Wave-like on the top of the world

This might be a good phrase to describe Anke Karstens as the 1985 born race boarder is ambitious and self-critical enough to achieve her self-defined goals. In addition, the police constable has kept a fruitful realism to stay with both feed on the ground – although she already brought home a few top results in her young career.

That this could be the appropriate method for the strong rider, a glimpse on her snowboarding vita reveals. Inspired by her brother Bjoern, Karstens started snowboarding enjoying her first turns in Berchtesgaden aged eleven.

The Bavarian sticked to it as she not only liked, what she was doing, but also noticed that she could start a successful career out of it. And she was right although the fifth ranked of the 2010 Olympic PGS had to accept some ups and downs on her way to the world’s top.

After competing in mandatory FIS races and European Cups, she celebrated a first real success in 2004 finishing as runner-up at the PGS National Championships. Two years later, Anke was able to repeat this result, but there was more to come. The year after, she clinched the German PGS title also claiming the second rank in the PSL. She was on fire but had to accept a first setback the following season.

It was her first full World Cup winter she took part in and Anke had to learn it the hard way. Until the turn of the year 2007/2008, the SGboards team rider missed the knock out duels of the top-16 in all of her four starts. But instead of burying her head in the sand she let out her frustration positively.

In the first race after New Year’s Eve, the carving ass with the uncommon hobby of crocheting and knitting beanies stormed on her first World Cup podium placing second in Bad Gastein, Austria. The switch was flicked; the appetite was whetted and could be satisfied; at first. Until the end of the season, four more top-10 results followed as well as her so far biggest international triumph: her first victory at the World Cup finals held in Valmalenco (ITA).

Karstens was able to keep hold to the momentum during the summer break thus securing another podium finish as third in Limone Piemonte (ITA) the next winter. But then, she had to deal with another career’s downward trend. In the 15 World Cups held between January 2009 and the Olympics in Vancouver 2010, the downright athlete, who calls herself a little bit too talk active, missed the KO finals seven times. In addition, she never survived the eight finals, even when she had posted a top qualifier time.

However, the 2009 and 2011 World Championships participant didn’t bounce back but showed some real fighting spirit thus rewarding herself with the fifth rank at the last Winter Games.

Maybe she will earn the rewards for this mentality in the new season.