The champion skiers bringing freeriding to the city

Summer has barely ended as snow settles in London’s Covent Garden. On a warm September day, in the heart of London’s West End, crowds bypass the magic street performers and upscale restaurants to follow a trail of bumping electro music – transported into an early winter wonderland. Ski slopes rise high above the terrace with a rainbow of athletes 360-ing through the air. You may be forgiven for thinking the unseasonal weather is the terrifying result of a growing climate catastrophe but, for today at least, you can rest easy.

The alpine scene is here to mark the launch of Peak Performance’s first store in the UK. The Swedish mountain brand was founded in 1986 by two passionate skiers who sought to revolutionise skiwear. Tired of the superficiality and looking like a decorated Christmas tree, they were ambitious in creating clothing with a genuine quality that allowed them to ski for longer and better. Today, Peak Performance has stores across many ski country hotspots and are further expanding to bring the essence of the outdoors to the world. The event, which intends to bring together a day of expert demos, public participation and an end-of-day skills showdown to claim the ​‘Rail Jam’ crown, harks back to a 1995 competition which took place on the very same piazza marking the arrival of freeride snowsports in the UK.

In the 30 years that have passed since then, the industry has faced many challenges, from DIY grassroots and issues of accessibility to world-famous athletes and spearheading sponsorships. Yet with all these changes one thing remains the same – the spirit.

“It’s always pretty cool to bring our skiing into big cities. I mean it’s not something you see everyday obviously” laughs Henrik Windstedt – veteran champion skier. Born to the mountains in Sweden, Windstedt has been competing since the 90s and has witnessed almost the entire history of the sport. ​“It was so raw in the beginning, no one really knew anything, like punk music or skateboarding in the early days, it was a pure subculture”. He claims snowboarding was much cooler and influenced a lot of the skiers to start doing the same tricks and then … boom! The world of skiing catapulted into the mainstream. ​“It was going so fast, from doing all these city events, getting sponsorships and dropping out of school almost.’’ He reflects, ‘’is this something you can make a living out of?”

The answer seemingly, yes. Now surrounded by the beating pulse of freestyle skiing, these acclaimed athletes from across the globe come together to celebrate the legacy of this epic sport. Evolved from the highly regimented ski competitions of the time, freeriding marks a return to the wild. With skiers going off-grid and performing on natural terrain without a set course — this extreme sport has gripped the daredevils of outdoor life. But this is not without acknowledging the challenges along the way. Current Freeride World Champion and Olympian, Hedvig Wessel is a shining voice of the community. From her advocacy of avalanche safety to empowering passion projects, she notes that one of the biggest changes in the industry has been overcoming concerns of accessibility. 

“I think what is sad and difficult, with accessibility, is that the resorts are so expensive.” She exclaims. ​“Especially if you bring your family and kids its fucked.” What is the solution to this I wonder? She muses for a second before advocating ski touring – a journey into the remote backcountry, where you can go anywhere and build jumps with friends in the mountains, only your creativity stopping what you’re capable of. It’s that possibility that makes it so compelling for Hedvig. ​“What I love about freeriding is that it’s free. Its endless opportunities. You can have your own style, your own vibe and form. There’s no set rules in that way, where in other sports it’s pretty restricted.” 

There were a few slippery slopes in her own journey for freedom. Growing up and entering the freeride scene was difficult, she knew she wanted to be the best in the world but how to get there was another story. ​“I felt a bit lost. It was hard to know what the direction was. There were not many female athletes and you had to search to find your community,” she explains. Through her experience, Sister Summit was born. A network of women from around the world, from skiers to snowboarders, to guides and filmmakers the organisation aims to create a space of shared knowledge, where powerful connections and educational tools support young riders in this whirlwind industry. ​“For the young girls to learn from the OGs, but also for the older generation to learn from the young,” she proudly states. 

But for kids in the city, where there’s no mountains in the metropolis, how accessible can this culture truly be? It’s something that Glaswegian freeskier Chris McCormick has thought a lot about. Wanting to showcase a different perception of skiing, he took to the streets of Poland with a camera and a cause. ​“What we wanted to highlight from the film was just a bunch of people coming together from different countries, absolutely no business meeting each other day to day, if it wasn’t for skiing, it would never happen.’’ He says. The film Common Language does exactly what it says. Finding a camaraderie, a shared voice in times of fractured landscapes. The power of a common language in sport, in play and in urban spaces. Where skiing can be accessed on your doorstep, to a backdrop of graffiti and most importantly laughter.

Back in the icy lands of Covent Garden, crowds are armed with pumpkin spiced lattes and jaws are aching from giggling at the newborn bambis’ that took to the slopes. At the end of the day, as the snow begins to melt, an epic showdown is in full swing.

The jovial game of P.O.W.D.E.R is a simple one. Contestants are given a ski trick, fumble it and they get a letter — whoever unluckily spells ​‘powder’ is out. Due to the staggering turnout, this game is cut short to P.O.W. And after five rounds, only two remain. It’s on.

The commentator announces the finalists, X‑games medalist and pro skier Alex Hackel versus 9 year old grassroots skier Deja — it’s all to play for. One trick each, Alex goes first. He glides down, spinning with a force and landing perfectly. Deja is next. There’s an electricity in the air, the crowd falls silent as he swoops down, twirling over the pipe until … he lands with a wobble. Alex is crowned the Rail Jam King. But not before Deja takes to the slope for a second try, this time landing with ease. Onlookers bright with energy, cheer and whoop as he is placed on the shoulders of skiing royalty — boots triumphantly in the air. Although not a de-facto king, he joins the ranks in the hearts and minds of Covent Garden’s masses. And who knows, we could have just witnessed the future World Champion of Freeride Skiing.

Peak Performance London is open now.

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