Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
THE SLOPES — A flip on skis is one thing, grinding a loop-de-loop on skis is quite another.
We’ve all seen the Winter Olympics or the X Games or even just YouTube clips of people doing stunning tricks on skis and snowboards. While aerials, flips, ollies in all sorts of combinations are impressive, especially when some sick air is also involved, it takes a true creative (and perhaps a crazy) mind to come up with something new.
Tony Hawk did it when he figured out how to skateboard a horizontal loop-de-loop, and now freestyle skier Jesper Tjäder has taken the reins for skiers.
In a GoPro clip from Tjäder’s movie “Supervention II,” the skier talks about how he built his loop ramp, failed a lot, kept going even when it was scary, and finally completed the loop with eventual style and grace. It is an amazing watch.
If you’re heading out for some skiing adventures during your holiday break, I certainly don’t recommend trying this yourself. After all, no layperson wants a broken limb or a broken head for Christmas — we’ll leave that to the professionals.
However, if you are inspired to throw some sick tricks on the slopes after watching this video, might I suggest a gentle turn or a “pizza slice” slowing maneuver. Or perhaps you’d prefer to execute my tried-and-true trick of sipping a hot beverage at the lodge while staying warm and cozy.
