I remember meeting Elio for the first time last year in Airolo during a big air contest. A smiling kid with an innate passion for snowboarding. Despite his youth, his bag of tricks was already doing the talking. As soon as he strapped in, he reminded us all why we love riding. Since then, his name has been appearing all over, from the renowned Crap Show series to half pipe contests all over Switzerland. An all-terrain machine, Sir Fumagalli is a rider who should be in your shred radar right now!

Presenting Elio

You are hungry for snowboarding now more than ever. When did it all start?
If it were not for my mother and all of her support, I would not be a rider right now. My family has always pushed me to chase my snowboarding dream. I was introduced to this magical world around the age of 7 years. Riding with him and his friends taught me how to take my first turns on the board. Over the years, most of them left the sport to focus on other things, so I ended up riding with my best buddy Oliviero most of the time.
My local resorts back then were not too far from home — in fact, I grew up riding around San Bernardino and Splügen. A few years later, I was convinced to try and ride a contest during a four-day event in San Bernardino.

How has your life changed since that first contest?
My “real” career launched in 2011. Surprised by first place, I took home my very first victory. Since that day, I trained with the Ticino’s freestyle team for a couple of years, consolidating my skills. During that period, I got in touch with my first sponsors. Everything has happened pretty fast, so when it was time to choose  what to do after mid-school, the sports-high school in Davos looked like the best option for me.

Over the seasons I have seen you riding every kind of terrain: big air, banked slaloms, half pipes and street spots. I was surprised by your ability to approach them all with the same amount of style. How did you end up being so consistent in all of them?
Going to school in Davos allows me to train and ride almost every day. Spending as much time as possible on the snow is the biggest gift for any rider. I feel thankful because I have the chance to do what I love and, at the same time, study to get a federal diploma. Training hard on big air and half pipes makes me feel more comfortable on my board. When it comes to translating it to riding in the streets, I just need some time to think about what line to ride and I go for it!

You are not a stranger to the old school side of snowboarding. At the age of 19, we see you carving around the park rather than throwing doubles over big kickers. Who influences your riding most?
First of all, what I love the most about snowboarding is creativity. Any rider who approaches the features in his own way inspires me a lot. In particular, my teammate and friend James Niederberger, whose style is different from everyone else’s. It reminds me of the golden time for snowboarding, when style was the essence of the sport itself. He learned most of his tricks by himself. A true inspiration!

Have you ever thought about trying a double?
In my opinion, it is about a process of learning and feelings. I haven’t felt like trying it up to now, because I think that before throwing ourselves like crazy tops down on kickers, it’s better to consolidate the basics. Once you feel at ease with some kinds of tricks, learning news ones comes more easily.

Your thoughts about the current state of snowboarding in the south part of Switzerland?
In general, I think that we will suffer from an increasing lack of style from the upcoming generations. While growing up riding in Ticino, I noticed that most of the young kids are not interested in snowboarding anymore. The passion that kept the old generation on fire, is slowly dying. Apart from some exceptions, our future is not as bright as we hope. The absence of any freestyle feature does not help inspire and create a solid upcoming group of new riders. On the other hand, I am more than stoked to see that some old rippers are pushing the small scene with projects and passion.

Favorite resort in Ticino?
Nara Mountain in my heart.

If you had to ride one thing for the rest of your life, it would be…
Powder riding. I can’t see myself at the age of 50 still hitting the metal like there was no tomorrow.

Having the chance to interview one of my favorite riders for the upcoming generation was more than a pleasure.
Cheers and ride, Ale

Pictures: Nicole Antognini, Sebastiano Pellanda
Words: Alessandro Pellanda
Locations: Laax and Davos in Switzerland, Red Bull The Station Nesselwang in Germany