At the penultimate World Cup race before the Olympic Games in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, all three men on the podium had something in common. French winner Youri Duplessis Kergomard, runner-up Reece Howden of Canada and Switzerland’s Tobias Baur all sported mustaches – a sight that is anything but unusual in ski cross.
If you look at the top In the World Cup this season, around one in three riders has more or less hair on their upper lip.
– It’s a good question why that is, but it may have become something of a trend in sports, says Erik Mobärg.
– We had Filip Flisar, who was very famous for his mustache.
The Slovenian Flisar was in demand the fastest mustache alive – the fastest mustache alive. He has since retired his skis, but took part in two Olympic Games, 2010 and 2014, and became world champion in 2015. Throughout his career he sported a very distinctive goatee, also known as a Prussian beard, which attracted a lot of attention.
– Maybe it’s his legacy that lives on, says Erik Mobärg, who has also grown a mustache himself in recent years.
However, he has now acquired a so-called padlock beard or jam jar for the Olympic Games.
– It’s a cold sport that we do and it’s clear that it’s getting a little warmer. That’s how it is.
Is that why you started with a mustache?
– No, I just enjoy it, he says and laughs.
28-year-old Erik Mobärg is taking part in his third Olympic Games. Four years ago he made it to the final in Beijing, but finished fourth there. A ranking that he would like to improve further this time.
– I want to be on the podium, that’s my goal. Actually the goal I’ve had for the last four years. I want to be in the final and fight and do better than before.
With him in Italy he has also her siblings Linnea, 24, who is making her first Olympic Games, and her brother David, who also took part in Beijing in 2022. The siblings from Undersåker in Jämtland are making history by becoming the first trio of siblings to represent Sweden in the same sport at the same Winter Olympics.
If you look at the last few years, it is David Mobärg who has performed the best. Among other things, he won the overall World Cup in 2024 and has two final places and one podium place this winter.
And together the brothers are also doing their part to carry on the ski cross mustache tradition.
– David and I tried to get Måns (Abersten) and Fredrik (Nilsson), the younger riders, to save some facial hair, says Erik Mobärg.
– Måns agreed that he will save the “muscles” for the competitions in Gällivare in March. If he makes it to the final and the top eight, he can get a head start. For him it is a big motivating factor.
Does it look a little ridiculous?
– A little. There may be a few small spots.
Read more:
Emotional Näslund in tears: “It was a hard road to get here”
