Gabriel Messner in Reischach: Over the summer, the snowboarder meticulously worked on his fitness.

Gabriel Messner: “Just being there is not enough”

Gabriel Messner has had a strong World Cup winter. The snowboarder has had enough of that, however. Messner has set himself ambitious goals for the coming season. But even for him, things aren't going entirely without problems.

September 03, 2025

From: cst

Gabriel Messner is 28 years old. This makes the Villnöß native the second-youngest snowboarder from South Tyrol competing in the World Cup. Only Marc Hofer from Psair was born a few months later. Most athletes reach their peak in their late 20s, although Messner only has to look a few kilometers further to find a counterexample: his fellow Villnöß native Roland Fischnaller is still a world-class rider at 44.

Messner doesn't want to think that far ahead for now. What matters to him is the coming season. The Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina are the big highlights – and Messner has ambitious goals: "I'm aiming for a medal." He says: "Just being there isn't enough. If I only thought about participating, I'd be out of breath." The Eisacktal native isn't putting any pressure on himself, though: The competition among the Azzurri is fierce. Ten athletes are battling for four starting spots.

Special training for the injured back

To ensure Messner is fit for the coming winter, he hired a special trainer, Armin Harrasser. He's taking care of Messner's back, which is causing some problems following an injury. Messner brought Harrasser onto his team on his own initiative. "I've been diligent and trained a lot with Armin alone in Brixen." Specific exercises to relieve pressure on his back were part of the program. This was complemented by sessions on the road bike and the track. "I'm feeling good now, my head is clear," says Messner. During the summer break, he not only vacationed in Greece but also conquered King Ortler.

Gabriel Messner on the summit of the Ortler.

In a few days, Messner and his team will be heading to Zermatt, where they'll finally be training on snow again. The first week will be a more leisurely one, before the team switches between Zermatt and the Stelvio Pass. "Depending on local conditions," Messner says. They'll also be training on the Schnalstal Glacier in South Tyrol before heading to China in November. The first World Cup weekends are scheduled for the end of the month and the beginning of December in Mylin and Thaiwoo.

There was also plenty of fun: Gabriel Messner wakeboarding in Greece.

The competition will start with two parallel slaloms. Messner was absolutely top in this discipline last year – but unfortunately, it's not an Olympic event. Messner: "I'll therefore train more in parallel giant slalom, but I'll keep the slalom in the back of my mind." This is also because he finished second in the Slalom World Cup last year. The globe is definitely a goal: "I just want to continue where I left off last year."