Photo: Elias Koli @eliaskoliphotography
Rider spotlight: Joona Alaverronen
Pyhä's friend and rider: Joona Alaverronen
Age: 22
Ride: skis
Hi Joona! Tell us about your background in skiing?
I started skiing when I was about three years old. At first, it was just something I did on holidays and for fun with my little brother Roope. In ninth grade, I got into the Levi Alpine School academy camp, which made me more interested in skiing. That’s when it was time to move from Hanko to Kittilä, where I started high school at Levi Alpine School on the freeride line. After graduating, I headed to Pyhä, where I spent my first season working as a ski instructor. That season shaped my skiing a lot and helped me find a new perspective on it. For the past couple of winters, I’ve been traveling in a van, chasing good snow.
How did you get into freeriding, and what draws you to it?
I got into freeriding at a very young age when my dad took me outside the slopes. I especially remember skiing in Austria — there was a lot of snow and it felt amazing. My first skinning trip was probably in Ylläs.
What I love about freeriding is how versatile it is — once you learn to read the terrain, you can make use of so many different places. I’m very competitive, so it’s great to be able to compete in a sport I love. Competitions have also sparked my interest in skiing bigger lines.
Who or what has inspired you the most as a skier?
Right now, there’s no single skier who inspires me the most. There are many I look up to and get ideas from. Marcus Goguen is one of them — what fascinates me most is how much work he puts in off the slopes to stay in shape. Competitions are a big source of inspiration right now, as they give direct feedback and push you to work hard to perform the way you want.
What has your winter looked like so far, and what’s coming up this spring?
I spent the early winter in Pyhä working with snowmaking, so I got to start the season in good conditions and with a great crew. In January, I spent a couple of weeks in Japan with my dad, then continued in a van to Switzerland. Things didn’t go exactly as planned there — I injured my leg on the first day. I still managed to compete in one event before having to return to Finland. My leg is starting to feel good again now. This spring, I have one project and a couple of competitions coming up. I’m also secretly looking forward to summer training with my friend Iina.
What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned in freeriding?
If you’re not completely sure about something, it’s worth asking and discussing it with others. It’s easy to have fun riding lifts and get good runs quickly, but if you really want to find a great line, you have to put in the effort. And usually, it pays off.
Finally, name your favorite run or line in Pyhä?
My favorite line in Pyhä is the skier’s right forest at Huttu-Ukko. Among the slopes, FIS is the best — it has nice features to play with, and at the end you can turn toward Madness, where you can still hit the lower box.
