It doesn't always have to be the expensive things in life.
That also goes with Niklas Huber from the Oberammergau Snowgau Freestyle Team.
Huber bought his first snowboard with his pocket money for 1.50 euros.
Today he is one of the most promising young talents on the German scene.
Oberammergau / Großweil -
There is probably no
other
shop in the world that offers a variety like a flea market.
Everything is available, a real overstimulation.
Quite a few are likely to know the case that they buy something intoxicated by the immense selection and only find out at home that they actually don't need it.
At some point maybe you will say to yourself.
But in the end it is gathering dust in the darkest alcove of the cellar.
A classic bad purchase.
Niklas Huber's mother from Großweil once wanted to prevent such a move, but it failed.
And that was a good thing, because today Huber is one of the most promising young talents on the German snowboard scene.
"My mother thought I would go there a few times and then that was it again."
Niklas Huber
When the little boy, who had just passed the one-meter mark, was strolling with his parents at a flea market as a five-year-old, he noticed something.
A snowboard.
The eyes widened and mom had to come here quickly.
Did he have enough pocket money to buy it? He asked.
His mother looked puzzled.
A snowboard?
For what?
The boy has only just learned to ski.
But it's hard to refuse a small child with big, shiny doe eyes.
Especially not when the object of desire costs just 1.50 euros.
So she did her son a favor - with ulterior motives.
"She thought I would fly there a few times and then that was it again," says Huber with a smile.
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The object of desire: As a five-year-old, Huber absolutely wanted to have this snowboard.
© Private
The mother's calculation doesn't work out
But his mother's plan didn't work out. No matter how often the boy fell, no matter how often the family had to come to the Murnau accident clinic with him, he and his snowboard were inseparable from then on. Why? Quite simply: “It was just cool.” He had always seen the youngsters on their snowboards on the slopes and was extremely impressed. “They stood so casually on the boards, I wanted that too.” Every now and then he also straps on his skis, but “the heart beats for snowboarding”. After the initial skepticism, the parents were also convinced by the short man's immense élan: They bought him a course. From then on, all his attention was devoted to the off-piste fun parks. A friend of the mother's then told about the Shred Kids. This training group was made for Huber's new passion.From then on, Friday afternoons always went up to training at Brauneck in Lenggries. Now Huber was completely happy.
Fifth place in Big Air at the Junior World Championships
And from then on his talent became more and more visible.
The Bavarian Ski Association became aware of him at the age of eight, at 14 he joined the Snowboard Freestyle Team Germany, about a year ago he switched to the Snowgau Freestyle Team from Oberammergau after the collapse of the Blaues Land club, and today at 17 he is one of the best snowboarders in Germany.
He proved that in March at the Junior World Championships in Krasnoyarsk (Russia) - fifth place in the Big Air. Huber is proud of his result and has big goals for the future: qualifying for a World Cup, winning the Establish the international elite and start at the Olympic Games at some point.
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Niklas Huber today at the age of 17.
© Private
The essence of snowboarding
But: “Competitions alone are not fulfilling.” He certainly likes to be at the top of the podium, to compete with the best in the world, to win trophies and medals. But none of this makes it to the top of his personal priority list. “Having fun is paramount. If at some point it were to say: You have to, and that and that. Then I don't know how long I would do it. ”He never wants to forget the essence of snowboarding. “I enjoy the time on the board. Just turn off your head and drive. That's the coolest thing. ”That's true passion. And for that alone, the 1.50 euros were more than worth it.