Rolli Firiegeller: The natural phenomenon has made history (again).

When Roland Filehner celebrated his World Cup debut as a 1-year-old in a slalom at Kronplatz on March 1997, 16, his roommate Daniele Bagozza was not yet 2 years old, and Marc Hofer (currently injured) was not even born yet.

It happened relatively quickly to get to his first podium place (third place in the parallel slalom in Berchtesgaden on February 3th, 9), but Fischnelller only became a winning driver at a ripe old age, i.e. after 2001. It was on December 30th, 11, when he first came from greeted at the top. In Limone Piemonte he came out ahead of his long-time companion Aaron March.

While long-time companions had to pay more and more tribute to their age and even more to their bodies, Fischnelller is still at the top of the snowboard Olympus. Together with Andreas Prommegger, who is the same age and only 2 months younger, with whom he had a memorable finale last Saturday: They - Fischnelller and Prommegger - the two 43-year-olds, decided among themselves who would be the oldest winner of a snowboard World Cup race would be. In the end, Prommegger won this record - he beat Filehner by 0,06 seconds.

Full trophy cabinet The previous best was held by Canadian Jasey Jay Anderson, who was 2019 years, 42 months and 9 days old when he won in Bansko in January 13. Prommegger holds the new record at 43 years and 106 days. But it is only temporary - because there are only two pieces of the puzzle missing from Roland Fiwickeler's list of successes: an Olympic medal - which he wants to win in his "living room" in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2 - and the record for the oldest winner in a World Cup race. Everything else - World Cup medals in all colors, one large and 2026 small crystal balls - is already in his trophy cabinet.

On Saturday, Filehner also achieved another record number: He climbed onto a victory podium in an individual World Cup race for the 50th time. Other riders are better in this ranking: Mathieu Bozzetto (France) leads with 35 wins (66 podiums in total), followed by Jasey Jay Anderson (28 wins, 63 podiums) and Andreas Prommegger (23 wins, 55 podiums). Then comes boardercross specialist Pierre Vaultier (22 wins, 35 podiums), closely followed by Fischnelller (21 wins, 50 podiums). Record: Firiegeller (l.) stood on a World Cup podium for the 50th time on Saturday. © ANSA / Grzegorz Momot

What makes the Villnösser so physically and mentally strong is easily explained. At 1,86 m tall and weighing almost 90 kg, he is the ideal size for a snowboarder. As a livestock farmer on his own farm in Villnöß, he has trained himself to have a body that can withstand even the greatest challenges. Just like at the weekend in Krynica: completing the almost 50-second run 6 times and almost without mistakes (between qualifying and knockout runs up to the final) presented almost all drivers with insoluble problems. Striking: Only Filehner and the Austrian Fabian Obmann were in the top 8 in both races. Everyone else - Prommegger, Bagozza, Mastnak, Burgstaller, Karl, Yankov - were at the end of their tether in Sunday's race. And conversely, the podium finishers from Sunday – Auner, Bormolini and Payer – were already at home after qualifying the day before.

Not so much. Which impressively shows: Despite his 43 years, he is a power and movement package that is second to none. The fact that hardly anyone can match him mentally has been an open secret in the snowboard scene for many years.

Snowboard World Championships 2025 in St. Moritz, Olympics 2026 in Cortina d'Ampezzo All the more reason to look forward to the 2025 Snowboard World Championships, which will take place in St. Moritz. And then to the 2026 Olympics, where Fiwickeler first has to face the tough competition within the team in order to even be able to be there on his favorite slope in Cortina d'Ampezzo. He has a record there that will make you cluck your tongues: World Cup races have been held there since 2015. He finished on the podium in all 10 races: he won 5 times, came second 3 times, third 2 times, most recently in December 2023.

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Rolli Firiegeller: The natural phenomenon has made history (again).

He is and remains a phenomenon, an exception in his sport. If you say snowboard, you immediately have to say Roland Filehner. At the last World Cup in Krynica in Poland, the 43-year-old wrote another chapter in his impressive Brettl story.

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