From thrill seeker, to prodigy, to ‘the Now’: Valentino Guseli

Some athletes use tattoos to tell their stories, others write books,  but Valentino Guseli’s scars from practicing the tricks that have established him as one of the world’s best snowboarders chart his young life-long pursuit of excellence. 

The 20-year-old also believes they reflect a wholehearted  commitment to putting everything on the line. 

“What my scars tell me about me is - perhaps – I get a little bit carried away,” he said. “A little bit cocky sometimes and I think I’m unbreakable. 

“I think it’s very hard to do the things that I do and remain unscathed. Small mistakes can lead to big consequences.  They all tell me [about] a different lesson, a different story. I think you either have a good time, or you learn.” 

Guseli said he was born with his daredevil streak, recalling in his episode in NSWIS Lights Up (series two) of the reasons why his antics as soon as he learned to walk kept his parents and grandparents on their toes.  

“I grew up as a daredevil, for sure,” he says with a smile.  “Even before snowboarding was a thing there’re videos of me riding down on my little trike down this big hill, and I hit these bushes and went flying! It’s just always been part of my nature.  

“I’m not sure where [my self-belief] comes from, but I think I’ve always believed that I’m capable of doing amazing things. And sometimes you have to trick yourself a little bit sometimes, even if you’re not feeling that belief, you . . . you just start telling yourself . . . you know,  talking to yourself and maybe everyone that sees you thinks you’re a weirdo.  

“But when you say it and just put it out into the universe it can come back to you. And then it’s just also training or like, practicing what you do so much to the point where you don’t have to fall back on hopes, you can be confident that you have done the most that you could – and trust  that no one has worked as hard as you.” 

Guseli defied gravity, physics and logic when he broke the 11-year-old world record for half pipe in 2021 when he rocketed 7.3 metres – the equivalent of a two-and-a-half storey building –  into orbit.  

“When I relive that moment, I was kind of crapping my pants a little bit,” he said earnestly. “To be honest, I was pretty scared. But, at the same time, I was in control of what I was doing. And I was comfortable, as comfortable as can be.  

“That feeling of being that high and looking down and seeing the world below me it was an amazing feeling. And I think it really it was a pretty defining moment for me; got my name out there a bit more.  

“I guess at one point I was seen as a prodigy, and then later on it got to the point where it was like I was less of the future and more of the now, and. yeah, it’s a dream come true.” 

Guseli, who returned from a long lay off after he blew his ACL during a big air event in Beijing last December to seal bronze at the recent FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup in Colorado, explained the reason he hasn’t yet specialised on one discipline is because he honours the ‘spirit’ of his extreme sport. 

“I haven’t specialised yet, just because I can’t choose,” he said. “I’ve never been able to choose what I like the most within the freestyle disciplines; they’re all really, really fun in their own special ways.  

“And I also think it’s very important to be a good snowboarder in every situation. You know, specialising has been such a popular thing in the last 10 years, and I think it kind of gets rid of the essence of snowboarding.  

“When you specialise, it turns it into a jockey sport, you know? And snowboarding is not that. Even though it’s getting to the point where to be at the top level, you have to be an athlete. You have to be strong; you have to be fit . . .  

“But snowboarding has never been about kind of like mindlessly following protocol. It’s always been about having fun and doing cool stuff and ripping. Shredding.” 

Daniel Lane, NSWIS