Photo: YoungRobV 

I grew up in northern Finland, "behind the back of God", as people humorously tend to say. I was a wild child full of energy, always looking for some action. You know, life above the Arctic Circle is quiet and peaceful, and I didn't like it. I needed action, speed and strong emotional experiences. So I started looking for them.

I started skiing in 1980, at the age of six. I got hooked. All I wanted to do was ski, year after year. I wanted to compete with others and I wanted to beat them all. I wanted to ski faster than my mates, and I did it. Soon I realized that my local hill was no longer challenging for me. It was time to move on.

In 1992 I studied at our local high school. I was pretty good at school, but my motivation was in skiing. I had heard of places such as the Alps, Jackson Hole, Vail and people like Trevor Petersen, Eric Pehota and Doug Coombs. I remember staring at the pictures of my idols ski the huge mountain faces of the Chugach Mountains. I wanted to be there. I wanted to experience that great and wonderful world of snowy mountains, but because it was so far from my life realities, I was satisfied with my job at the local ski resort. I worked in a restaurant, washing dishes. I didn't like it.

Suddenly I just became a ski bum

Photo: Phileole

I got fired. I moved to Helsinki to study, but I wasn't sure what I would do in my life. I was excited with all the wild parties and such, but I knew it was not what I was looking for. Then suddenly my life changed at one crazy student party. My friend introduced to her boyfriend who was a "ski bum". When I heard his "title", I wanted to know more, more, more. It turned out that he had spent a couple of full seasons skiing with his mates in Chamonix. I was stunned!

Only a couple of months later I was sitting on a bus from the Geneva airport to Chamonix. Man, I was excited and happy, but also a bit afraid. I was stepping into a totally new world, into the world of ski bums. God, I was happy I met those guys.

I will never forget my first morning in Chamonix

Photo: Phileole

I arrived in Chamonix around 8 pm. I couldn't see the mountains due to clouds, but I felt I had arrived in the skiing mecca. I called my friend who was the only person I knew in Chamonix. Later that night I was sitting in a bar with these ultra cool "mountain men". I was happier than ever before. I had found my world.

As the first rays lightened my room, I woke up and stepped outside of my hostel. The sky was clear, the sun was shining and the ground was covered with pure white powder snow. It was a staggering moment. I saw the high peaks of the Grandes Jorasses, the mighty Aiguille Verde and the massive Mont Blanc. I quickly took my skis and headed to the cable car where my new friends were waiting with all their fancy mountaineering equipment. God, it was awesome!

Skiing the mountains of Chamonix all day long - Living my life full speed

During that season we conquered many mountains faces and steep couloirs. We explored the backcountries of Chamonix, slept in snowcaves and mountain huts, and had wild parties indoors when it was snowing. We were serious about powder skiing and we wanted to experience it all. We experienced many stunning moments in the mountains, but if you ask me "what was the best single thing about being a ski bum", I would reply "friendships". I met a number of people who became true friends during those years in Chamonix, and I still keep in touch with those guys. The best thing was that we killed the mountains, had wild parties and shared all those magnificent experiences with the small community of ski bums.

I spent many seasons as a ski bum between 1997 and 2002. Now, after many years, I'm going back. This time I will go with my sons. It is time to move on, once again.

Go further: Read Thomas Uhrskovs portrait of Sainte Foy and click here to find out how meditation and tai-chi make him a better skier.