THEME: Portraits
PHOTO: Patrick Armbruster
ATHLETES: Nicole Angelrath & Nicola Thost
LOCATION: Saas Fee, Switzerland
CAMERA: Olympus Mju ll
WRITER: Arlie Carstens ©
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes the word titan as thus: “one that is gigantic in size or power: one that stands out for greatness of achievement.” Additional words that come to mind are juggernaut, colossus, and leviathan. In 1998, the Swiss pro rider Nicole Angelrath and the German pro rider Nicola Thost were two of the greatest athletes the snowboarding world had ever seen.
When Nicola Thost dropped into a halfpipe, whether it was a casual warm-up run or a full-blown contest banger, it didn’t matter. All eyes would stop to gaze upon her grace and power. Throats would open in awe. Howls of joy would erupt. When Angelrath would hit a kicker or carve a turn, same thing. All brains would freeze, all jaws would drop.
From back-to-back 720s in the pipe to repeat World Cup podium placements; from the US Open to the Olympics; from backcountry booters to perfectly sculpted snowboard parks—Nicole Angelrath and Nicola Thost were the riders to emulate. These were the titans.