Håkonsen made his international debut in February 1990 with a fifth-place finish in halfpipe at the World Cup in St. Moritz. One month later he began to be noticed a lot more following a fifth-place finish in halfpipe at the US Open as part of a strong field. Håkonsen also came fifth in the halfpipe and moguls in the same year at the world championships in Breckenridge. This was the last year that the moguls were included as an event in snowboarding competitions.