Athlete Alliance

Stefan Glowacz has never let go of his fascination with boulders since he was a child, and even if the rocks got steeper and steeper and the terrain around them more and more inhospitable, the motivation ultimately remained the same: upwards into the challenge.

It is this mixture of childlike thirst for adventure, humility and indescribable pride that still drives Glowacz, born in 1965, to remote places on earth. Even if his parents showed him the first steps into adventure, it was still his ambition that later made him an all-round climber and self-made entrepreneur. And whether he is a competitive climber, adventurer, company founder or speaker - the easy path was never his thing, but rather the ability to master the unusual.

"For many years I have been working closely as a professional adventurer and climber with companies like Gore, for whom the topic of sustainability plays an elementary role. Only those who can literally" understand "nature will understand how sensitive and worth protecting it is for us humans. I found out about the organization PROTECT OUR WINTER through Gore and was able to identify with their work and their program immediately To make planets in order to receive the same opportunities and conditions for the next generation that I was allowed to enjoy ”.

In my whole life, the mountains and the snow have always played a big role. As the daughter of two ski instructors, I started skiing very early. I went through all disciplines of skiing. In competition, but also in my free time.

It was my passion and my career that enabled me, now as an athlete, but also as a filmmaker and photographer, to travel to places that fascinate me very much.

The experience of nature is also what makes my sport so wonderful for me. The mountains and the sea. The skis, the snowboard, or even the surfboard, are incredibly great boards that allow me to experience these experiences in nature so intensely and valuable. 

That's why it's important to me to raise my voice and be an ambassador for Protect Our Winters. These experiences should be there for everyone, also in the future. Let's protect what we love.

I grew up in the Alps and remember that sometimes we even had no school in winter because of the snow. Today that is unthinkable. As a mountaineer, the mountains have become the center of my life, both professionally and privately. Since I've been going on a long solo expedition every year, I've only become more connected to nature, feeling its value even more clearly. A melting glacier touches me, and the sight makes me deeply sad and angry at the same time. Because we are responsible for the pace of current climate change. With a view to the future, this means: Climate protection is self-protection.

With Protect Our Winters, I also want to publicly advocate that more people understand how important it is to act now. In doing so, I want to show that climate-friendly behavior can improve the quality of life, instead of just about doing without. 

With my position as a professional athlete, I can reach a lot of people. I use this privilege to focus on mountain biking on the one hand, but also on sport in general. I want to motivate people to go out and exercise while enjoying nature.

In order to benefit from our planet and the great outdoors for a long time to come, we young people in particular have to be active and, wherever we can, act sustainably. Protect Our Winters gives me the platform for this and I am very happy that there are so many committed people at POW Germany and that I can do my part.

Winter has played a crucial role in my life since I was born. Born in December, the “white gold” grabbed me when I was 2 years old and almost 27 years later, there is still nothing better for me than skiing. As an alpine ski racer, it is not always easy to do justice to environmental protection. But with the help of Protect Our Winters I want to show that everyone can do something for a sustainable day of skiing.

So that future generations can also enjoy skiing and winter, I have joined Protect Our Winters. Action and rethinking are long overdue.

Skiing has been my passion ever since my parents first put me on skis at the age of 3. My big childhood dream was to compete in the World Cup one day. Today I am lucky and can live my childhood dream. For more than 10 years I have been a freestyle skier in the World Cup in the moguls discipline. At the same time, I completed my studies in molecular biotechnology and am currently doing my doctorate in Switzerland. 
Here I am closer than ever to the mountains and the snow. Skiing is freedom for me - to be high up in the mountains, to feel the snow under your skis and the wind on your face. 

I support Protect Our Winters because I hope that one day my grandchildren, just like me, will have the chance to learn to ski in the Alps or the Black Forest. And get a chance to share my passion.

Born and raised in Munich, the mountains were already part of my free time. In summer when hiking or biking, in winter of course in the snow. I learned to ski from my parents, and later I also went to the racing club. We have always been away from the slopes, but I actually only got into freeriding during my year abroad in Canada. Since then, I've been competing in freeride competitions and my passion for photography and filming also stems from this time. There the nature and the snow were of course very impressive, although I have now realized how nice it is for us in our local mountains. I try to pass this on to others through my way of living the sport, but especially in my films. I am aware that my sport is not the most climate-friendly

As a doctoral student in ecology, I am confronted with the implications of our climate crisis on a daily basis. This created the strong desire for me to change something in my life and decrease my own contribution. After joining the climate movement and changing my lifestyle in terms of consumption or diet, I soon realised that a huge part of my carbon footprint comes from travelling for my favourite sport - climbing. Therefore, I am constantly trying to reduce the amount of time I spend in my car and instead travel by bike and train. I joined POW to raise my voice for a sustainable lifestyle, spread awareness about the climate crisis, and together continue to work on sustainable solutions for living our passions in the outdoors.

Photo credit: @ Johannes.Ingrisch

I've been skiing regularly since a young age. These have become a part of my life and I cannot imagine a life without winter sports. Every winter I take part in professional cross-country skiing races. I also spend a lot of time in wintry nature, going on ski tours, skiing, etc. In order to be able to continue enjoying the magic of winter and also to enable my children and their children to have beautiful winter experiences, it is important to me to stop global warming and the Protect the environment more consciously. That is why the aim, with the support of POW, is to make people more aware of how to deal with the environment.

Eight years ago I started cross-country skiing as my hobby and four years ago I decided to practice this hobby as a professional competitive sport. I've spent countless hours training and competing, and I still do. I love my sport and I love winter sports. But besides having fun and being in nature, I also want to achieve something. On the one hand, of course, the results. That's why I do this sport on such a professional level. 

On the other hand, I don't want to just go cross-country skiing. I want to use my voice and raise awareness about climate change. That's why I want to support PROTECT OUR WINTERS. Because I want to be able to do my favorite sport in my home town, the Allgäu, in the future too. That's why I want to protect what is most important to me.

Even as a little boy, my parents strapped me down boards to slide down our local mountain in the Allgäu. A little later, in early kindergarten age, I already had the narrow cross-country skis under my soles. With the start of school life I decided to focus on the sport as my main hobby and switched to the cross-country skiing department of the winter sports club, where I started as a competitive athlete in regional and national races. During my voluntary service abroad in India, I had a lot of distance to winter sports, but I certainly didn't lose the motivation to slide around in the snow. In the future, I will probably do this primarily for fun runs and marathons - if I don't just strap my wide skis under my shoes for the deep snow. Cooperating with POW in order to stand up for the preservation of our sports and for a future worth living in was actually a logical step for Philipp, Moritz and me when we founded our marathon team. We hope to be able to strengthen climate awareness in and outside of the cross-country skiing world, to encourage one or the other to act more sustainably and to show the flag. 

Liv is originally from Bourg Saint Maurice and currently lives in Chamonix. An emblematic figure of climbing for almost 20 years, she also practices skiing, paragliding and mountaineering. Aware of the changes she is observing in the mountains, Liv got involved with POW because for her it is time to act, and to act together.

Ski instructor and nurse, Chloé grew up in the resort of Les Arcs, in the Tarentaise valley. She grew up on alpine skis until she was 16 before discovering Freeride. Passionate about mountains and in love with nature, she travels the world to discover the most beautiful lines, combining highline, climbing, skiing and mountaineering.

A mountain guide and passionate about snowboarding and mountaineering, Pica grew up in the Chamonix valley. He quickly fell in love with the mountain, and from the age of 12 it was an integral part of his life. First a climber and then a mountaineer, it is now with a snowboard under his feet that Pica takes the most pleasure in traversing the Alps.

Born in a Vosges resort, his parents made him ski when he could barely stand on his two legs. Love at first sight ! And although the snow is not a pleasure for the whole family, he was lucky to be able to practice anything that can slide at leisure, to finally turn to freestyle skiing, for lack of slope. It was only later, by going into exile in the Alps, that Leonardo swapped his double tip skis for freeride and hiking fats. Its main playground: Chamonix.

Adopted mountain dweller in Les Arcs, William has been fulfilling his dream of living off his passion for skiing for 10 years now. Faced with climatic changes, he decided to engage from the start in a more sober practice of skiing. He says, "We have the most beautiful mountains in the world, so why look for whiter snow elsewhere?". Through his way of life, his practice and his films, he wishes to inspire the general public without promoting unnecessarily consumption.

Eleonora has always lived in the mountains (in Chamrousse, near Grenoble) and has been skiing since she was very young. Today, she competes in freestyle skiing, which means she need to travel to train out of season on glaciers. Despite this, she has always been sensitive to changes in our climate and our mountains since she is the first spectator.

Originally from Vienne in Isère, Coline grew up before moving to Grenoble at the age of 17 to begin her studies at Sciences-Po. That's when she started freestyle skiing, with friends or student groups like EGUG. Her first achievements in skiing were more on the film side, with Mathieu Mazuel filming / editing. Then, she participated in the Nine Queens and joined the French slopestyle team in 2013, following some results on the SFR Freestyle Tour in France. Since then, she has done many international competitions, finished 3rd in the 2017 slopestyle world cup circuit and won at the 9 Royals in Watles, Italy, her favourite event!

Coming from Gap, Victor is part of this generation of southern snowboarders nurtured in the legendary Atmosphere shop. After having done what it takes to compete and make himself known as the one who says "I snowboard for myself, not to beat others. I am in a competition against myself", he very quickly became a big star. American video (Transworld, like here) and French (ALMO Film, for example there). Known for his flexible and relaxed style in backcountry freestyle, he is one of the best riders in the world in this field.

Thomas comes from the Estéron valley, in the hinterland of Nice, and he learned to ride the southern version at La Colmiane. After years of freestyle and backcountry, he jumped headlong into splitboarding. Avant-garde at Rome Snowboards, Spark RnD ambassador, he enjoys reading mountain books, spotting routes on maps (which he collects) and going on mountain adventures.

Gaëtan skis 8 months of the year without ever leaving the Alps and above all without ever getting bored of it. Above all in love with the mountains, it is with them that he becomes aware of global warming. Anxious to be able to ski the rest of his life, he decided to change his lifestyle. A former automotive engineer, he now works as a carpenter in a small atypical SME in the Savoyard region. This profession corresponds much more to its values. He takes advantage of his free time to enjoy the mountains near his home and shares his passion in many projects such as Bério.

Having grown up in the Lyon countryside, Gaëlle had the chance to spend her holidays in the mountains, summer and winter. Very quickly, the mountains seduced her and she now lives in St-Hilaire-du-Touvet, near Grenoble. From a very young age, she explored the mountains with hiking, skiing and snowboarding in the winter, climbing in the summer and then all year round. In 2001, she started slacklining and then highlining, three years later. An ingenious by training, she left her job to devote herself to her passion and organizes many events around highline and climbing.

Freerider, mountain lover above all, Charly started skiing at an early age in La Clusaz, his native resort. He never stopped again afterwards, skipped lessons to drag his skis all over the Aravis massif and now devotes all his time to his passion. Here is how he explains his engagement with POW: “Like all people who spend their time in nature, who live with it day to day, I notice its changes, I feel directly affected by current environmental issues. people a little open to the world, I am concerned about the political and societal issues that cause so much harm. By joining POW I hope to be able to use the energy that passion brings me to defend this cause that is dear to me:

Martin Kern is a mountain enthusiast living in Grenoble, France. He spends the summers running the surrounding mountains and lines up on a few ultra trails. Winters are spent skiing those same mountains in search of the best snow. Above all, he likes to move quickly in these large spaces throughout the year, mixing his different passions. His time spent outdoors nurtured a love for the natural world and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Since Robin started skiing at the age of 2. Its playground is Les Aravis and in particular La Clusaz. He enjoys climbing and spending time in the mountains. For ecological reasons, and by observing that winter is changing, he tries as much as possible to reduce his carbon emissions in his sports and his daily life. He is also a designer and this has influenced his way of skiing, always in search of beautiful lines!

I am a positive lady, born and raised in the bearded city of Trondheim. I have been a professional snowboarder since 2000 and have been on the national team for 18 years. I have won both Olympic and XGames medals and still compete at the top level in the Big Air and Slopestyle disciplines, and this year I have also competed in freestyle competitions. Have no plans to post yet, because I do what I love. I am passionate about taking care of the environment and health, and want to be a front figure who inspires others to do the same.

Helene is world champion in snowboardcross and has silver from the X-games and a fourth place from the Olympics. She is now also known from Mesternes mester on NRK and Skal vi danse on TV2. Helene has set up as a professional snowboardcross athlete, but will in the winter of 2017/2018 focus on freeriding. Helene will join POWs RA from the autumn of 2017.

Hedvig is Norway's best female shot putter and has also competed in national and international freestyle competitions recently. She joined POW Norway's RA in the winter of 2016/2017.

Karsten is a legend in the Norwegian freeriding community, with a leading role in several of the Nuit de la Glisse films. He has put his love on the Sunnmørsalpene and therefore has little reason to travel around the world on skis. Karsten will join POWs RA from the autumn of 2017.

Nikolai is a skier and photographer from Tromsø who first became acquainted with self-edited ski films with an alternative twist. He now drives for Norrøna and Black Crows and had one of two films during the Fri Flyts Film Tour in 2017. Nikolai has been part of POWs Athlete Alliance since the autumn of 2017.

Tormod is the man who first skied down the north side of Mount Everest and has later skied down all the peaks of the Alps over 4000 m on skis. In addition, he is a lecturer and driver development for, among others, the Armed Forces. Tormod joined POW Norway's RA in the winter of 2013 and shortly afterwards also joined our board as a representative of RA.

Even is an experienced skier and has ridden everything from alpine to snowblades, park, rails, powder and big mountains. He has been with Field Productions from the beginning, which is responsible for films such as Supervention 1 and 2. Here, Even works as a director, photographer and editor, and currently he studies holistic health and awareness. Even joined POWs RA from the autumn of 2018.

Magnus is part of the ski collective The Bunch, which with its creative skiing and open minds set new levels for free skiing and filmmaking. They also have a distinct sustainability profile and work actively to reduce their impact in what they do. In their new film "Is There Time for Matching Socks", they have calculated carefully and compensated for their emissions together with GoClimate, in order to clearly present their imprint. Magnus' goal is to make sustainability something attractive and cool, both for everyday for himself but also for the ski industry.

Sofie is Kirunatjejen who has been skiing at Loussavaarabacken since the age of 3, and with Riksgränsen as a neighbor, the step was not far to go from alpine skiing to freeriding. She has ridden a couple of seasons on the Freeride World Qualifier and the aim is now set to take a place on the Freeride World Tour. In addition to skiing, there is a strong focus on education, she runs the program  Eco-Entrepreneur for sustainable development at Mid Sweden University. Since high school, Sofie has been determined to help work to save our earth and this is a step in the right direction. A challenge that she has accepted is to be able to participate in FWQ with the journeys it entails, and based in Engelberg, it should be possible to travel by train to a large extent. Sofie tries to inspire sponsors, actors, ski buddies and others around her to, even with an active lifestyle, switch to a more sustainable and circular society by living as she teaches. 

One of our Swedish ambassadors is the world-famous ski alpinist and mountain runner Emelie Forsberg. This year, Emelie chooses to try to reduce her climate impact by reducing the number of trips and making more adventures closer to her home in Norway.

She also chooses a train or car instead of flying on several of the trips she has planned to make anyway. In addition, she plans to plant trees on part of the land outside her house.

Our ambassador Evelina Nilsson is a big hiker who already as a child danced down the mountain, now she also dances on the Freeride World Tour. She does not hesitate to bet high and drive big. Evelina herself believes that she is out on a "Jedi mission" to bring balance, love and harmony to our fragile mother earth. Evelina will focus more on Swedish mountains and Swedish nature but will keep the door open to run FWT if it fits in with film projects and other things. A challenge for her is to both reduce her climate footprint and at the same time give vent to her desire to see the world, ski and film, and what spurs is a very strong belief that it actually works. A belief that if you look inwards, you understand that we humans and our earth are one. As Evelina herself puts it: "By helping someone else, we help ourselves."

Tom-Oliver is one of Sweden's sharpest freeriders and takes it as a challenge to push himself to live as sustainably as possible. That he goes to the mountains by train and sailboat is a bit of a sign, which has meant that the trips become the goal and also completely without stress.

Tom-Oliver's strength lies in the fact that he does not hesitate to push himself for things he believes in, it becomes almost like a competition against himself to make things a little better and a little more sustainable for the next time. The problem he sees with it is that it sometimes almost goes out of control, which can risk him losing his appetite. But only temporarily. With a positive mindset about the climate issue, he is convinced that he can help inspire and influence others in the same direction.

Micke af Ekenstam has written several guidebooks for summit hikes and climbing in northern Scandinavia. On a daily basis, he works with sustainable societal development, at the moment with a focus on smart cities and communities.⁠

“Over the years, I have made some crucial choices to be able to combine a lot of skiing with exciting and rewarding job opportunities. Of course, there are many coincidences that determine where you end up in life, but I have made some active choices that have made me settle in a place where I have access to good skiing from October to June.⁠ When I recently changed jobs was one of the reasons to reduce my commute to work. It not only gives a reduced environmental impact but also less stress and time left over for outdoor life at home. ”

Jenny Råghall has won the Swedish Championships in ski alpinism on several occasions and is as strong uphill as she is fast downhill. She is an avalanche expert by profession and works as an area manager for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's avalanche forecasts in Kebnekaise. When she is not out among the mountains and keeping track of current avalanche danger, she may be on the hunt for rarely driven slopes among the Kebnekaise area's wild mountains.⁠

The avalanche forecasts that Jenny is involved in preparing can be found at
https://lavinprognoser.se/oversikt-alla-omraden/kebnekaisefjallen/prognos/

Carl Lundberg is the mountain guide who no longer takes his guests around the world in search of the best snow, he has completely changed to only offer experiences based on climate-smart travel.

This means that he now works completely focused on Scandinavia, which has also led to him finding new favorite places. Taste names like Vatnahalsen, Sarek and Romsdal. By train.

Johan is one of the skiers that you often see on the covers of ski magazines all over the world. Often in a stylish turn in bottomless powder or in the air over a rock-hard landing.

Through his career as a professional skier, he has become increasingly aware of environmental issues and is now trying to do as much as he can to reduce his environmental impact and at the same time continue skiing. And influence others in the same direction.

I am Enni Rukajärvi, a professional snowboarder from Kuusamo. I have been involved in various winter sports since I was a child, and snowboarding was chosen as my overwhelming favorite. Today, I compete in slopestyle and big air, and I spend my free time on free fall.

With the trip, I really woke up to climate change and realized that something had to be done. POW seemed the right way to start influencing things. I have raised POW and climate change issues as much as possible and also changed my own life in different areas in a more climate-friendly direction.

Antti Autti is a Finnish snowboarding star who shot to fame when he defeated big-name talents Danny Kass, Andy Finch, and Shaun White in the Men's Superpipe at the 2005 Winter X Games to claim the gold. While still at the top Antti decided to stop competing and switch to freeriding where he could better find a connection to nature and freedom in his riding. To Antti, understanding the impact his lifestyle has on our natural landscapes and how to mitigate those negative side effects of such lifestyle is a key theme to his career today. Antti likes to think that being in nature is all about problem solving and understanding the steps that need to be taken next which is exactly how he treats his career and business today - “ Because solving problems usually leads to growing up and changing culture for the better”

Freestyle skier, snowboarder, entrepreneur and father. I want to take action against climate change and POW provides me with a good channel for that. Being involved in POW brings meaning to computing and life. I have stopped flying almost completely, switched to a vegetarian diet, switched to eco-electricity, voted for climate-friendly candidates, reduced motoring and consumption, invested responsibly and in the swamp, talked, wrote and learned about climate change.

I am Sanna Kaivantola, a snowboarder, local nurse and nature experience instructor raised around the clean nature of Lapland and in the fresh mountain winds. Today, I spend most of the year in Lyngen, surrounded by Norwegian fjords and mountains.

For several years now, the mountains have been pounding in my heart. I feel very lucky to be able to carry out my free-landing dreams and exploring the magnificent nature near Lyngen in my own backyard.

For me, the mountains mean both an endless playground and exciting challenges. Concerns about the deterioration of stunning glaciers and mountain landscapes have arisen after seeing them closer and noticing concrete changes. I feel that while I am involved in POW, I can easily get up-to-date and accurate information about climate change. Community support and tips will make climate anxiety easier, make choices and contribute to a better future.

My parents have raised me in Lapland to respect nature and its products. In adulthood, year after year, I have returned closer to nature, and I feel that I am doing very little. I mainly eat vegetarian food and occasionally game and local fish. In the store, I pay more and more attention to where the products come from and how they are produced. Flying has always been a rare form of travel for me and I have tried to keep it to a minimum. It would be a bit challenging to live completely without a car here in northern Norway, but I travel by public transport whenever possible. On the train and bus, it is good to relax and do remote work, and carpools also work most often.

I am voting for the environment and I am trying to choose more ecological options. I don't know much about investing yet, but I've invested in the swamp and I recommend it to others.

Originally from Kuusamo, I am now an open-air soul from Rovaniemi, a free skier, a sled dog breeder and an entrepreneur. From my background, I am an alpine skier and freestyle skier, but today I am in transition to sledding. Still, counting is always in my heart.

I am involved in POW because I want to be part of the shift toward a better able planet and help save winters and the planet. POW was originally a very natural channel for me to embark on a greener path, and I am grateful to be involved.

In my own daily life, I have reduced my intake of red and commercial meat and gradually switched from dairy products to oat-based ones. I have consciously reduced air travel and favor short-distance travel. I get the most eco-friendly consumer goods possible, and I don’t buy disposable items, especially plastic ones. The electricity in our home is eco-electricity. I have set up my own ecological clothing brand and I want to develop ecological tourism in Lapland as much as I can. I will vote in politics in accordance with the green values.

I am Siv, now a Helsinki-based climate-concerned snowboarder. I love snowboarding, and it has brought a lot of different content and things into my life over the years. I have seen very different winters over the years, and the melting of glaciers in particular has been seen in concrete terms. POW is a natural way for me to act, and the communality I get through it alleviates my own climate anxiety a bit.

I've been a vegetarian for more than half of my life, now for several years completely vegan. Above all, I am vegan because of animal abuse, but it is also hugely important for the climate. I drive up the hill with a biogas car and I always try to get it full of guys. My home runs on eco-electricity. I try to avoid buying anything new.Used to hunt for things, it has become fun entertainment: the Joy is huge when the necessary items are always found through something! I have given up my clothing sponsors because I don't feel the need to count on new clothes every year. Instead, I Invest in Sustainability and recycled materials. My board Sponsor Niche Snowboards is the greenest board brand on the market.

Erik is one of those who still holds the Telemark flag high and makes it look ridiculously easy to ride with his heel loose. In recent years, he has basically subscribed to the first place in the telemark class in the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships and other freestyle competitions.

At the moment he is studying to be a teacher in Umeå and takes the opportunity to go to northern Norway in the summers to combine work with outdoor activities. Erik tries to live a climate-conscious skier life by, among other things, keeping his equipment alive for as long as possible and traveling climate-smart.

Snowboarding has played a major role in my life for over 25 years: as a hobby, as a competitive sport and as a professional sport. Thanks to snowboarding, I am now able to travel the continents, get to know the most diverse mountains and seas with their special circumstances, new countries and their different cultures and traditions. And when I travel, I prefer to be independent and flexible, far from given routes and well-trodden paths. 

On these adventures I can recharge my batteries and relax and that's why I joined the climate protection organization Protect Our Winters, because I want to make the younger generation aware of how important it is to do something for our future and to protect the climate to use.
So that we can still dream of snowy winters with powder slopes, sledding or snowball fights in 20 years, we have to act together now.

Mark first made his career as an adventure athlete and broadcaster, with World firsts and records to over 130 nations & territories, making documentaries over 15 years for the BBC and Global Cycling Network.

Having cycled around the World twice, he still holds this 18,000-mile record in 78 days & 14 hours – achieving the famous ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ for the first time by bicycle. Off the bike, these record breaking journeys have been through the high Arctic, mountaineering and ocean rowing, including surviving capsize in the mid-Atlantic. Mark was awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s New Years honours for contributions to sport and charity. When time allows, Mark is a hugely experienced keynote and conference speaker, having worked with hundreds of UK and international clients.

Neil is a highly accomplished mountaineer and snowboarder with over 30 years in the industry. He's a professional freeride snowboarder, ski and snowboard instructor, high mountain guide, and yoga teacher.

His professional accomplishments include British Snowboard National Champion 91 - 96, ISF Snowboard Worldcup 91- 96, and PMI Denali Mountaineer of the year 2004. Just to name a few!

"Having seen the deteriorating affects of climate change in the high mountains over the last couple of decades. I have partnered with POW UK to educate myself and find out what steps I can take to be more environmentally friendly within my role as a Snowboard and Climbing Guide. As well as what I can do to help create a more sustainable future and help spread this message onto others."

Kilian is originally from France (Charmonix) but has made Austria his home since 2017. He moved to Innsbruck to discover new places and cultures and to enjoy mountains lifestyle. For him, skiing means meeting new people. More or less grown up in the mountains and having explored the French Alps as his backyard all his life, you can find him mainly in the high alpine areas on big lines. The steeper and gnarlier the better. He loves the challenge to reach these lines and the thrill of the descent. When he's not checking out new tours, he can be found having a beer or two with his friends at the Inn river. And recently he can be seen in film projects from time to time, like 'Good Times Only'.

Originally from Latvia, Paula can now call the trails around Innsbruck her hometrails. Despite her young age, she already has several Junior World Cup titles under her belt. Special Disciplin Downhill. Recently she also proved her allround skills - 3rd place at the Pump Track Women at Crankworxx. Competitions have accompanied her all her life, now she wants to put more focus on bike photography, traveling and passing on her passion to the next generation. Creative, inspiring and always with a big smile on her face.

Rail contests, snake runs and creative playing around on two boards. Whether in deep powder or urban skiing - for Rosina skiing is an art and a way to express herself. As the first woman in the Super Unknown Contest Final by Level One Production she shows what women can do on skis. When she is not working with el'Makrell Crew on ski movies like "Stanice" or "Fluid", she manages a second hand clothes store in Innsbruck. (Resi & Rosa)

As a professional alpine world cup snowboarder she already has some victories in her career. Half student, half snowboarder and trail runner in summer, at home in the Carinthian mountains.

Vali is a passionate skier and has made Innsbruck his home. He is either at the start of an FWT Qualifier Contest or shooting a film with the Mountaintriber crew. The crew is touring Europe with the Freeride Film Festival with "Calm After the Storm" and the brand new "Metanoia". Aja and on the side he is still studying sports management, but there is always time for a few powder runs.

At the age of 2 Anne's parents strapped skis under her feet and since then she has been on the mountain with two boards. Her passion is freeriding. Besides some Freerideworldtour Qualifier successes, she is simply an all-around outfoorfreak. Fly fishing is right up there with it.

As a professional alpine world cup snowboarder he celebrated one of his biggest successes in 2018 with 9th place at the Olympics. Now a half-time student, he spends his summers in the mountains trail running and organizing trailrunning events like the Karawankenkönig. Snowboarding is and remains his number one passion.

That's what I normally do …

I am an athlete, more precisely an alpine snowboarder in the World Cup. I'm a student on the side. My main job is snowboarding, and I also study geography and physical education to become a teacher.

My best snow experience was …

Something very special for me is always Colorado. In the last few years we were there quite often at the beginning of November to train. In between, we always had a few days off. What impressed me so much was this transition from "lots of snow" in Colorado to the Moab desert in Utah, i.e. this transition from summer to winter - and all that within a few hours!

That's what I appreciate about POW …

For me, POW is not a classic NGO, because POW was founded by athletes. That is, by athletes who try to protect their own "sports base". As an athlete, I think you can get involved much better than is the case with other NGOs. This is often quite scientific. POW is really made by athletes for athletes.

That's how I came to POW …

I have known POW for a long time, the Canadian snowboarder colleagues have been there for quite a long time. At some point I was approached by Amelie (former president of POW, note) and since the winter of 2019 I am part of POW myself.

This is what I do at/for POW …

First and foremost, I try to leverage my notoriety through sports to achieve a higher goal, climate action. It's important to me to raise awareness and also act as an opinion leader - this is especially true in relation to all the kids you meet while snowboarding. The alpine snowboard community is so small here that you simply know everyone. So I try to set a good example. And of course I try to get around as sustainably and with as few emissions as possible, even though my job doesn't really allow me to avoid long journeys.

That's why climate protection is important to me …

That's pretty self-explanatory anyway: For us winter sports enthusiasts, snow is a livelihood that needs to be preserved. Nature is something very special - that's what my father taught me and I would like to be able to offer this experience of nature, especially the glaciers, to my own children one day. The whole thing is about the next generations. We have to make sure that we don't leave the planet worse off than when we got it.

My tip for making a ski day more sustainable and climate-friendly …

My biggest tip is to go local! We should simply make better use of the ski resorts on our doorstep - it doesn't have to be the biggest and greatest ski resort! It doesn't always have to be Chamonix or the Arlberg either, we can also rely on the local areas.

I do things differently today than I used to …

In the past, you just got in the car and drove the 600 kilometers. Today, we in the snowboard team consciously try to minimize distances and form carpools. Unfortunately, there's no substitute for traveling in our profession, but you can always try to make it more bearable somehow. Together with my room partner, I have also introduced two vegetarian days per week. We both like to eat meat, but we are also aware that meat is a huge climate polluter. It's often not that easy in hotels - and we do stay in hotels for over 200 days a year. We then simply try to raise the issue in the hotels - you just have to try it! When it comes to my sponsors, I also make sure that they are people who care about climate protection - that fits in very well with me anyway. But even as an athlete, you shouldn't shy away from bringing up the subject with your sponsors!

This is how climate change makes itself felt for me personally …

I come from an extremely small, low-lying ski area in Carinthia. In the past, operation without snow cannons was no problem at all, but today nothing would work without them. Unfortunately, we get more and more rain instead of snow in winter.

That's what I wish for the future …

My wish would be that the current public debate about Greta Thunberg would really help to make people aware of climate protection. We simply have to be prepared to rethink. I travel a lot on glaciers because of my job. In this respect, it would also be important not to build new ski resorts or make expansion plans, but instead to use the existing infrastructure and improve it if necessary.

As a Fieberbrunn local, Ben grew up on skis, which is definitely reflected in his style. Big lines and drops are on the agenda. In summer he works as a roofer and tinsmith and in winter his whole life revolves around freeriding. As part of the Snowgirls crew he is always involved in various projects and his Instagram feed makes you jealous.

As a ski instructor trainer Christian spends his winters in Saalbach Hinterglemm and passes on his knowledge to all the ski instructor newbies. Mountain lover and joie de vivre in one person.

Timmy was drawn from his home in Bad Tölz to the nearby mountains at an early age. There the
ambitious snowboarder never misses a run and already at the age of 15 took part in competitions such as Freeride World Juniors and now
now Qualifiers. When he's not jumping through the air in front of the camera, he works as a freelance
In November 2020 he released his first short film "STOKE" which he dedicated to his late friend "Henry".
to his deceased friend "Henry". Whether boarding or in his films, Timmy embodies a crazy,
unique style that is reflected in his snowboard tracks and on screen.

The main thing is snowboarding - whether jibbing, kicking or powdering. Emma grew up in Innsbruck
and goes to school at the ski school in Stams. 4 years she was a competitive athlete
and several times Austrian champion and on the European Cup podium. Now she is a coach with the Tyrolean
Kids, films with friends and wants to become a glaciologist. Besides snowboarding, Emma's great
passion is yoga slacklining.

Francesco is originally from Italy but like so many others he has made Innsbruck his
his adopted home in winter. In the summer he works as a sailing instructor at his home on
at home on Lake Garda. Winter for him is like a long vacation, mainly skiing and ski touring.
ski touring always looking for new lines and places to discover with his two boards.
with his two boards. Always up for an adventure or a beer or two (or seven) with good old friends
with good old friends or to make new friends on the way.

Born and raised in Spain, Nuriá has lived in Innsbruck since autumn 2020. She discovered snowboarding at an early age. From freestyle to slalom, she has now landed in the Freeride World Tour. She entered the 2019/20 season through a wildcard and qualified for 2020/2021 with outstanding results over the course of the season. When she's not out on her board on the mountain, she works as a graphic designer and, in addition to POW, also supports Good Karma Projects from her home country Spain.

My name is Lea. I grew up in Vorarlberg, between the mountains. Due to the proximity to the Bregenzerwald and Montafon, I started snowboarding at an early age and have always been passionate about this sport. The raw mountain landscape, far from any civilization, is just as appealing to me as the artificial contrast to it in the snowboard park. I used to take part in a few competitions, now my focus is more on film projects. We are currently filming for our all females snowboard project, "Surreal". In order to be able to continue my passion snowboarding for a long time and to guarantee this for future generations, I am happy to be part of Protect Our Winters. 

Originally from New Zealand, Neil now calls Innsbruck home. As a pro skier since 2011, he has seen a lot. From FWT competitions to FWT commentator, protagonist at Midiafilm and Snowmads Film to own film producer. With Working Volks Freeride Movie he shows his passion for freeriding around Innsbruck. He never gets bored and there are already new projects coming up. Stay tuned.

Vegan straight edge trail runner. Originally from Vienna, Wendi is now more at home on the road and discovers the Austrian mountain landscape on two legs.

As with most of the snowboarding community, my journey started with competitive snowboarding. However, now as then, I couldn't get much out of this circus and tried to find my own way. This started slowly with in-house productions with my friends, the Joralulu gang. Over time, we continued to develop, got support and got to know the snowboarding scene better. This helped me to work with Different Direction for a few years and now to be able to freely shape my daily snowboarding routine. Today my focus is no longer on meeting the expectations of the scene than on following my own interests, having fun and making my (snowboard) everyday life as sustainable as possible.  
I am happy to be part of the POW community and hope we can get the message out into the world together. 

SLOW DOWN for three years - four areas in the immediate vicinity

Her parents brought her to winter sports at an early age. At first only skiing, she discovered ski jumping and Nordic combined at the age of 7. Since then she has competed in international youth competitions. Her sport ended up in the ski gym in Stams, but she lives in the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut. An ideal location to practice your hobbies aside from combining, such as mountain biking or ski tours in winter.

Originally from the flatlands of Eastern Austria, she made it all the way to the top of the Freeride World Tour and can call herself the first overall winner of the Freeride World Tour Snowboard Women from Vienna. Now she lives in Innsbruck and after a year of forced break due to an injury she is back on tour. She is part of the Mountaintriber crew who you can see in the movie "Ruhe Nach Dem Sturm" (Calm After The Storm). When she is not busy with various projects, you can find her on splitboard tours around Innsbruck or simply enjoying a powder day with buddies.