by sportswriters Dong Yixing and Yang Fan
CHONGLI, China, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- At 37, Italian-American snowboarder Louie Vito is a veteran in a sport increasingly dominated by youth. Standing in the start gate of the FIS Snowboard World Cup men's halfpipe qualification next to riders half his age, his longevity has become his most distinctive feature.
"I think it's pretty crazy to be still competing at 37," Vito admitted after failing to qualify for the finals in Chongli. "And if I can make this next Winter Olympics, I'll be the oldest halfpipe snowboarder ever."
His performance on Wednesday earned a modest self-assessment of "C plus." He scored 54.66 points to finish 10th in an 18-man qualifying group where only the top seven advanced. While disappointed with the result, he was content simply to land his runs, admitting they felt "pretty sketchy." For Vito, this World Cup stop was more a comeback than just another contest.
"I really haven't done a contest since early February last year," he explained, referencing persistent back issues. "So for me, it was just to land some runs and kind of get back into the swing of things."
That long-term view now defines this stage of his career. Vito has shifted from chasing every new high-risk trick to focusing on longevity, smarter training and setting an example.
"I always want to enter the contest with wanting to win, but I know that it's such a long shot," he said. "So for me, it's just being a good representative of myself and of the sport. Show hard work and taking care of yourself really works."
His outlook is also reflected in his off-snow work. For years, Vito organized the "Louie Vito Rail Jam," a charity event in his hometown at Mad River Mountain in Ohio where competitors paid their entry fee in canned food.
"It was just something that was really special to me," he said, crediting his mother. "She was really big on making sure I was a good person, more important than being a good snowboarder."
The event, which he plans to revive, supported local food pantries and gave young riders a chance to win a trip to a snowboard camp.
Vito also takes pride in mentoring younger athletes. He enjoys watching the next generation progress and takes particular satisfaction when they bring elements of snowboarding's past into their runs.
"When you see some of the younger ones do a little bit more old school stuff, I think that's cool," Vito said, adding that he always tries to stay approachable in the rider community. "It makes me feel good when they know that Louie today is different than Louie 10 years ago, 20 years ago. The main goal is just to be a good representative of the sport."
Family is another constant in Vito's story, and it helped shape one of his biggest decisions: switching to represent Italy internationally.
"My grandma is from Italy. It's just something that is personal," he said. "It's very special to honor my grandmother's heritage."
Having previously competed for the United States, including at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, he now aims to reach the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games under the Italian flag again after Beijing 2022.
"I'm honored to be able to be in a position again, to represent both countries at the highest level," he added.
His own path into snow sports also began with family. "My grandpa thought it would be a great activity for the family to all ski in the winter," Vito recalled. The switch to snowboarding came when he was about five or six, after he and his father saw it on the slopes and decided to try.
"We tried out snowboarding, and we fell in love with it," he said. His background as a competitive gymnast, coupled with frequent trips to the hill after meets, laid the foundation for a professional career that began when he turned pro at 17.
The physical cost, however, has accumulated. "I have bad disks in my back," Vito said, noting that this season is likely his last in competition. "It's just a lot." When he does step away, he hopes people will remember more than his results. "I think I would want people to remember me as a good person, a hard worker, somebody that was always working so hard on and off the snow."
Despite the aches and the rising level of difficulty, the joy of snowboarding remains unchanged for Vito. He described the ultimate payoff as finally landing a trick he has worked on for years and sharing that moment with friends and rivals.
"They're stoked for you, because you are competing against each other. Everybody's kind of hype. It's a family," Vito said.
As he packs up in Chongli, his focus already shifts to the next World Cup in Copper, Colorado next week -- another step in his push for a possible third Olympic appearance, with every contest at this stage feeling like a bonus round.
"I just love it so much," he said. "And I want to push my body as best that I can." ■
