Daniele Bagozza: From night porter to World Cup winner

Three World Cup podiums, two victories, lots of placements in the top 10 – and all that at the young snowboarding age of 25. Clearly, when you talk about Daniele Bagozza, you have to use the word world class. These numbers are all the more impressive when you know what hurdles the man from Ortisei had to overcome in his career. Jobs funded careers Because snowboarders have a much more difficult time getting accepted into a sports group than skiers, Bagozza was on his own until he was 24. In concrete terms, this meant that he was neither able to compare training courses nor was he financially supported. Only private sponsors helped Bagozza. “A vacation was out of the question at that time,” he says: “It wasn’t possible, both financially and in terms of training.” But even the money from the sponsors couldn’t cover all the costs. That's why he initially worked as a caretaker and later as a night porter to stay afloat.

The South Tyrolean also seriously thought about the end of his career: "I always said: If I don't make it into a sports group at 25, I'll have to look for something else," claims Bagozza, who finally achieved the long-awaited one with an impressive 2018/19 season He made the leap: After a World Cup victory and a podium, the police sports group finally accepted him last August. “A precision landing, it shouldn’t have taken much longer,” he jokes. Bagozza had already shown his abilities by winning the overall European Cup in 2017. “As a snowboarder, it’s just a lot harder.”

South Tyrol's up-and-coming snowboard ace: Daniele Bagozza © Pentaphoto

These times are now a thing of the past: Bagozza has become an integral part of the team that won the national championship in a dominant manner. He impressively demonstrated this last winter with another World Cup victory. But he keeps his feet on the ground and doesn't raise his expectations too much for next season: “My goal is to drive freely and without pressure. Because that's the only way I can exploit my full potential."

But Bagozza has put a heavy emphasis on a date. “It would be fantastic if I could take part in the World Cup in Secret Garden (China).” Understandable, since Bagozza celebrated his first World Cup victory there. But even if he had to let his teammates go first (each country is only allowed to field four athletes per discipline), the world wouldn't end for him. “I'm still young. Roland Filehner shows that I still have a lot of time to develop myself.” But first Bagozza has to be patient. Due to an injury, he will not return to snow until September.

One thing is certain: Daniele Bagozza has shown that, despite all odds, it is possible to reach the top of the world. And that makes him a role model for all the young people whose dream is to one day make a living from the sport they love.

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Daniele Bagozza: From night porter to World Cup winner

A great sports career is characterized by ups and downs, by great victories and bitter defeats, by days when everything goes smoothly and by moments when you just want to throw in the towel. Snowboard ace Daniele Bagozza experienced all of this first hand - and told us his remarkable story.

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