Published in Whitelines Magazine Issue 95, February 2011

It’s hard to believe that Mikkel Bang has only just turned 21 years old. The blonde-haired Norwegian has been a progressive force in the snowboarding scene for nearly a decade now; in fact he first burst onto our screens as a prodigiously talented grom in Standard’s White Balance, way back in 2003. Back then, rumours were circulating that Terje Haakonsen had personally picked this kid out for future greatness, and it’s not hard to see why. Even as a 13-year-old, Mikkel had a relaxed, natural style to match his technical tricks – to older riders watching at the time, he was just sickeningly good! This is no brat, though. As he’s grown up through the industry and gone from pint-sized kid to willowy adult, he has remained down-to-earth; for Mikkel, snowboarding is still just a hobby at heart, and he would rather do a move that looks and feels good than try to score points with any judges. All of which leaves the crown prince of style at something of a crossroads in his career: persist with park contests, or take his unique skills into new terrain like his heroes Gigi Rüf and Nicolas Müller? As you can see from this shot, it’s clear where his future lies.