Antti-Matias Antero Autti (born 15 March 1985) is a
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...
who won the Men's Superpipe at the 2005 Winter
X Games
The X Games are an annual extreme sports event organized, produced and broadcast by ESPN. Coverage is also shown on ESPN's sister network, ABC. The inaugural X Games were held during the summer of 1995 in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, ...
. He is one of two snowboarders, along with Steve Fisher, ever to beat American snowboarder
Shaun White
Shaun Roger White (born September 3, 1986) is an American former professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He is a five-time Olympian and a three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding. He holds the world record for the most X G ...
in the X Games Superpipe.
Autti is the first non-
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
to win the event. He began his final run with back-to-back 1080s, and is only the third snowboarder to land the sequence in competition, behind Michael McBee and
Ross Powers Ross or ROSS may refer to:
People
* Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan
* Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning
* Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland
Places
* RoSS, the Republic of Sout ...
.
His technical performance sparked the "1080 Revolution" and set a new standard in men's halfpipe competition, where athletes must throw at least one 1080, if not two back-to-back, in order to do well in contests. Just two weeks earlier, he was crowned double World Champion in Big Air and the
halfpipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating, and scooter riding.
Overview
The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ra ...
at the
2005 Snowboarding World Championships in
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler ( Lillooet/UcwalmÃcwts: Cwitima, ; Squamish/Sḵwx̱wú7mesh: Sḵwiḵw, ) is a resort municipality in Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mounta ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Biography
Born to Yrjö and Katariina Autti, Autti hails from
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi ( , ; sme, Roavvenjárga ; smn, Ruávinjargâ; sms, Ruäʹvnjargg) is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland, and its southern part Perà ...
, a 55,000 population city that sits on the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
and is considered the gateway to the
Lapland region of Finland. Athletic genes run in his family - Autti's younger brother Tuomas is an aspiring
freestyle skier, and his uncle is
Arto Autti Arto may refer to:
People In the arts
* Arto Halonen (born 1964), Finnish documentary filmmaker
* Arto Järvelä (born 1964), Finnish fiddler and composer
* Arto Lindsay (born 1953), American musician Arthur Lindsay
* Arto Noras (born 1942), Finni ...
, who was a defender on the Finnish National
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team. Autti started snowboarding in spring 1995 after he saw someone snowboarding while on a
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...
vacation with his family at the Ylläs ski center in Lapland.
Career
2004-2005
Following his breakthrough at the World Championships and the Winter X Games, Autti went on to finish second at the 2005
Nippon Open
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, third at the 2005
U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships and first in Big Air at the
Arctic Challenge The Arctic Challenge is a snowboarding contest arranged for and by the riders themselves. It was started by Norwegian professional snowboarders Daniel Franck and Terje HÃ¥konsen. The contest was established as an alternative to the former competi ...
, the exclusive snowboarding event founded by
Terje Haakonsen Terje may refer to:
* Terje (name), a form of the Scandinavian name Torgeir
*Tria ( hu, Terje), a village in the commune of Derna, Bihor
Derna ( hu, Felsőderna) is a commune in northeastern Bihor County, Crișana, Romania, 50 km from the ...
. He was also awarded Best Tweak for his switch
backside 540, which is his favorite trick.
In April 2005, it was officially announced that Autti would represent Finland at the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
.
Over the summer of 2005 at the end of July, he competed in Nokia's Totally Board in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. Autti embarked on Billabong's Freeway Tour in August, which spirits Billabong-sponsored riders to various contests in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. He won the Perisher Pipe Cup and took third in the Slopestyle Jam. It was Autti's first time Down Under, and he likes New Zealand's famed Snowpark because it is like a "big playground," and it reminds him of Finland because "you can see everyone from the lift." Australian snowboarders on the Tour, Nick Gregory and Clint Allan, introduced Autti to their country's native wombats and kangaroos and got him addicted to pies.
2005-2006
Autti kicked off the 2005-2006 World Cup season with third and first-place finishes in
Valle Nevado
Valle Nevado (''Snowy Valley'' in the Spanish language) is a ski resort located on the El Plomo foothills in the Andes Mountains, at 46 km to the east of Santiago, the capital of Chile. Founded in 1988 by French entrepreneurs, it includes ...
,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
in September. He followed it in October with a second place podium in
Saas-Fee
Saas-Fee () is the main village in the Saastal, or the Saas Valley, and is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.
The village is situated on a high mountain plateau at 1,800 meters (5,900 feet), surrounded ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
During Finland's Annual Skiexpo in November 2005, Autti was awarded Rider of the Year by Slammer Magazine's Riders of the Year Awards. He received the most votes in a readers internet poll. He also finished ninth in Finland's annual Sports Athlete of the Year poll, voted on by sports magazine journalists.
Before the end of 2005, Autti competed in the
X-Trail Jam The X-Trail Jam is a Japanese snowboarding contest and one of the biggest of its kind worldwide. It was first launched in the Tokyo Dome
is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predece ...
in Japan and finished fifth in the quarterpipe and fourth in the straight jump. For his banner year, he was invited to Finland's President's Ball in December, an annual banquet honoring all of the elite athletes, politicians, celebrities, and public figures in Finland. Autti attended the event with Mattila, where they met the President,
Tarja Halonen
Tarja Kaarina Halonen (; born 24 December 1943) is a Finnish politician who served as the 11th president of Finland, and the first woman to hold the position, from 2000 to 2012. She first rose to prominence as a lawyer with the Central Organisati ...
— who was re-elected for a second term on January 29, 2006 — and her husband
Pentti Arajävi.
Autti competed in the Burton European Open in
Laax
Laax ( rm, Lags) is a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
History
Laax is first mentioned c. 1290–98 as ''Lags''.
Geography
Laax has an area, , of . Of this area, 35.8% is used for agricultural purp ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
in January 2006, taking second place in slopestyle. Two days later, riding with a bruised rib, he finished fourth in the halfpipe.
At the 2006 Winter X Games, the extremely icy pipe proved to be hazardous to numerous riders, including Autti, and he came up short in his defense of his gold medal, finishing sixth.
Two weeks later at the 2006 Winter Olympics, despite a near-flawless run, he finished fifth with a controversial low score of 39.1 that elicited plenty of "boos" from fans in the stands. Bronze medalist and teammate
Markku Koski
Markku Koski (born 15 October 1981) is a Finnish professional snowboarder from Sievi. He is well known within the snowboarding community for his consistent showing in half-pipe competitions and for his video parts with Standard Films. Ko ...
felt the same way, stating it should have been Autti on the podium.
After a two-week stay in Japan, Autti returned to the top of the podium at the Vans Cup at
Tahoe in March and pocketed $20,000. He finished the season with a sixth-place finish in the quarterpipe and 10th-place finishes in the halfpipe and slopestyle at the 2006 U.S. Open.
In April 2006, Autti and his Flow teammates swept the TransWorld Team Challenge, taking five awards, including Best Halfpipe Rider for Autti.
In December 2006, he scored 3rd place at the Nokia
Air & Style The Air & Style is a European snowboard contest first held in Innsbruck, Austria in 1994 and now held annually.
History
Charly Weger and his snowboard photographer friend Andrew Hourmont first started the Air & Style Contest in Innsbruck. They onl ...
in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. The Air & Style is considered one of the biggest and most prestigious events in Europe.
Present
Autti has not competed recently and has been more focused on making video of backcountry riding.
2008-2009
Autti participated in the Winter X Games 12. He finished 3rd in Best Trick Showdown, 7th in Snowboard Superpipe, and 4th in Snowboard Slopestyle. Most recently he won the 2008
Toyota Big Air Toyota Big Air is a Japanese snowboarding (Straight jump) contest. This contest has been held in the Makomanai Open Stadium, Sapporo, Hokkaido since 1997, and from 2012 at the Sapporo Dome. The organizing office of the event announced on September 3 ...
Japan beating his fellow Flow teammate
Risto Mattila, who came in second place.
2009- Autti placed 3rd, in the men's superpipe competition in X Games 13
Off the snow
Autti, who speaks
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
, enjoys
skateboarding
Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...
,
photography
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
,
salmiakki
Salty liquorice, salmiak liquorice or salmiac liquorice, is a variety of liquorice flavoured with the ingredient "salmiak salt" (sal ammoniac; ammonium chloride), and is a common confection found in the Nordic countries, Benelux, and norther ...
, movies (especially
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
films) and music. Some of his favorite artists include
Turbonegro
Turbonegro (Turboneger in Norway) is a Norwegian rock band, active from 1989 to 1998 and from 2002 to the present. The band combines glam rock, punk rock, and hard rock into a self-described "deathpunk" musical style.
History
Early years (1 ...
,
The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters are a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson (vocals and guitar), Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar), Kenny HÃ¥kansson (bass) and Robert Eriksson (drums). Andersson (sometimes known as Nick R ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
The Doors
The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...
,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jonny Wickersham (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Brent Harding (bass, backing voca ...
,
The Datsuns
The Datsuns are a hard rock band from Cambridge, New Zealand, formed in 1998. Founding mainstays are Rudolf "Dolf" de Borst on vocals and bass guitar, and Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell, both on guitar. They have released seven albu ...
and
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
. He listened to Mötley Crüe's "Kickstart My Heart" — which he dubs "probably the best song ever" — during his gold medal-winning run at the 2005 X Games. Autti's favorite drink is scotch without rocks, and he says he would be a bartender if he were not a snowboarder. He says he cannot define himself as an athlete in the traditional sense because "in my opinion I'm a snowboarder and my own person." The best part of being a professional snowboarder, he feels, is traveling around the world, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures.
Always calm, cool and collected, Autti tries not to stress himself out too much if he is not riding well because he believes it is important to not lose the fun of snowboarding, echoing his advice to future shredders: "It'd be best if people that throw themselves into snowboarding understood what this sport is about. The competitions alone don't mean everything. There'll always be more of them. In my opinion, the fun going-ons and the smile on your face are a lot more important. Doing well's nice, no doubt about it, but it's important that you don't lose the pleasure of the riding itself in the competing."
Sponsors
Autti is sponsored by
Billabong
Billabong ( ) is an Australian term for an oxbow lake, an isolated pond left behind after a river changes course. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end. As a result ...
, Transform Gloves,
Nokia
Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications industry, telecommunications, technology company, information technology, and consumer electronics corporatio ...
,
Shred Optics
Shred Optics is a manufacturer of sunglasses, helmets and goggles designed for skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding and other forms of outdoor recreation. The company is based in Park City, Utah, and Venice, Italy.
History
Shortly after ...
,
Northwave, Drake
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Antti's Go211 ProfileBlogs, photos and videos managed by Antti.
Airbornmag.com InterviewDecember 2007 interview with UK-based sports/music website Airbornmag.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Autti, Antti
1985 births
Living people
Finnish male snowboarders
Olympic snowboarders of Finland
Snowboarders at the 2006 Winter Olympics
X Games athletes
People from Rovaniemi
Sportspeople from Lapland (Finland)