Meet The Most Creative Ski Crew: Real Skifi

For Juho, Verneri, Ilkka and Janne, skiing is about expressing yourself in the most creative way possible, be it on the mountain, on the streets or, sometimes, jumping off ramps into lakes. Hailed as one of the most creative ski crews around, Real Skifi took the world of street skiing and the internet by storm. With every edit coming our way, they have yet another mindblowing trick (and transitions, for that matter) to show the world. Together, Real Skifi crew is pioneering a fresh approach to urban skiing.

In wake of the new documentary outlining their journey throughout the years (which you can watch below), we spoke to Juho about embracing creativity, their approach to skiing and the future of street skiing.

How did Real Skifi start?

We all grew up in the same city, Jyväskylä, Finland. And so, one of the key ingredients in the birth of Real Skifi is the local ski and snowboard scene that we had back then. It wasn’t huge but it sure was enthusiastic. Jyväskylä had already produced a couple generations of street skiers and snowboarders before us. And even names like Tanner Hall and Simon Dumont had slid some of our most iconic rails in Teddybear Crisis back in 2006. So being a product of that environment, I’d say it was only a matter of time when we’d meet each other and get it all started.

What inspired you the most?

We’ve always been inspired by a lot of things. Both within and outside the sport of freeskiing. But I’d say probably the single most important source of inspiration for us has been the Nipwitz crew. Their influence on our early years was nothing short of fundamental. Looking back now, we honestly just copied them, haha. I mean, they shot creative street skiing with dslr cameras and released their “episodes” online. Sounds familiar, right?

What made you get into content creation?

I feel like it was never even a conscious choice. Back then, being a skier or a snowboarder from Jyväskylä, that’s just what you would do: grab your friends and a camera and go hit a spot. No questions asked.

Where does creativity come from?

Perhaps curiosity, boredom and playfulness. Or even just the need to be accepted. I mean, we humans use almost any means necessary to feel accepted. Who knows if creativity is merely one of those means. On another note, sometimes it’s limitations that spark and fuel creativity. For example we never had big park jumps at our local ski hill. And what do you do when the path of linear progression becomes blocked? You take a detour

What's the future of urban/street skiing?

In a way, street skiing is the most accessible form of skiing. It’s everywhere around you and it’s cheap, no need for lift tickets. Although it’s probably never gonna become mainstream, I’d love to see more and more skiers get out there and have a go at it.

At least in Finland urban skiing feels a lot less underground these days. And that’s a direction of progression that I enjoy and I’d like to see continue. I mean I like seeing how more and more people respect, value and admire what we do. I feel like nowadays a vast majority of all interactions at spots are super positive. Of course it requires that we as street skiers act with respect too.

Any advice for young filmmakers / skiers out there?

Grab your squad and get out there! Spend as little time on your phone as possible. Don’t stress about views and likes. If you have a friend cheering for you on your side, that’s what it’s all about!