Already at the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere portion of the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour 2008 the buzz was circulating around Peetu Piiroinen of Finland. Transworld Snowboarding Magazine quotes Jussi Oksanen on Peetu’s potential: “Peetu can ride anything. He can kill the pipe, slopestyle, and rails. And this year at the Open, it was really gnarly conditions – icy and [bad] weather – and he was doing tens left and right. He’s still super young and only going to get better. I think he’s going to be the next contest machine.”

After one of the most climactic TTR seasons to date it is clear that Jussi’s prophecy held its weight. Winning the Burton Global Open series the previous year, Peetu Piiroinen, a now iconic rider on the Burton European team, quickly escalated his exposure and professional status to global levels after becoming the 2009 and first Finnish born Swatch TTR World Champion.

“I think Peetu rode the best on the Tour for sure, out of everybody” said fellow Finnish rider Antti Autti at the season-ending 6Star Burton US Open. “ He was good in every event.”

Chalking up contest win after contest win is an essential ingredient within Piiroinen’s snowboarding career, a key component that has been ingrained in his riding since day one. Once school finished up all those years back, Peetu’s ‘hobby’ quickly became an obvious obsession. Contest riding soon turned to sponsorship and progression turned into championship.

And while upon first approach Peetu might seem like the most reserved guy on the chair, his on-board character testifies to an aggressive determination seen only in a handful of TTR riders who also revere Piiroinen’s abilities.

“Of course, he’s good at everything and he’s just so solid,” claims Chas Guldemond, who finished second behind Piiroinen in the final 2009 TTR rankings. “He just knows when it’s time. He’s gonna give it all. I see it in his eyes. He’s not scared by any of it. He’s there to do it and he’s going to put it all out on the line.”

Highlights of Peetu Piiroinen’s winning season begin at the 2008 6Star Nissan X-Trail Jam, where an impressive Quareterpipe hit combined with a Corked Backside 9 in the Big air had him standing on the podium next to contest veteran Shaun White.

In his best performance of the season, Peetu grabbed his only contest title of the 08/09 season at the 6Star O’Neill evolution Quarterpipe by executing one monster of a Backside 5, a relentless demonstration of his transition prowess. Piiroinen locked in his stand as World No. 1 at the 2009 6Star Billabong Air & Style impressing both crowd and judges with lofty airs and a buttery smooth Backside 5. He would hold his Tour lead all the way through to the end with a second place in the 6Star Burton US Open Halfpipe that solidified his position as the 2009 Tour Champion.

A quick word with Peetu after the US Open confirmed his stoke for his win, but spoken like a true competitor, he still expressed his future aspirations: “I’m looking forward to next year too, but the riding level is going up and up and there’s going to be so many good riders. It’s going to be hard but I’m looking forward to [it]. I hope that I can win it again. It would be nice.”

In the season 2009/2010 Peetu has pushed through like a freight train, taking both halfpipe and slopestyle titles at the Burton European Open 2010 and second place at the Billabong Air & Style. He moved into World No.1 already in early January after with his third place at both formats at the O'Neill Evolution. In the midst of competing on the TTR Tour Peetu went on to take Olympic silver at the Vancouver Olympics, and a win at the Toyta Big Air (Non TTR) in Japan.

The seemingly untiring Piiroinen went on to take the title at the 6Star Oakley Arctic Challenge, hence securing his second consecutive Swatch TTR World Champion title by taking an unassailable lead in the TTR ranking. Peetu Piiroinen has the true mindset of a world champion.

TTR INTERVIEW with Peetu in New Zealand in summer 2009

Why do you snowboard?
It is just so much fun I guess, and it's my lifestyle….a lifestyle turned into a job. I like to snowboard, so its a perfect job.

Tell us about last season?
Last season was great. TTR Champion and everything went pretty good except a couple of injuries. It was a perfect season for me, I hope it goes like that in the future for me.

You had plenty of podium moments last season, what was the most memorable contest?
I think the most memorable was the X-trail Jam, I've never been in a contest like that. It's so crazy, the Japanese people, its so crowed, it was just such a different contest. So bad that they are not doing it this year….Nissan X-trail was great.

How is it like to ride in front of that many people? Explain the atmosphere?
The atmosphere is amazing, its hard to explain, 30 000 people just screaming and yelling your name and the location in the middle of Tokyo and the big hall. Crazy.

What do you think of the other big Arena events?
Innsbruck has been pretty good as well. It's pretty crowded and this year there's gonna be a jump, no quarterpipe. It's gonna be great I think it will be one of the best contests this season.

Air & Style decided to change their format to adapt for the olympic year. Are the TTR Tour events adapting to the riders needs enough?
I think Air & Style listen to the riders and it's no longer a quarter pipe and less risk to get hurt. It's an Olympic year and everybody is focusing on the Olympics. In the quarter pipe the risk to get hurt is too big. I think its enough to have one or two QP contests a year.

What is your plan this season?
I am trying for the Olympics, and of course I will try to do as many TTR contests as possible…Olympics are my main goal.

Does the possibility of a two time TTR Champion motivate you?
Yes, it would be nice to win it two times, and of course Im going to try it. There are still many TTR contest that I will do, Air & Style, the Arctic Challenge, European Open, Asian Open, US Open..almost all of them.  Its gonna be tough, the riding level is way higher than last year. All the new tricks, double corks and stuff like that. I have to learn those tricks so that I can be the Champion again.

Whats it like attempting the double cork in the halfpipe?
Oh, its pretty crazy to try double corks, but these days everybody pretty much is riding double corks, so you just have to push your limits and try double corks. I think its pretty good that we can see something new, I don't want to see just back to back 10s. Its pretty good to see that everybody is trying new tricks and trying to push the limits more higher.

Have you got a double cork locked down yet?
My double corks are not down yet, but I have tried it a couple of times, and I can do it, I think so, but I haven't landed it yet. Just have to have a perfect pipe to try it. I think its not that hard….you have to just try it and then you know if you can do it or not.

What happened after your won the TTR Tour Champion Title last spring? How did you feel? A sense of accomplishment?
First I really didn't get it. It was amazing to go home and the season was pretty much over, I had a super good season. After that it was  pretty much relaxing time and chilled out.
It was really hard to imagine at the beginning of season that I could win the TTR, after 3 results I had a pretty high TTR ranking. And I knew I had a chance to win it, except there was a couple of injuries. After the Arctic challenge, there was just Shaun who had a chance to win it. After  the Arctic Challenge I had the idea that I have a chance to win it.

Whats your favourite event on the TTR Tour?
The US Open is one of my favorites, as its the last one and its always been good there. Lots of fun there and you know that there are no more contests after it.

It's a pretty prestigious event?
It's pretty hard to win it, as all the US guys are there, and of course everybody wants to win it. My best position has been 2nd Place in the halfpipe there.

Who would you like to thank?
I would like to thanks my parents, friends and sponsors