Ask the Paralympic pioneers: Matti Suur-Hamari on Para snowboard

Get ready for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The Paralympic Winter Games return to Italy for the first time since 2006, gathering up to 665 athletes across six sports: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard and wheelchair curling.

This week, hear directly from legendary Paralympians as they answer your top questions about their sports.

Finland’s two-time Paralympic champion Matti Suur-Hamari is sharing everything you need to know about Para snowboard ahead of Milano Cortina 2026.

Para snowboard 101: Get to know the sport

1. What is Para snowboard?

Para snowboard is a sport with two events – snowboard cross and banked slalom. Snowboard cross is a high-speed event with big jumps, banked turns and course with rollers and different obstacles.

It’s the most exciting race to watch, because there are four people in line, the gate drops, and you go through the obstacle course. Always the first two people go to the next round, and third and fourth athletes drop from the race - so it’s easy to understand.

Then there’s banked slalom – it's a little bit different. It’s a course with tight banked turns. It’s a technical discipline. You are by yourself and competing against time.

2. How did you get started in Para snowboard?

I started snowboarding when I was 13 years old. Downhill sports have always been in my life. I was four years old when I went on the slopes on skis. When I was a teenager, I changed to snowboard.

I got into a motorcycle accident in 2009 and lost my leg. When I was recovering, I saw videos and pictures of Para snowboard on the Internet. I saw that it was going to be a new sport at the Sochi 2014 Paralympics.

I was like, ‘OK, I have a snowboarding background. I haven’t done it with a prosthetic leg yet.’ But I asked myself, ‘Why not try?’ because I love the sport and it ignited a flame inside me. This was something I wanted to try.

I went to the slopes and tried snowboarding again. It went pretty well – it felt really good and I started training more and more. And several years later, I am here.

3. What did you enjoy the most about Para snowboard?

I’ve been an adrenaline junkie all my life. I like the speed and big challenges.

In Para snowboard cross, what I love the most is the speed and the competition. Things are changing quickly and you have to live in the moment. You can’t think ahead too much, and you can’t think behind too much.

4. What was the most difficult part about Para snowboard?

When I went to the slopes the first time, it went pretty well.

I’ve always compared snowboarding to cycling: once you learn how to ride a bicycle, you will always know how to ride it. I snowboarded as a teenager, so I already knew the technique. So when I got back on a snowboard with a prosthetic leg, I already knew what to do.

The most challenging part was adjusting my prosthetic leg while preparing my snowboard, boots, and bindings before competition. Fixing my leg to be in top level and suitable for my needs was the most difficult part.

Inside the Para snowboard playbook

1. Can you explain the equipment used in Para snowboard?

There is a specific snowboard for Para snowboard cross, because we are chasing speed. We want to go fast and that’s the most important thing. The prosthetic leg is very important too. It needs to fit you.

Every athlete has different needs, in terms of set ups and products. When I talked about it with my snowboard colleagues, nobody wanted to use what I used because we had different needs.

I had one prosthetic leg for snowboarding. The physical load on the leg during a race is massive and parts do break. That’s why I always carry spare parts. Luckily, over the years, prosthetic technicians have taught me how to fix the leg myself. I’ve basically had to become my own mechanic on the road to continue competing and training.

2. What is it like to race against other athletes in snowboard cross?

In snowboard cross, no two courses are the same. It’s always different even though there are similar obstacles. That’s the best part because you must adapt.

I like snowboard cross because there are three other athletes on the course with me. You must think about what the athletes are doing. You have to live in the moment. You need to have a plan for ‘what if’s. You need a Plan A, Plan B or even a Plan C. 

It’s like playing chess at full speed. You’re shoulder-to-shoulder with three other guys and if someone cuts your line, you have a split second to switch plans before the next jump.

When you are leading, it's a little easier because you can choose or change your line. But if you’re behind, then you have to adapt to how the others are racing.

3. What do athletes do to prepare before their race?

There are so many ways athletes prepare for a race. For me, it was always about putting my headphones, not really talking to anybody because I was concentrating. I would listen to music, read, and go through the course in my head and the different race plans. I don’t have time to think on the course, so I had to do it beforehand.

But like I said, there are many types of athletes. Some like telling jokes or talking, and not thinking about the race. 

Paralympic Winter Games at the centre

1. Can you share your memories of your first Paralympic Winter Games?

It was crazy. Actually, 2013 was my first year competing in Para snowboard. 

It was a crazy moment to go to the  Sochi 2014 Paralympics. Walking into the Opening Ceremony was a confusing, surreal moment. It had been such a short time since my first race and suddenly, there I was.

I felt huge butterflies in my stomach realising that my dream was actually coming true, which definitely made me really nervous ahead of the race.

I was so nervous that I couldn’t perform at all in the race. I crashed in the race because I was so nervous about everything. That crash was a harsh wake-up call, but honestly, it was the best lesson of my career.

It taught me that nothing comes for free. I learned that the most important skill in sport is to block out the past and the future and just focus 100 per cent on the present moment.

2. What was the feeling of winning a Paralympic gold medal?

That was an amazing feeling. After Sochi 2014, I went back home to work and train. I had really good people around me, all the coaches, all the service technicians and I was able to build a team around me. We worked together for four years.

At PyeongChang 2018, I still remember the moment when I was in the air in the last jump and I saw the finish line. I thought, “When I cross the finish line, I’m going to be a Paralympic champion.”

It was the best moment of my career. I’m really emotional because I was also chosen to be a flagbearer in the Opening Ceremony. PyeongChang 2018 was an amazing Games, it was like living in a dream.

3. What is the key to success in Para snowboard?

There's no secret. It’s just hard work and believing in yourself. You need the willingness to do it.

Counting down to Milano Cortina 2026

1. What excites you most about the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games?  

It’s going to be so much different from what it was like at Sochi 2014 and it’s exciting to see how much the sport has grown over the years. The athletes are so good at the moment – their skills are so high-level.

2. What can fans look out for when watching Para snowboard competition?

Snowboard cross is the most exciting competition to watch because everything happens in the blink of an eye. You need to live in the moment. For those who have never watched Para snowboard competitions, please keep an eye on how athletes adjust to what’s happening on the course. There are different tactics like how to do jumps and how to do the pump rollers.

We are a big snowboarding family, even when we are competing against each other. Everyone is very good friends with one another; the spirit is very special, something you won’t find in any other sport.

3. Can you share a message for athletes competing at Milano Cortina 2026?

My message to athletes is to just enjoy. You’ve worked hard to get to the Games and now is the moment to enjoy. And of course, believe in yourself and live in the moment. 

Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games  

Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.

For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org