How old were you when you first hit the slopes in the Swiss mountains? Eight? 13? Or were you a late arrival to skiing and snowboarding? For one child in Canton Graubünden, the answer is more like 17 months - needless to say, the one-year-old snowboarder has taken the internet by storm.

One-year-old Swiss snowboarding sensation goes viral

Speaking to ZüriToday, Sascha and Fatima, the two parents, said that it all started when they uploaded some snowboarding videos of their daughter Zoey, now 19 months old, to TikTok. "They were short films that we would also post in the family chat," Sacha explained.

Upon seeing Zoey - who is less than two years old! - take to the slopes like a pro, the videos soon became viral hits across the world. Millions of viewers marvelled at how someone, who must have only recently learnt to walk, was able to already master balance and board control while being pulled along by mum and dad. "We never expected such enthusiasm on the internet," the father noted. 

Swiss baby snowboarder currently unaware of internet fame

Perhaps luckily, the parents report that Zoey is unaware that she has shot to internet stardom, with Sascha noting that the closest thing to the paparazzi is a few questions asked around the local shop in Domat / Ems - a town of just 8.000 people. "That's not an issue in our family," they concluded, noting that in the videos themselves they try to not show the girl’s face as much as possible.

When asked why they were taking Zoey snowboarding so young, both parents explained that they wanted her to grow up fearless and without the company of a mobile phone or television. On the flip side, “We don't want to force anything on her. If she doesn't feel like snowboarding anymore, then we'll let it be…Maybe we'll switch to cycling in the spring," they concluded.