After visiting five different places we found a nice place to stay with a reasonable price: TahoeCityInn, a nice, small hostel in Tahoe City village  only a 15-minute drive from Squaw Valley ski center. At this hostel (with breakfast included during the weekends) you could stay 9 nights instead of staying 2 nights at a pretty expensive hotel in the center of Squaw. Maybe some folks would have solved this problem by using one of their top rated credit cards, but I found it reasonable to save money this time.

Awesome opening day at Freeride World Tour at Squaw Valley

The first competition day was held  on Friday 27th on the “Silverado” mountain face under a bluebird sky and with good snow conditions. Riders chose their lines in the competition morning by watching the face with binoculars. The face offered many different line choices and the first rider had to be ready at 10:30 am on the start. Men rode before the women. The 1st competition day gave a really spectacular show for audience and judges, but unfortunately I couldn’t see more than two runs of the men’s competition because I had to climb up to the start to get ready for my turn. Anyhow, I was lucky to see one of the best lines of the first day. Jeremy Jones and Xavier de Le Rue were absolutely the kings of the day on snowboard, while skier Reine Barkered took the victory in the men’s ski competition.

It was very nice to have a new young face on the men’s ski podium, and the media was fascinated for the same reason. The smile on this new winner’s face could have told a thousand things, but you could see him simply grinning: ”This is it!” I guess he had one of the happiest moments of his skiing career. I talked to Reine afterward and he was very stoked over his first big victory and he was really relieved that this victory increases his ranking on the Freeride World Ranking (FWR) and he will have a good chance to ride in the finals in Verbier ski resort.

Not a bad day for ladies either

The women had very strong riding on the first day too, especially US female skier Elyse Saugstad. Also snowboard winner Susan Mol was acting very strong that day. The snow was pretty good the whole day, so even the last riders were able to enjoy the soft fresh snow. Some male riders started from the roof of the ski cabin, which gave a good possibilities for tricks, and we enjoyed different variations of back flips and tricks.

Kaisa Härkönen ended up in 4th place. I had a really bad run on that day, because my fluidity was not good and I had to do some line checks by stopping two times on my run. Even the two clear jumps could not score me high on the ranking, and I ended up in 7th place, which means that I was totally last in snowboard class. I was really disappointed in my run and my result of course, but once again my very best snowboarding friend and the legendary Steve Klassen made my day better by saying: ”Competing is uphills and downhills. Some days you do well, some days you feel like shit. The most important thing is that snowboarding should always bring you good feelings and you should never lose that sense of why you want to jump on your board again and again”. I realized that my whole life should not be so dependent on results and competing, but it is hard when you define yourself so much based on how you do in comps and how you ride. Damn it is hard to accept bad runs and badly chosen lines!

Squaw Valley provides spectacular backcountry riding

After the competition most of the riders went riding powder, and we enjoyed the whole scale of different lines, couloirs, jumps, and tree runs with excellent company consisting of some pro riders and local legendary Dave Hatchett (from Hachett brothers, Starndard Films Production) who took us riding in the nice area of Squaw Valley. The Squaw ski resort differs a lot from European ski resorts in its profile and elevation. Americans are so fond of giving names to jumps and cliffs, so they made a ”guide book” called ”Squallywood” which tells the names of unique runs and cliffs and jumps. Like in Europe, you normally do not name the rocks, only the couloirs and runs. In Squaw Valley every little rock has a name. It makes sense some how, because the area of Squaw Valley is not that large compared to Chamonix for example.

It was nice to ride in Squaw Valley during those 10 days, except we were a bit unlucky with the weather. It was raining water three days after the first competition day and after that the big dump started. It snowed about a meter in three days and the snow was pretty unstable after the rain. The ski patrol paid close attention to skiers’ security in the Squaw Valley ski area and unfortunately one ski patrol guy died in an avalanche accident during the work day while  securing the area for skiers. This happened in the ski area and it did not have anything to do with our competition.

Serious powder hunting at Squaw Valley

After waiting four days for the second competition day, the organization decided to cancel the second day. The first day’s results were the final results of the FWT 2nd stop in Squaw Valley. The two last days in Squaw were dedicated to powder riding and nothing in the whole world could not keep the riders away from that!

The places were tracked very soon after the lifts were opened and the lines on the lifts were amazing in the morning at 9 am. The local guys told us that the most fanatic powder hunters come on the line at 6.30 am to make sure that they will draw the first lines on the faces that have a vertical distance of about 500m! Americans, I love them!

One thing I did not like in the Squaw Valley ski resort was that all the skiers were carrying avalanche beacons but no one had a backpack with a shovel and a probe (check also our backcountry ski gear list). I asked one of the locals why you even carry a beacon if you cannot dig your friend out of an avalanche. The answer was that nobody here carries  a shovel and you can dig your friend out  using your skis or snowboard, and that the locals pretty much trusted the avalanche security system made by the ski patrol. They believe it is only a minimum risk to be in an ”avi” like they call the avalanches when the lifts are opened for clients. Scary, in my opinion. I am used to a bit different riding culture after spending many seasons in Chamonix. Anyway we had a great week and a good show in the U.S., so thank you America!

The first day started early on Thursday morning waking at 6 a.m. for the breakfast. Then a quick check that you have all your riding equipments with you for the competition: helmet (this year full face is not obligatory), back protection, bacon, shovel, probe, back pack, some water and lunch and of course your Bib number. A minibus took the riders up to the ski lift and it was still dark when we left the hotel. The sun rose on the way up the ski lift, coloring the silent moment with a purple sky. The first day’s competition consisted of a face that had a steeper part of approximately 150 meters, and the rest of the run was natural hills, “half pipes” and freeride formations. The upper part was challenging and made some differences with the lines and runs between the riders. I had a good run on my first day, I ended up in 1st place in the women’s snowboard class, which even I really did not expect. I had the feeling of a “mellow run” but I guess it was my line choice that made the difference. I had a nice chute line in one steep part of the second starting point and okay fluidity during my run. The face surprised me, because watching the lines from below with binoculars, I did not expect the face to be that steep from the top. Finding your line through the rocks was a bit hard at the beginning, but once you had come down 10 to 15 meters from the top, the face was pretty OK to ride.

Eric Themel rocked in the guys’ snowboard class on the first day with an excellent run. A light après-ski with some crazy Russian friends, Vasily Kovalev and Pacha, made some riders crazy with Russian Vodka. When Pacha brought a big can of vodka to our table, I knew it is time to try to escape. I almost managed after a few shots, oh my goodness, Russians with vodka. Vasily is a good friend of mine from freeride events and he was in charge of announcing for Russian audiences in this contest. He has great experience for that kind of work, because he has worked for many years for MTV Russia in Moscow.

Second day in Sochi started with bad visibility

The second competition day was supposed to be on Friday, but the weather turned out to be too warm and the organization decided to hold the second runs on Saturday in colder temperatures. The second day was not as excellent as the first comp day. The morning started in flat light and the visibility really sucked in the morning. We had four possible starting points this time also, and the guides had to certify the riders’ hike on start points 3 and 4 with rope and harness. The ridge was pretty narrow and slippery to hike with ski boots. A big thanks to the guides and organization for paying such good attention to the safety of the riders. I really trust and appreciate the whole organization to make tight decisions about safety and rules in the competitions. They listen to the riders’ opinions and demands through the “riders’ board”, which consists of some pro riders riding the world tour.

The weather turned better before the runs started and I was ready to go. My second run was not very good. I had quite an easy line in a chute again but not any jumps on the way down. I did not want to risk my run with stupid butt checks, but I should have made different choices. I lost a lot of points with no jumps and my fluidity sucked. The chute was steeper and the snow was so light, that I had face shots all the time. I had to do many speed checks in order to see where I was supposed to ride. I was not happy at all with my second run, but I did not expect to get quite that low of points for it. It was very hard to compare one’s run to the others, because we could not see the runs since the goal was so low from the top. It would be excellent to be able to see your runs from the film after every contest, to be able to estimate your level compared to the others’ runs, and to learn how to ride better the next time and progress as a freerider. There is not usually any opportunities to see your runs afterward, because only the winners’ runs are shown. Also, the film guys have a really busy time with their work, so they really do not have time to edit individual runs for each riders. Verbier Xtreme is different, because of its big visibility and few riders. There you are usually able to get the tape of your run.

The winner of the women’s snowboard class was Aline Bock from Germany with a really fluid run with big jumps. She has been riding 12 years as a pro for Roxy and she is bringing some good tricks to the freeriding world from freestyle. Cyril Neri won the men’s snowboard class with two good, exact runs. Jess McMillan and Sverre Lilieqvist were the winners of the ski classes. I give my points to Sverre because he had had lots of pain in his leg just a few days before the comps, and he made his way up to the podium to first place. What a fighter!

I finished in 4th place in the final results when all the points of these two runs were calculated together. I felt really, really sad to have to pay the price of losing the lead and slipping to 4th place. All my friends were saying that it is a good position, but damn, it is not, after leading the competition on the first day! I became really angry at myself after riding like a girl at the second day!!!!! I hope to ride better in Squaw Valley on the 2nd stop of Freeride World Tour and at the 3rd stop in Les Tignes in France. My goal is to ride in the finals in Verbier and it will be a hard mission to accomplish, because only 3 best women will ride there. Kaisa Härkönen finished 5th in the final results of the competitions.

Professional freeriding is a hard job

Competing is very challenging, some days you are strong and you feel like you are in 7th heaven. Then the next day you ride like a girl with no fighting aggression and you fall back to earth with a thud, and you become really disappointed. This all furthers you as a rider and develops your mental skills in general, I believe. Next time you demand even more from your riding and ride more aggressively and fluidly. No matter what, the week in Russia was awesome and I did some of my best riding in a long time with some really good friends from far away. Steve Klassen is always my favorite rider from the USA and has been a good friend for many years. I can not wait to get some more powder turns with him in California soon. Jarkko was happy with the judging and said the 2nd day was easier to judge after getting some experience and that there were clearer differences between all the runs on the second day.

We finished the competition with a wild party in a Sochi nightclub. I saw some crazy riders dancing without shirts, actually I guess it is tradition to rip off the men riders’ shirts in the after party. That is what the guys did to each other at the party, but I guess, that is totally another story… Thank you Sochi and Russia for the great experience!

Learning new things by traveling to exotic places..

The weirdest thing about the whole trip was that you could not really use any credit cards, not even at the airport. The second weird thing were the toilets at the ski center. It was a bit hard to get used to Russian toilets compared to the toilets in western countries; the ladies’ toilets were just simple holes in the floor and in some toilets there was not even a door and you had four of these holes in the same toilet just in a line. It was a bit confusing to use them wearing a ski overall…But it is a good skill to learn something new in your life everyday and to have a good laugh at weird experiences when traveling.

Now I will go back to my veterinary studies in Tartu, Estonia and ride a bit too. Keep your thumbs up for this Finnish team in the USA in three weeks’ time. You will hear from us soon again!

Everything was perfect to make this event a success, large amounts of fresh snow, blue skies with no clouds in sight and riders ready to take on an impressive face for the first competition of the season.

Visible from just about everywhere, there were 4 starting points at the summit of the ski area offering various choices in runs from open runs, rocky terrain, cornices and cliff jumps. After having accomplished the first section with a bit of sluff (small surface snow movement that can make it difficult to remain steady), there was an area of rolling hills that provided a playground for their creativity with jump options and line choices where all 56 riders were able to reveal their talent.

The face required a lot of preparation from the security team comprised of mountain guides. In the last few days, there was major snowfall at the starting points on the crest which created massive cornices. “Our work modified the terrain a bit revealing icy areas notably when we cleared some high-risk zones” said Stephane Dan. “The last inspection between 8:15 and 9:15 is so important that it is essential to win. There were numerous riders that were waiting for the last visual confirmation before making their tactical decisions even after discussions with other riders during the Riders’ Meeting conducted by the mountain guides Wednesday night.”

Results after the first day of Freeride World Tour in Sochi, Russia

Aurelien Ducroz (FRA) leads the men’s ski competition

Heading down with bib number 6, he has an incredible run. He started at the most difficult area with perfection beginning with a few fluid turns and a jump. With surgical precision, he maintained his ideal trajectory, whereas Henrik Windstedt (SWE), winner of the Freeride World Tour 2008, who took this line just a bit earlier unfortunately, fell. Ending this technical area with a 15-meter jump, he completed the run with ease. Maintaining an ideal speed throughout the run, he chose a run that came naturally for him.

On this mythical face for Russian skiers, Seb Michaud (FRA) was also applauded by the crowd in the beginning of his breathtaking run by choosing an aerial line with a high cliff in the middle where he remained naturally fluid. A truly impressive jump, the largest of the day of at least 20 meters, with a perfect landing. He said himself that the second part of the run, much less technical, was not so inspiring, but the crowd enjoyed the show. Second in the Freeride World Ranking 2008, Seb, at the age of 35, must be considered one of the contenders for the title in 2009.

Jess McMillan (USA) ranks first for the women’s ski competition

She chose the most technical starting point without hesitation mastering the first and most difficult section with fluidity and ease. The challenging zones revealed her notable agility and remarkable ski technique that along with her jumps and choice of line made her lead the competition.

By choosing a less difficult line than Jess, Marja Persson (SWE) skied extremely well in the first section, going almost as hard as the men, with impressive jumps. In the second half of the run, she chose a much more direct line thus speed became more important than control. She will, without a doubt, learn from this lesson and modify her strategy for Day 2.

Eric Themel (AUT) leads the men’s snowboard competition

Raising the standards high for the competitors to follow, Eric traced a magnificent line with perfect execution even with the sluff and mastered his jumps. On the second half of the run, he chose a unusual line through trees that no other rider attempted with perfect control, power and absolute fluidity.

Cyril Neri (SUI) proclaimed that he was riding for pleasure rather than put himself under the pressure of the competition; and this mind-set worked well for this 3-time winner of the Verbier Xtreme who was present thanks to a Wild Card. He had a fluid start even with a grab on two hanging cliffs and a spectacular jump near the bottom of the technical area. He then performed a back flip on a natural pipe which attests to his remarkable creativity on all terrains which leaves Eric leading only by a thread.

Annina Karvinen (FIN) ranks first of the women’s snowboard competition

She chose a difficult line and performed well which attests to her rapid progression. Close behind, Nathalie Zenklusen (SUI) headed down the slope with no hesitation and a perfect line; just a slight lack of speed made the difference.

Reigning World Champion of the Freeride World Tour 2008, Ruth Leisibach (SUI) unfortunately was injured while training the day before the competition.

A few quotes after the first day

Aurelien Ducroz, Nissan Sports Adventure athlete, current men’s ski leader “I had a lot of pressure after Henrick (Windstedt) fell taking the same line I had chosen. I had defined my line and I decided to take it without hesitation. Everything went perfectly. I jumped exactly where I had planned and I was able to pick up speed to continue the rest fluidly so I could play with the terrain notably with jumps. However, my story could have been different because I just got my equipment at midnight last night; I have been waiting for them for three days… they got lost somewhere between Geneva and Sochi. I was so happy to see my skis this morning that I knew nothing could stop me today!”

Seb Michaud, 2nd in the men’s ski ranking: “The top of the slope was everything I love about freeride…pure lines on fresh snow, technical difficulty. I chose this line and did exactly as I had envisioned it. The bottom half, less steep, was just not as fun for me. Ten years ago, I would have given all my energy to win, but today I didn’t do anything exceptional at the end. That probably cost me the leading position and I am fully aware of it!”

I started my riding season in Finnish Lappland in Pyhä ski resort in December 10th. by working with Alaskan Husky dog farm for five weeks. It was really a dream job for me, to get some good experience with big working dogs and long dog safaris in arctic Lappland. We drove the tourists from all over the world (even from Japan and Australia) with Husky sledges and snowmobiles in Finnish wilderness.

Temperature can sometimes go down to -30 Celsius degrees in northern Finland but this Christmas we had only around -10-15 Celsius degrees. It was really comfortable temperature to work eight hours a day outside with the dogs. The owner of the company has 124 dogs in the Husky farm, and every one of them has a specific name, nature, training system and place in the team, when they pull the sledge. I worked in this farm 6 days a week and went riding in the evening in the local ski resort. I got a bit colder in January, and after that it was not that fun to go riding in -28 Celsius degrees with freezing wind.. So those nights I preferred to stay inside with a warm cup of Chocolate.

At the end of my working period in Lappland I did a good trip to Tamok in Norway with my friend Sami. We wanted to ride some faces and good snow before traveling to Russia for the Freeride World Tour qualifier. We had the local guide Aadne Olsrud, who owns some of the mountains in the areas we were skiing. Aadne was an excellent helping guide for “tourists” from Finland and he and his family treated us like we were part of his family during these 3 days we spent in Tamok. He took us riding in a peak called “Sjufället” and we hiked up 800 meters vertical in 2,5 hours. it was my first hike of the season and I was feeling really OK. Untouched snow with snow shoes and really good run down. Thanks Aadne, we really respect you hospitality for us.

I took my other younger dong Luca “riding” with us, and he was loving the powder as much as we did! This day was good practice for the upcoming events and faces. It felt that I still have the skills to ride some fun faces, even it was about 8 months I did it last time. It was time to say good bye to Norway and Lappland and head back to Tartu (Estonia) via Helsinki to do some exams before we would start the freeride world tour. It was pretty hard to open my school books after excellent 5 weeks with friends, dogs and mountains. But no can help, duties first. Histology, anatomy and dog course. Nice exam session in three days and then I was on my way again, some where where I have never before been before…

Travelling to Sochi Russia and entering the Freeride World Tour

Greetings from snowy Sochi, Russia! Just couple of days ago we arrived in Sochi in order to ride the first Freeride World Tour qualifier race. I am travelling with my friends Kaisa Härkönen (also participating the freeride contest) and Jarkko Henttonen, who is judging the tour snowboard classes. We started the trip from Tallinn on Friday morning and drove from Tartu (my studying city) to Riga, which is the capital of Latvia. We save a lot of money this way in plane tickets instead of flying from Helsinki, over 600 euros.

We arrived to Krasnaya Polyana on Saturday evening and had a really good sleep in the snowy village. You could not see much at the night time, but in the morning there was waiting a nice surprise, fresh powder waiting waiting just there to draw some fresh tracks on the Russian forest. It is my very firs time Russia and I am really happy to ride in this exotic Russian place with the worlds best freeriders. The snow conditions in mountains are great, approximate 3 meters snow layer in the best places.

Nissan Russian adventure will take place at the ski resort Krasnaya Polyana in the Western Caucasus. Krasnaya Polyana is the host of the alpine and Nordic ski events of the 2014 Winter Olympics with Sochi as the host City. Sometimes called the “Russian Courchevel” , Krasnaya Polyana is the most sophisticated ski and snowboard resort in Russia, located just 45 minutes from the Black Sea, and well known as one of the President Putin’s favorite holiday resorts. It is very famous for spectacular heliskiing in the Caucasus mountain range.

Riding the first vertical meters in Krasnaya Polyana ski resort

We could enjoy this magnificent ski resort today, even you could not see much of the beautiful surroundings on the snowy day. I just can not wait until it clears up a little bit to see this whole beautiful terrain around us. We went riding with all the riders who had already arrived in the resort before the competition. About 20 rides were enjoying the fresh play grounds of the mountains. I was riding with the snowboard girls and we were really lucky to get two local “guides”, Andrei and Alexandre to take us in the good off piste runs. There were few chair lifts open on the half way to the mountains and you could do nice easy forest lines all day. It was only a bit busy with the crowd, because it was Sunday and the locals were skiing with their families and enjoying the perfect skiing weather with soft landings. These two local skiers, who were born in Sochi took us riding with a little hike and then we could draw some untouched lines through the mellow nice tree lines with many pillow lines and different formations about 800 meters vertical.

As we ended the day one could read riders smiles how good it was. REALLY GOOD. I had my second powder day of the season and it felt excellent. I feel really healthy and strong at the beginning of the season. I have been lucky, not to get injured for many years after I broke my Tibia and Fibula with open fracture 2003 in Verbier. Wet clothes, big smiles and some good Russian meet in sticks with potatoes made the day quite a perfect. I was really stoked of my first day in Russia.

It is pretty challenging to use your body language, specially if you need to ask some really specific stuff, then you have to use you imagination. People really do not speak English here, only way to get answers is to speak Russian or use your smile and forgiving face that you can not speak the locals language. I think this little challenging thing makes traveling in Russia a bit more fun and pushes you to make effort on the things more than just speaking easy English like in other ski resots in Western countries.

The Russian letters are the next challenging thing. I was really pleased that the menus in the ski restaurants were in English too and the names of the hotels. I had asked the name in English of the hotel I was staying, otherwise it had been a little bit too big mission trying to find out where I have to go back after the first riding day.

Happily ever after a good riding day it was good to go to bed about thinking it would snow two more days before it will open up for the competition next week. The rest of the riders are arriving here today and last tomorrow. We will have the rider`s meeting tomorrow night, when we will find out a bit more what will happen next week. Good night Sochi and I wish to Homeboy Ski blog readers very good skiing days all over the world. Keep up your fingers to our Finnish freeride team!

Special thanks to my sponsors: Kari Traa clothing, K2 Snowboards, Suunto, Dakine, and KASK.

I first met Anni in Verbier in 1999, during the epic February storm cycle we old farts still remember warmly. Besides riding nice powder, I also realized that Anni was riding faster than 99% of the guys, whether on a pair of skis or a snowboard. Back then she probably didn’t have the finesse and control she has now  -  but that was substituted by a fearless, go-fast-or-go-home attitude. I remember riding with a friend thinking we are a pair of fast mofos… only to see Anni riding way ahead of us, basically pointing it totally straight, only slightly bouncing from some random moguls and making fast deceleration slides here and there. It was a pretty wild sight.

I guess Anni fell in love with the mountains and snow back then. After that season she found her way back to spend several seasons at Chamonix, eventually competing in world-class freeride events like the famous Verbier Xtreme Competition.

But that’s it for the history. Back to the current day, let’s pass the mic to Anni herself…

Studies, work and riding

1. What’s up? What have you been up to lately? You have worked hard in the off-season to get your studies done – tell us a liitle bit about that?

Hi! I am doing really good nowadays. I am studying in Estonia, doing my second Master’s Degree in Veterinary Science. I am in my second year now and the school takes 6 years, so I still have a bit to do!

Anni at work

I graduated from the University of Helsinki in 2005 with a Master’s degree in Animal Nutrition and Genetics. Then I concentrated on riding and spent couple of seasons in Chamonix. That was the best decision for me after graduation, because I knew that I wanted to continue studies and become a veterinarian, which I always wanted to be. It is crazy – how hard it is to get into Vet school in Finland. Only 5-10 percent of the applicants  are accepted every May, via the entrance examination system… and I should have been one of the 25 chosen from 500. I totally studied each spring for four years only for the entrance exam to Helsinki Vet school. And I also rode in Chamonix each winter. In the summer of 2007 I decided to send my application to Tartu, Estonian Veterinary school (instead of Helsinki again), and I got right in.

There are a lot of Finnish students in Estonia. Some of my friends said that  I was crazy to start school again at the age of 29, but I think that if you have strong dreams, on some level, it is just brave to follow your dreams and make them come true. I do not want to be bitter when I am 50 years old and look back on the past – angry at myself that I did not make these (right) decisions that I have done now – and did not work very hard –   to make this all happen. I feel very lucky to be studying toward my dream profession now – after so many years of trying. I feel I earned it, and after graduation I will still have over 30 years of working life left.

As far as riding and studying are concerned, I have tried to be very honest to myself and my dreams, even when that requires very strict self-discipline.  Sometimes the lack of time makes you crazy, and it is the thing you have to learn: to balance your time between hobbies and responsibilities. And you have to work to make the money for your trips. I also work while studying, all the time. My job last summer at the Vet Clinic in Tampere (Finland) really comfirmed my feelings  – I became absolutely sure that I am studying for my dream profession. In the end, riding will never be a real profession to me, but it will always be the one thing to do in my free time.

Anni pictured by Tero Repo – thanks Tero for photos. Remember to check out Teros' site http://www.terorepo.com/

Sometimes you even have to give up some good things to make all these dreams happen, – if you very clearly know, what you want out of life. The veterinary profession has always been the only possible choice for me, the one thing that I really want to do after my riding career. And in the EU, you can work throughout the whole European continent with this degree. You can do your specializing studies in Switzerland, for example. I want to specialize in small animals and surgery. There are brilliant Veterinary schools in Zurich and Bern and the Alps are very very close there… I could imagine working in the Alps as a vet. Or alternatively stay in Scandinavia too. You never know, where life will lead you… But I am happy to know that my profession will allow great flexibility and  the chance to live anywhere that feels good.

Competing on The Freeride World Tour in the Season 2008-2009

Yes, we rode last year on the Freeride World Qualification Tour (Mammoth-USA, Schruns-Austria and Röldal-Norway) and two of the best were invited to this season’s Freeride World Tour 08/09. Only four girls were invited overall.  The two other girls will be the best ones from last year’s World Tour. in the guys class there will naturally be more riders because you always have more boys riding and competing than girls. I wish there were more girls on the Freeride World Tour too, because I think it is a bit sad; how few girls they invite and how many good freerider girls you have out there. (Editor’s note: You are absolutely right, Anni!)

But the competition locations and money are limited and there are still four categories to arrange in the comps (ski and snowboard, men and women).  My last years riding was not on the very top level – because of hard studying. But I was happy to qualify for this year’s world tour. I rode only two days in Talma (Finland) before my first qualification run in the Mammoth Mountain in the USA! It feels great to start this season – when I already know that there will be lots of good riding in very cool and exotic spots, thatI have not visited yet.

Yep. The Freeride World Tour was conducted for the very first time last year and riders were invited based on the “virtual ranking”, which was based on the two previous year’s results in international freeride competitions. So, last spring Verbier Xtreme was the final for the whole world tour.

I was invited to Verbier Xtreme every year from  2001 to 2005 and finished 3rd at the podium every time (smiling). I think, this new Freeride World Tour system and ranking points is more pure and fair system to get new riders on the freeride scene and it gives more possibilities for many aspiring riders to get invited to the international top freeride events. Because the thing is, in reality, some seasons you are good, but the next year your riding can suck – or you can get injured and so on. This still does not mean that you are not invited back but you have to ride through these qualification system events to get back on the World Tour again. Last year some of the top girls were injured, and they can not ride the World Tour this year. (and I naturally feel sorry for them).

Anni's portrait by Tero Repo

I think this Freeride World Tour is a very good thing for the whole freeriding world and competitions, a fresh flash that it deeply needed, because now we have a clear system and common competitions with skiers and snowboarders. I feel proud to be a Finn and represent my home country on the Freeride World Tour. Even when you have not grown up in the mountains, you can progress as a rider, especially if you are a Scandie -  This means seasons spent in the Alps or spending some time in Lapland. I did both.

Anniina loves to teach kids to snowboard!

I love teaching snowboarding, especially to little kids. They are so pure and honest when it comes to learning and sports. The best student I ever had, was this little boy called “Olli” – 6 years old. He told me that he does not care about the turns or how to stop the snowboard. He  only wanted to learn to ride the pipe and freeride in the trees. And it was the very first snowboard lecture for him ever. After 50 minutes he was riding with good turns down the slopes at Ruka (Northern Finland). But to answer your question: I guess I do not have too much time to teach in the upcoming season, maybe only a few weeks during Christmas holidays.

I like riding the pipe, kickers and jumps just for fun and learning new tricks, but I am still really bad on jumps. I can’t land very high airs on icy, hard park landings. And that is what I am really afraid of too. I prefer jumps off rocks and cliffs in powder conditions (editor’s note: who wouldn’t?) when you know, that there will be at least a meter snowpack, waiting for you on a nice pillow line. I still want to get better in park/freestyle riding though. It was extremely rewarding when I learned to ride some small rails in Mammoth last year. Challenging too – and that’s what I love in general.

I broke my arm at Ruka -in 96 jumping the kicker and my leg in -03 speeding with guys on the way down to Verbier village. I hit a tree stump under the snow and I had an open fracture. Tibia came out 2 cm through the skin. It hurt – but I still remember a few funny things about this accident. I had a very bad French speaking doctor and I wanted to know how badly my leg was broken. Then he answered “You crazy young (yes, I was young then, haha) girl, do you REALLY want to know how badly your leg is broken… You leg is like ZigZag, it is fu..ed up. I can see the bones sticking through the skin”. And I did not let them cut my brand new Roxy  warmpants at the hospital, so they had to remove them from over the broken leg before the operation. (Editor’s note: oh those girls…) I am still wearing them! And I was walking 8 weeks after the operation – thanks to the good doctors at the Martigny hospital, close to Verbier.

Verbier Xtreme Venue

I spent more days on skis in the season 2006 than with the snowboard. I think that skiing is actually more fun than riding a board nowadays. It is very easy to ride fat skis after so many years on board. I skied for seven years before starting to snowboard, and after 15 years on a snowboard I went back to my roots -  and fell in love with skiing again. It felt good to realize how fast you can develop your skills on skis and I could already ride some classic off-piste lines in Chamonix on skis. In glacier travel and hiking, skis are a lot better than a board. I hate all this taking your bindings on and off all the time and riding flat parts with poles when snowboarding. It really sucks. I have a dream to do the Haute-Route one day with skis and spend more time with Randonnee skiing and mountaineering. I have been skiing on a pair of Salomon 155cm Pocket Rockets and I simply love them. I will try K2 Seth Pistols next winter. The skiing world is becoming more and more familiar to me after so many years of snowboarding. But on powder days I will always be on my faithful Burton Victoria’s Sensation 152. It is my true one and only!

Future plans – What does the upcoming season look like for Anniina Karvinen?

7. Cool. I didn’t actually know you have skied that much.There is definitely time and place for both sports, in my opinion. And I think it is just cool that people change back and forth from skis to board – and vice versa. But back to the interview again…what is your next season going to look like? Trips, competitions, plans…?

My next season looks pretty good. We will ride the Freeride World Tour in 2,5 months and the schedule is quite busy. The contests will be held in Sochi-Russia, Squaw Valley-USA California, Les Tignes-France and if you qualify Verbier Xtreme-Swizerland.  In April-May I hope to make some fresh spring turns in Finnish Lapland – I think after traveling the first 3 months of the season, it is so relaxing to have a good time with friends at your home resorts and enjoy the long daylight in warm sun. I just love riding in Finnish spring slush parks! I will try to take part In Scandinavian freeriding championships in Riksgränsen in May. This is all for one season, and I have to pass all the exams at the veterinary school too. It means flying and traveling between school and riding trips, but it is only fun. I live for traveling and meeting new friends from all around the world. It is like a good “elixir”,  for surviving those dark autumn days and all the daily responsibilities. Traveling balances the everyday life at home.

8. What’s your take on “ski bumming”? Wouldn’t it be easier to just settle in one resort and take it easy (sounds pretty easy on paper, at least). But do you plan to spend seasons in some ski resorts in the future again – probably combining your work (a veterinarian) and fun, as you said earlier?

The word “ski-bumming” has never represented anything special to me, quite the opposite rather. I have never been “bumming” in the Alps. We have worked quite a lot before our season in Chamonix, to stay in comfortable houses and enjoy quality time with friends during 4 months with no work or studying. All the hard work is paid back then  – when you wake up in the mountains and you see the Mt. Blanc in purple colors, when the daylight’s first rays are gently reaching its snowy top, touching the shadows of couloirs and deep blue icy tops of the Aiguilles. Looking at the Choucas (Corvus Monedula, Alpine Jackdaw) playing in the sky – in the rising sun after a three day dump of fresh snow.  You make a good cup of coffee and sit on the balcony, knowing your friends are suffering in their offices/cubicles back home and you are privileged to go up to Aiguilles du Midi soon and hopefully draw some good lines down with your friends in knee high fresh powder snow. This feeling is what I miss the most nowadays, when I can’t continuously spend so much time on the snow anymore.

Another Day at The Office

I went to Chamonix for the first time in 1998 on a bus trip with no ski friends at all and came back with about twenty friends. That was enough for  a 19-year old girl; she was hooked, deeply. Since 2000 I have stayed 2-4 months each year in Chamonix. My best season was 2005 when we stayed in a big house on the main street and rode from New Year till May.  During the years I got to know more and more people and we visited Verbier, La Grave with Finnish dudes and other friends from abroad. I have learned the most important things of life and friendships during those years with ski friends and nature.

I might move to the Alps after graduation or else stay in Scandinavia. It would not be too bad to close your own vet clinic for a few hours on the lunch hour and go up to make some fresh pow turns in the middle of the day, would it…? (laughing) There is still a long way there and many exams to take but I am happy to know that my profession gives me great flexibility and possibilities to move and settle where it feels right.

9. Again, great answer. You were almost poetic! And I have always wondered why it is called “ski bumming” in the first place – cause most of the so called ski bums (I know) must work really hard, either before the season or even during it. Anyway, I remember you once saying that the tents and refuges are not for girls… Have you changed your mind on that – I mean, any big climbing or “expedition” type trips in sight? Alaska, Himalaya or similar?

I said it after staying five days in a tent in heavy spring rain at the Scandinavian Freeriding Championships, held in Riksgränsen in 2001. I had to put icy and wet snowboard boots in my feet every day before hikes and competition runs.  We could have stayed at the hotel, but Junnu (Laine) and Arska (Saarimäki) (editors note: Finnish skiers and great guys by the way!) preferred the tents, it was cheaper, the real Finnish “ski-bumming” way to do it. And Arska still does not have any clue about those Swedish Peak Performance superSKImodels, who dressed him at the bar – after he had taken all his clothes off (like he typically does after “a few” beers). There were five stunningly gorgeous Swedish ski girls dressing him and he just was too drunk to remember it! What a great guy (laughing).

Tents are for girls, definitely, I love hiking and trekking and sleeping in a tent. I can do easy randonnee and hiking trips in the Alps,  maximum 3000-4000 meter peaks. But these “Expedition”-type trips or High Alpine Mountaineering are not the thing for me. I feel the risks on these types of trips are too high and if you bring your hobbies/profession to a certain level (in that kind of stuff), the limit will be somewhere very very close there.  And I want to live long instead. Of course I could be very unlucky with avalanches and crevasses riding the glacier, but I am not too scared to do that. I believe I have skills at some level to ride steep faces and powder fields and that is also what I love the most. High mountains scare me, Chamonix-type of experiences are definitely enough for me. Freeriding is my way to express my feelings, not reaching any dangerous peaks.  I would love to make some easy lines in Alaska with heliskiing, but I would never aim for any 8000 meters peak in Himalaya.

10. Fair enough. I guess for most people your lines would be “very extreme stuff” anyway! In the end,  would you like to thank anyone…friends, family, your sponsor – the mic is yours!

Thanks to Mom and Pops that you are not too scared anymore (or at least you do not show it). Thanks to my sponsors from the last seasons for your support: SkullCandy, Suunto, SnowExtreme, Giro and Specially DaKine and Jari Laakso (for the past 8 years).

Thanks to Jarkko Henttonen again for helping me to my very first big freeriding competition in Verbier Xtreme year 2001. And special thanks to all of my riding friends – with you I have experienced the best days and moments of my life up in the mountains, and with you I have also experienced those several hundreds of good face shots and couloirs with no tracks. Special thanks to Skipe (Kimmo Oivo, The “Grand daddy” of Finnish Freeriding!) too, my Big Bro. And all those guys who took me up in the mountains and taught me to ride and hike, when I was only a 19-year old girl with no experience in these sports at all. Without you all I would not be standing here now and doing this all once again in the upcoming season: riding, friendships and mountains. All the best and safe riding for every individual rider in the s08/09 season! Go up and find the ultimate expression of Mother Nature’s love: powder snow.

PS. Thanks to professional photographer Tero Repo for portraits.