.

– I wouldn’t trade this for anything.

– That’s how it went. Mikko coached me and Bibian Menteli before the Pyeongchang Games. Bibian stopped racing after Korea and was practically the only member of my team. Mikko suggested we put some out of the pile and Alex and Ben (Tudhope) got up and of course a couple of other Australian skiers, but they have already finished their careers. Since Korea, we have been training together, Matti Suur-Hamari recalls.

Greater Hamari is the most successful skier in the group. He has won world championships, paralympic gold and X-Games in his career. He is also the oldest in the group, which is sometimes reflected in the group’s activities.

– These young people push me forward in every workout – both mentally and physically, but mostly mentally. It’s good for me to have training buddies that force an old athlete like me to develop.

According to the masses, Greater Hamar has its own, very important role in the team – not only as a role model, but also as a leader.

– On days when I’m a little restless myself or just dragging away at the start, I’m looking for Matt, who as the team captain creates the right atmosphere for the whole group. He’s our veteran captain and that’s why he always wins the big races.

Suur-Hamari laughs and recalls that in the race of the day, he lost his chance to fail in the first rounds. Of course, there were no medals at the time – a month later, in January, the Finn became world champion and will defend the Paralympic victory in Beijing in March.

However, competition at the top has intensified. There are more counters than before and the skill level has risen. Greater Hamari has been able to follow closely how perhaps the worst threats have evolved over the years.

– Now they beat me in almost every workout. It’s also the kind of sugar and salt: the competition is getting tougher, and you never know who will win that day when the gates open.

The third member of the group, at the age of 14, has dropped an Australian at his first Paralympic Games in Sochi. Ben Tudhope. Like the Masses, he has already won several World Championship medals, but in the big games, it is often the Finnish teammate who has taken the brightest medals.

– Ben is the embodiment of youth. He’s always tightening up for extra laps and pushing everyone forward, Massie describes Tudhope.

The trio has been at the top of the world for a long time. Joining together has raised the level the most and at the same time also took paral snowboarding forward.

– Our team is definitely the best I’ve ever been with. We are constantly taking each other to a new level. We want each other to evolve. Every day is an opportunity for us to evolve and fall strong. My own development and the development of these others has grown by 1,000 percent just because we have spent time together, Tudhope is glowing with its team.

– This is an amazing environment and we really feed each other. We also have a nice track at the race. The bonus here is that when racing with them, you know that there is a tough but honest fight on the track. That’s why I always look forward to the next race, he continues.

Suur-Hamari sometimes notices that the age difference for young training and competition partners is ten years. However, he thrives in the group and believes that it is their difference that is wealth.

– It will be a funny team spirit. We tell bad jokes and such. But maybe that team work ethic. When we go to rehearsals, we really work there. We have common goals that we are working towards together.

– Together we work really well and the group makes long trips easy. I used to suffer a lot from homesickness and with these guys I can be on the road for even three months and I get bored when I go home, Alex Massie laughs.

– We know we are going against each other in races, but on the whole this is just fun both on and off the slope. We make each other happy, Ben Tudhope sums up.

– This small group of our unicorns is so much more than just a snowboarding team, it’s like another family. They help me when I have a hard time and we are together whenever it’s important and we focus when it’s time. I wouldn’t trade them at any cost, Massie says a little moved.

She says she wakes up on a race and training trip with a smile because she knows there is another day ahead with her best friends.

– I love them like brothers. We’re so nice together that I don’t want to go home but just be with these guys – it’s awesome, he says.

And no other group argues against it.

– We’re a family. What we bring to the entire snowboarding community is amazing. We are pushing each other forward. Others are also jealous of us when they see how much fun our brothers always have, Tudhope says.

– Of course, the results are also important to us, but they are not the main thing. The most important thing is to go snowboarding, have fun and do a good job. Apparently it also produces good results, says Suur-Hamari.

Ben Tudhope completes the idea of ​​Greater Hamar.

– We support each other 100%. If I’m not in the top three myself, the next best thing is that the rest of us are. Our goal is to have all three with prizes at the end of the race day. So we don’t just cheer for ourselves, we hope for the best in others too – it also makes us better.