Skiing
Introducing: Windstedt Stories – Episode 1
Scenes out of the everyday life from one of the worlds best freeride skiers. Unpolished, direct and spontaneous. Check it out, and join Henrik and his friends for a day on the mountain.
A helicopter roams in between ridiculously steep Alaskan mountain peaks. The heli stops above an enormous spine run, hovering above a tiny shelf of snow. A skier climbs out. Snow is whirling everywhere as the heli takes off, leaving the skier all alone. Music builds up. The words “Drop in!” crackles from a distant radio, and the run of a lifetime begins. Perfect snow. Perfect light. The run is masterly executed, while another hovering helicopter is filming every second. Some high speed spray turns. A huge drop to a flawlessly stomped landing. High fives in the bottom. This is how we recognize most of our ski athletes. But is that really the life of a pro skier? Is that the only thing they ever do?
Henrik Windstedt
© Enander/Peak Performance
During these series of episodes, Henrik Windstedt will let you tag along for some days in his everyday life. The reality of a professional skier. More spontaneous than regular film shoots, carefully planned into every last detail. What happens, happen. Simple as that. With focus lying rather on the playfulness in skiing, than creating the most impressive film segment ever witnessed. Brief moments of everyday situations. Unpolished and direct.
Hiking up Åreskutan
© Whiteout Pictures
We asked Henrik for a heads up of what to expect from the series:
“Often when filming, there is this predetermined idea of what you should do and what to say. Almost like reading a script in front of a bunch of cameras. When doing so, it’s hard to get a nice feeling into it. It’s like you have to be so cool. Now we're here, it’s really steep… you know. I want this to be more real, showing different kind of days. Maybe just going skiing, riding with your buddies. More relaxed. Without really planning, just letting the camera guys’ film what happens.” With a laugh, he adds “Let’s try, and we’ll see how it turns out!”
Windstedt in his garage
© Whiteout Pictures
The first episode takes place at Henrik’s home resort Åre, a mountain that has shaped many great skiers over the years, including Henrik. The place is characterised by its Scandinavian snow conditions, where snow is considered “soft” if landings actually bare marks from skis after you’ve landed. If also the following turns leave marks, and the snow occasionally is deep enough to reach the buckles on your boots, it’s among locals considered to be a powder day.
Checking out the most credible drop in Åre
© Whiteout Pictures
These snow conditions add a little extra spice to the challenging terrain to be found there. Runs like “Östra”, for example, certainly gets a little bit more exciting in classical Swedish cardboard conditions than it would be in half a meter of champagne powder.
If you don’t clear the rocks, or land slightly on your tails, you can expect to be cartwheeling all the way to the bottom like a ferris wheel out of control, doing more flick-flacks than an entire team of gymnasts.
This winter in Åre so far has been one of the worst in modern times, even according to the most patriotic of grumpy locals, born and raised on wind driven cauliflower ice. Consistent rain in January was followed by several weeks of storm winds in February, keeping the high alpine terrain closed down for a long time.
Mårtens brant
© Whiteout Pictures
The first episode of Windstedt Stories was filmed on this first ski day, when the lifts finally opened up the top again. This winter in Åre has so far been one of the worst in modern times, even according to the most patriotic of grumpy locals, born and raised on wind driven cauliflower ice. Consistent rain in January was followed by several weeks of storm winds in February, keeping the high alpine terrain closed down for a long time. The first episode of Windstedt Stories was filmed on this first ski day, when the lifts finally opened up the top again.
Henrik Windstedt dropping Östra Ravin
© Whiteout Pictures
