When Danish long distance speed skater Viktor Thorup won an Olympic silver medal in February, he crossed the finish line with a magnetic strip designed in Santa Barbara across his nose.
The strip came from Intake Breathing, which makes and sells breathing aids for sports, exercise and sleep that open up a person’s nasal passages.
Thorup is one of the company’s most successful ambassadors—and this week he came to the South Coast for the first time, to meet with the people who helped make his 2026 win in Italy in the men’s mass start 6,400-meter race possible.
“To be able to look them in the eyes, shake their hands and say, ‘You guys actually helped me win an Olympic medal,’ that’s why I’m here,” Thorup said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Thorup whizzed around the main rink at Ice in Paradise in Goleta. His medal blades clacked as he skated laps and prepared to compete in nine countries over the next three months.
He wasn’t hitting his high speed of 35 miles per hour. But, as he always does, Thorup did sport the nasal strip.
Intake Breathing Co-founder Alex Hauck and Head of Media and Content Mike Zapata skated a couple laps too, albeit a little more wobbily.
The meet and greet was set up by Intake Breathing as a way for the press to talk to Thorup and the Intake Breathing team.
On a break, Thorup described his visit to the South Coast.
He’d biked Refugio and Gibraltar roads. He’d rollerbladed Cabrillo Boulevard.
He’s one of several athletes Intake Breathing has sponsored in the last three years.
“What we’ve learned from talking to the athletes that we sponsor is that they’re always looking for an edge,” Zapata said. “Anything that gives them that little one percent, they’re going to do it.”
Some of those athletes include Justin Wrobleski, the Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher, and Corey Heim, NASCAR race driver. Most athletes use the nasal strip for sleep, Zapata said, while others like Thorup use it for training and competition.
After failing to qualify for the 2014 Olympics—Thorup finished one second short—he decided he needed to improve his sleep and breathing and tested 10 brands before finding the best fit.
Intake Breathing formed in Santa Barbara in 2019.
A former skier, Jim Castillo, Hauck’s father in law, came up with the now-patented idea for the magnetic nasal band after applying nose magnets to motocross and ski goggles used by professional athletes.
The duo steadily grew the idea, marketing it for sports but also as an exercise and sleep aid.
The inclusion of magnets sets the product apart from other nasal strips that do not include them, Hauck said.
Looking ahead, Thorup said he plans to keep wearing the nasal strip for four more years and beyond, as he trains for what he hopes will be a successful 2030 Olympics run in France.
“That silver medal,” Thorup said, “is hopefully a gold medal in four years.”
