Flander began his career in the 2000/01 season. In the first year he took part in competitions of the FIS as well as the ISF (which was dissolved in 2002) . The FIS Snowboard World Cup was not very successful at first, until the end of 2005 he only achieved two placements in the top ten.
In the following year he was able to improve his performance significantly. At the 2006 Winter Olympics , he finished seventh in the parallel giant slalom, in October 2006 he achieved a podium for the first time in Sölden and on December 13, 2006 he won his first World Cup race in San Vigilio di Marebbe .
He celebrated his greatest success so far at the 2007 World Cup in Arosa , when he defeated two-time Olympic champion Philipp Schoch and won the gold medal in the final of the parallel giant slalom . A day later he was third in the parallel slalom.
successes
WM 2007: gold medal parallel giant slalom and bronze medal parallel slalom