Raglan-raised snowboarder Txema Mazet-Brown is heading to the Winter Olympics after securing qualification to compete, marking a major milestone in a career that has taken him from the beaches of Whāingaroa to the world’s biggest snowboarding stages.
Born in Réunion Island, with strong ties to France through his dad Francois, and raised in New Zealand, Txema’s riding has been influenced by a mix of cultures, mountains, and coaching environments. The Chronicle made contact with Txema.
Last time we talked you had taken out the Worlds Junior Snowboard Big Air title at the Junior Championships in Livigno, Italy held March 2024. What has happened since in the lead up to qualifying?
That’s a good question, a lot has happened since then, in the lead up to qualifying. There’s been two seasons (end of 2024 up until just about a week ago) with World Cups around the world to score points that go towards qualification. So a lot of traveling.
When did you find out officially that you had qualified for the Olympics and how did it feel?
I found out officially a couple of weeks ago after the last event here in Switzerland. It all came down to this last competition and in the end it went my way. I knew the chances were high but to get the official go felt pretty special. Definitely looking back to where it started it’s crazy how far the snowboard has taken me.
How do you prepare both physically and mentally for the Olympic competition?
Preparing for the competition both mentally and physically is a bit different to any other comp as I’ve never experienced it before but I am just really enjoying the moment. Just getting repetition on my tricks and learning a couple of new ones but making sure I have everything on lock helps with the mindset. On the other side prioritising recovery, all the aspects that come with that to make sure the body is in the best shape.
Tell us about who you are representing and how that decision was made?
New Zealand is home for me, I grew up here. But I’m also eligible for Great Britain through my mum. When the structure I’d been training under in New Zealand changed, I had to find a new coaching environment that gave me the best opportunity to keep progressing. It wasn’t an easy decision to transfer, but it felt like the right one to keep moving forward.
I actually won the World Junior Champs Big Air title while still competing as a Kiwi, and later that year completed the transfer to GB. Representing GB has given me a fresh start and strong support, and the snowboarding community is international anyway!
What will your schedule look like while you’re there competing?
Schedule is quite separated. We get there early Feb and have 3 training days for the Big Air which starts not long after we get there and then we have a big gap until the Slopestyle where we’ll have 3 training days again but only starting mid Feb. So busy schedule with a big break in between to hopefully go see some other sports.
Who will be supporting you over there?
Supporting me over there will be the fam and other parts of the family who live in Basque and England will be coming to Italy to support me. Then sponsors and I’m sure they’ll be many homies there too.
What are you most looking forward to about the experience?
I’m most looking forward to just the experience as a whole as it’s one of those events that holds weight behind it. Like as a kid I watched the Olympics with my family on the TV, so just really taking it all in.’
How can Raglan locals follow your progress?
To follow along from Raglan, my Instagram will have regular updates, although during the Games there are some restrictions on posting until after events have finished. The best way is probably to check the official schedule and look out for the Snowboard Big Air and Snowboard Slopestyle events, as those are the ones I’ll be competing in.
