The winter season 2012/13 was very special for one our youngest team riders: Our Austrian rookie Moritz Amsüss. After a glorious season kick-off during fall with many great sessions, his season took an early twist when a stupid mistake turned into a painful surgery and a 3 months break. However due to his incredible willpower and physical strength he returned to the snow stronger than ever and even competed in the finals of the World Rookie Tour earlier this spring. Here is the story of Moritz’ rollercoaster season.

December 1^st, 2012 – 2:30pm – Stubaier Glacier / Austria. It was nice day shredding with my mates in the park on the glacier. Winter was slowly approaching my beloved Alps and I was full of energy for a great season. I was already practicing a lot during the fall months on the glaciers, had some great sessions and first contests – happy to be finally back on board. So that December 1^st, I actually didn’t want to push it too hard and to that day I don’t know what exactly went wrong. All I do exactly remember was that horrible pain in my right foot. Somehow I screwed the landing and felt like I twisted my ankle. I didn’t think of broken bones yet, however as the pain didn’t get any better in the evening, we decided to go to the hospital in Starnberg/Germany. The doctors found out that there was an actual fracture on the bone. They gave me a cast and after two days I was released again.

However I had this bad feeling, that it’s still not over and that there was something more wrong in my leg. So we went to see a specialist in Garmisch, the team doc of the German Snowboard Association. He took a closer look on me and we found out that besides a broken shin and calf bone, I had also shifted my growth plate. That was a huge shock for me. I heard of such fractions before and that it could lead to a stop in the bone growth. For me that meant immediate surgery, what happened on December 6^th. From there onwards I had new body parts: 2 metal plates and 9 screws held my leg together.

After one week I was already walking around on crutches with a splint on my leg. And finally after two more weeks I could put some weight on my leg.

The worst part of this time besides the pain was of course the huge boredom. I could see on Facebook how all my mates were having great time on the mountains and I was bound to my bed like a prisoner. Not to get too mental though I tried to keep my mind away from the snow with physiotherapy to get back the feeling and balance, as well as some training for my brain while playing Scrabble or Rummikub or editing movies on my notebook.

On February 21^st the plates and screws were taken out and only 5 days later I was already on my way to Ufa / Russia. I was elected to take part in the World Children’s Games already before my accident. I know a participation was more or less not realistic but still I wanted to go there and at least cheer for my team and so I was really happy just to be part of that epic trip.

After 3 months of not having touched a snowboard, I gave it a try again in Russia on February 27^th. Of course I felt a bit shaky in the beginning but it didn’t took too long until I got the feeling back. So I asked if I could still compete in the slopestyle competition and since I got the go from the doctors, that was alright. After a solid run in the qualifications and no pain I went for the finals on March 1^st and it ranked 4^th in the end! I was superstoked. Not so much on the ranking (which was also great of course), but more about the performance itself, that after such a long break I was still able to pull of a great run. That made me more than happy and finally all the confidence and motivation that I had in the beginning of the season was back, running through my veins.

After the great time in Russia, the season went on with the training at the German Snowboard Association. Later in March I was then competing at the Flying Potatoes Contest in Götschen and made the second place! Now I finally knew that the season was far but not over and I started to focus on something again that was out of sight for a long time: The finals of the legendary World Rookie Tour. But as I was injured for such a long time, it was hard to get in.

I tried to distract myself and just enjoy my full health again so I went for a little skate trip to Barcelona.

In the meantime my friends from the Austrian and German Snowboard Association tried their best to get me in to the WRT finals, which take place in early April in Ischgl / Austria. I couldn’t believe my eyes, when I first heard that I actually some got a wildcard for the finals! What a huge chance! I put all my focus together for this special event – one last time this crazy season. The slopestyle course was perfectly set and the weather couldn’t have been any better. I threw down two solid runs and in the end finished on the 11^th place. I was really proud of myself, as I was second best German and Austrian grom rookie in the category slopestyle. What a way to end this rollercoaster season!

Now I changed the snowboard for my skateboard again and try to enjoy a relaxed summer, before getting back on snow in early fall again. And even if the old season just ended, I’m already psyched on getting back on snow.

Enjoy your summer – see you next season!

- Moritz