Before the Stadium World Cup

Gasser: “Missing the final shocked everyone!

Anna Gasser in front of the ramp in the Klagenfurt stadium.

(Bild: Pessentheiner/f. pessentheiner)

Carinthia's snowboard queen Anna Gasser is still without a win this season ahead of the Big Air World Cup in Klagenfurt. She has already completed her first training jumps on the 45-meter-high stadium jump. In the "Krone" interview, she talks about Klagenfurt, her season and the 2026 Olympics.

"Krone": Anna, the home World Cup in the Klagenfurt stadium on January 5 is getting closer, the first training session is in your legs. How much anticipation is there now
Anna Gasser: It's really amazing what has been put together. The ramp in the arena looks really cool. I'm already looking forward to jumping there in a mega atmosphere.

Your impressions after the first training jumps?
It's really not easy to jump, it was also very foggy - but I'm happy with the training. We were allowed to jump first and I've already tried out some of my tricks.

If you go too fast, you can end up too far down in the run-out in the compression. That can be dangerous.

Anna GASSER

You know the hill from the World Cup in Chur (Sz)
Exactly! I've never won on it, but I've come second and third. It's always more difficult to jump at a city event like this than on a natural hill - if you're too fast, you can end up too far down in the outrun in the compression. That becomes dangerous.

So the level is even higher?
Not quite! Normally, athletes don't necessarily pull out the tricks with the highest difficulty on ramps like this - precisely because it's so hard.

(Bild: Pessentheiner/f. pessentheiner)

You won your first World Cup almost exactly ten years ago. Where would you be today with the tricks you did back then?
Not even in the final! Back then, I was the first woman to do the Cap Double Cork 900 - today it's a basic jump for everyone. So much has changed, the tricks have become more challenging.

In the summer, I completely changed my rotation in the air. That was risky.

Anna GASSER

You're always digging something new out of your bag of tricks. . .
You have to do that to stay competitive. Although I was the first woman to do the Cab Triple Cork 1260 with Drunk Driver Grab this year, the technique itself comes from the Japanese. They have a special way of turning - with less flip than I always do.

What does that mean?
I completely changed my rotation in the air in the summer after nine years. There was also a big discussion with the coaching team - firstly, it's more dangerous and secondly, I would have been back to square one if it hadn't worked.

(Bild: Pessentheiner/f. pessentheiner)

You're not immune to falls, you've already had injuries this year
When I landed twice in the snow in Chur during qualifying, it totally shocked those around me. That was the first time in my ten years in the World Cup that I had ever missed a final. It didn't bother me that much - I know how strong the scene is now.

Your first win of the season is planned for Klagenfurt, isn't it?
I hope so! If everything goes well in qualifying, I'm always up for the final. If that wasn't the case, I would probably have stopped already. A home win would of course be the dream!

Have you already decided on the tricks for the stadium show?
I have in my head what I want to show - including the new trick. If the first two jumps in the final go really well, I'll have something new up my sleeve ...

The 2026 Olympic Games are definitely your last big goal?
Exactly, I'm not getting any younger and my body doesn't allow for as much as it did in my early days. I'm certainly one of the oldest competitors. If Italy 2026 turns out to be possible, that will definitely be the end of it.