Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

When Krister Ralles was in 7th grade, he realized what he wanted to do when he grew up. It came to him after he did a backflip while snowboarding.

“I was kind of like, Wow, this is really fun,” he says.

From there he wondered where this winter hobby could take him, so he started to look at his competitive options.

“I didn’t know anybody else that was doing stuff like that, and it was just a really good time,” he says.

Now a senior at Forest Lake High School, Ralles has established himself as not only one of the top snowboarders in the state, but also one of the premier riders in the country.

The sport of snowboarding has exploded so much over the past 20 years that it has quickly moved from being some trendy, alternative activity, to having an entire series of Olympic events. What Ralles specializes in is what he calls “sliding rails, or sliding street rails.” That means zipping down the hill, hopping on top of what is basically a hand rail, and then riding that for all it’s worth.

Just in case that seems a little too easy, these rails should have at least 20 steps, and those steps are cleared of any snow.

“We shovel off the stairs because (it creates) more consequences. It’s just really fun,” Ralles shares, as if skidding down the top of a metal rail, while locked onto a board over snow-covered steps, doesn’t quite measure up on the Risk-O-Meter.

Ralles also participates in slope style competitions, which includes rails as well as jumps, but the resident of Stacy prefers to focus on the freestyle variety. And judging by his early success, Ralles has chosen wisely.

Two years ago, he took part in Volcom’s North American Peanut Butter and Rail Jam competition, where he won the Minnesota leg of the tour. Not too shabby for a high school sophomore, but this story gets even better.

By finishing in the top five, Ralles qualified for the finals that are held at Mammoth Mountain in California. However, he wasn’t participating in the 15-and-Under or 16-and-Over classifications, but rather in the Open Division.

Going up against professional snowboarders in their mid-twenties, Ralles came in third place. That little 7th grader from a few years prior was beginning to look awfully smart.

“So it was a pretty big accomplishment,” Ralles says. “That was probably the best I’ve ever done.”

What’s even more remarkable about the feat is that Ralles pulled it off after he just recovered from a broken ankle — the only broken bone he’s suffered in his young career.

THE FUTURE

If Ralles hasn’t already arrived on the snowboarding scene, then his ETA is rapidly approaching. Since the start of 2007, Ralles has become a member of the amateur team for Palmer Snowboards — in which there are only 11 other snowboarders across North America who can claim that status — and recently earned another trip to Mammoth Mountain.

Those finals will be held in May, and Ralles says he plans on taking on those old fogies again and seeing what happens.

Come next fall, he’s headed to Colorado or California with the notion of shedding his amateur status.

“I’m one step away from being pro,” he states. “That is definitely the goal.”

Until then, while Ralles is still in school he’ll just have to make do with seeing the likes of Palmer, The FL Project, Holden, DC, Smith and Face First Productions as his allies. With those companies taking care of everything from outerwear to boots to goggles to an upcoming video, Ralles knows he’s got it pretty good.

“It’s nice. It’s definitely nice,” he laughs. “My Dad likes it too because he doesn’t have to buy me all of the equipment.”

On the Palmer Snowboards’ website, Ralles states, “Snowboarding is my passion,” so it’s no surprise to see where he expects to be in 10 years.

“Still snowboarding and enjoying it,” he shares. “You can go as long as you really want it to.”

That must have been one heckuva backflip.

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