When your sweetheart is a slalom racer…

Journalists flock to Henrik Kristoffersen: flashes and madding crowds, microphones and recording devices. Standing on the side-line: his girlfriend. Tonje Barkenes and the ski star live in Salzburg, and she has joined him for this year’s Hahnenkamm Races. “Henrik gets nervous the night before his races, so he does occasionally want to talk to me about an impending slalom. I love to be there for him, but I’m really no specialist in that area.”

The young Norwegian woman is studying to become a dietician in Oslo and travels back and forth as often as her days off allow.

“I can’t make it to every race, but I’ve always got my fingers crossed and really hope that he’ll finally win tomorrow.”

Photo © K.S.C.