Feb 15 • 05:02 UTC 🇸🇪 Sweden Dagens Nyheter

Veterans combine competition and filming: "In film, you always win"

Swedish athletes express joy during the official big air training at the Olympics, highlighting the cultural significance of skiing beyond competition.

Despite the late hour, the Swedish skiers radiate joy during the official big air training at the Olympics, showcasing their enthusiasm for the sport. Notably, Jesper Tjäder, adorned with tape around the tip of his ski, contemplates a unique new grab trick, pondering whether to name it after infamous athletes Luis Suárez or Mike Tyson due to their notorious biting incidents. Tjäder emphasized that while big air has increasingly become about technical rotations, he simply wants to bring more creativity and showmanship back into the sport.

Importantly, Tjäder and other older competitors, like those mentioned, have a different connection to skiing than the younger athletes focused on competition. For them, it was the exhilarating and playful culture created by ski films that fostered their love for the sport. They believe that the merging of film and competition can offer a broader understanding of skiing and engage new audiences. The emphasis on creativity and fun showcases an important aspect of their approach, as they strive to redefine what success means on the slopes beyond just winning.

This perspective reveals a deeper cultural shift in extreme sports, where traditional competitive accolades are being supplemented by artistic expression and community storytelling via film. These veterans advocate for the essence of skiing as a creative outlet, emphasizing that both competition and creativity can coexist, ultimately enhancing the sport's cultural relevance and appeal.

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