From the Olympics to the hunting stand – Johannes Thingnes Bø sets his sights on hunting.
Johannes Thingnes Bø – Chevalier Ambassador
After a decade at the very top of the sport, biathlon star Johannes Thingnes Bø is turning his attention to something new: hunting, community, and the outdoors. Now he’s beginning his hunting journey together with Chevalier.
When Johannes Thingnes Bø leaves his elite sports career behind, it isn’t peace and quiet he meets first – it’s presence. Presence in everyday life, with family, and out in nature.
"Being able to sit on the floor and play with the kids without thinking about the next interval session – that’s really special," Johannes says.
After years of meticulous routines, training, and focusing on the next day and the next race, he now finds himself in something completely different. A life where family and the small moments get more space. And it was here, in this new rhythm of daily life, that hunting naturally found its place.
Hunting in Johannes’ life.
A legacy passed down through generations
Johannes grew up on a farm in Stryn, Norway, where home-cooked meals from their own hunting and fishing were simply part of life. His father has hunted for as long as he can remember, and even though Johannes didn’t have the time when he was younger – with orienteering, cross-country skiing, football, and biathlon filling his weeks – hunting was always there in the background. A legacy, and a path forward.
"I’ve always thought that the day I retire, that’s when I’ll start hunting," he says.
That’s why Johannes completed his hunting licence back in 2022 – to be ready. And once his career ended, there was no doubt. Not even about who he wanted to start hunting with: his dad.
For Johannes and his father, hunting is more than an activity. It’s time together, learning, shared silence, and a few quiet words here and there. It’s something they haven’t had much of over the last ten to fifteen years while Johannes travelled the world competing.
"That might be the very best part of hunting," Johannes says softly. "Getting to share it with my dad – and having him teach me something again."
Being a beginner again
After a life spent at the absolute top of his sport, it feels unusual – but also freeing – to be a beginner again, Johannes says. He describes it with a mix of humility and joy, because in hunting there’s no routine to fall back on, only new learning.
The real challenge, he says, isn’t technique – it’s the respect and responsibility toward animals and nature.
"Approaching a living animal takes complete presence – calmness and responsibility in a way you can’t train in a gym or on a treadmill," Johannes says.
One of the strongest lessons Johannes has taken from his first year of hunting is about decision-making – the quiet, precise choices that have to be made in exactly the right second. He explains how, on the stand in Stryn, he often sat and pictured different scenarios: how the animal might come from the left or the right, how the calf might appear first. Hour by hour he noticed his mental readiness growing, and he became more confident about making the right choice when it truly mattered.
That’s exactly where he recognises something from biathlon. Not the pressure – the precision. That ability to be one hundred percent present when the moment demands it.
"Ninety-five percent isn’t enough," he says. "In the forest, just like on the range, you need to be fully sharp and clear-headed."
Choices that last
When Johannes talks about gear, he almost imperceptibly slips into the same tone he uses when describing his sports career – thoughtful, precise, and with an eye for details that only comes from deep experience.
"For me, good hunting clothing is about security," Johannes says. "It needs to be quiet, keep me warm, and let me move freely – whether it’s raining, snowing, or windy. These are garments that should work year after year, not just for one season."
When he tried Chevalier, he immediately recognised that same precision in the details. Materials that breathe while holding up against the elements, garments designed for Nordic conditions and for the terrain he moves in himself. That made the choice easy.
As a new hunter, he describes just how much that sense of security matters: knowing your clothing supports silence, warmth, and movement when it counts.
"I’ve worn top-level sportswear throughout my entire career," he says. "Finding hunting clothing with that same obvious quality – but made for the forest – takes the whole hunting experience to another level."
Wild. Beautiful. Raw.
When winter reaches Stryn in 2025, it’s the first time in a long while that Johannes isn’t on his way to a World Cup competition. Instead he’s at home – with family, training on his own terms, and with hunting as a new centre of life.
When Johannes sums up his hunting journey so far, he chooses three words from a saying in Norwegian orienteering tradition: Wild. Beautiful. Raw.
Three words that capture exactly what he feels:
Wild – – in what he’s searching for, and hasn’t yet had.
Beautiful –in the moments with his dad, in the landscape, and in all the small things.
Raw –in the weather, the cold, the darkness, and the total honesty nature offers.
And despite missed chances, quiet stands, and wet days, his answer is crystal clear:
"I’ve enjoyed every single second."
And ahead of him lies a lifetime of hunting. Of community. Of nature. Of food made from scratch. Of memories not yet created.
Two of Johannes’ favourites in Chevalier’s range are:
Pointer Pro Chevalite Jacket:
Read more here"This jacket is genuinely waterproof – I was the only one who stayed dry and comfortable all day, even though it rained pretty much nonstop. Great ventilation so you can cool down after running or when you get warm. Perfect, since it’s both quiet and stretchy," Johannes says.
Pointer Pro Chevalite Pants:
Read more here"Incredibly comfortable – and they look great too. Soft, quiet, and stretchy, with solid ventilation and pockets exactly where you want them. Waterproof as well, so I stay dry even if I need to sit down on wet moss."
