In 2018 Rosina Friedel made a name for herself as the first female Level 1 SuperUnknown Finalist with THIS stunning edit, put together by herself and crew el.Makrell. Since then Rosina has been doing her own thing, based out in Innsbruck; filming projects and skiing her own unique way. This winter’s offering CONNECTED - also filmed with el.Makrell - is another beautiful mark left on skiing by one of the most creative ladies out there. We caught up with Rosina, recently signed by Armada for both skis and outerwear, to hear a little bit about what's going on in her world this winter.

Rosina has a unique and creative approach to skiing, one that you might not immediately associate with the styles seen in the rest of the Armada roster. Although it’s a fit that will undoubtedly prove excellent and give one of our favorite skiers an even bigger platform to create and inspire. Rosina’s approach to skiing is a little off-the-wall and that’s what we love her for, but it is a little different from the rest of the team she has joined…

“I’m a hippy skier on a team of gangsters.”

I’ve been saying that to everyone because I thought it was kind of hard to imagine me with that team. I think a lot of people think of Armada and think of Harlaut and the boys, their big pants, and the gangster vibe of skiing, which I love but I think my skiing comes across a little different.

I really like the Armada vision and I always have, I’m super excited for the future. They’ve got a base in Innsbruck which is super nice; having that support so close to home is something I really appreciate. They’re going to be helping with the film projects with Laura [Obermeyer], Alice [Michel], and Stefanie [Mössler] and I’m hoping to get out to Kimbosessions if it happens this year. Hopefully that’ll go ahead and the whole team will get a big shred on.

The ARW 106 UL flying high on Rosie’s feet

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Rosina has always pursued skiing on the film side as opposed to the main route you see the best female skiers take: competition skiing. It’s great to see Rosina’s style of skiing - with creativity and vision - being rewarded, as it was back in 2018 by Level 1. While recognition for female projects is improving, it remains harder for women-led projects to gain support than those involving men.

Yes, it is not always easy. Above all, the ski industry still often lacks recognition or awareness of the fact that we women also pursue the sport professionally in a filming way.

Most women ski contests first and then the film career comes for some. I think there are only a few women who have never competed. It is sometimes sad and hard to see that there is so little recognition in skiing. Maybe it's because the ski scene is so strongly influenced by the federations, clubs and competitions. In snowboarding, everything seems much freer and more appreciated when women step on the gas with a video part without a competition background.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1022473/fee7b91b-eb8c-461e-ac6b-259697ec269c-MP4

Rosie's signature style slaying some Austrian pow

Rosina, whose style somewhat echoes her roots as a snowboarder, has been stepping on the gas with her own film projects for many winters. This year is no different, getting out there with skiers from CONNECTED; Alice Michel and Stefanie Mössler, as well as Laura Obermeyer for another film project. This is seemingly where Rosina’s place within skiing was always going to lie. Being passionate about connecting women who ski not only to film in and around Innsbruck and the rest of Europe but also creating a network of female skiers, the Peanutbutter Club, is a new motive for this winter. She told us a little bit about what we can expect from the club.

The Peanutbutter Club is a community initiative to bring women together who love skiing. The main goal is to create an exchange, motivate and support each other. Everyone is welcome and can join. It’s going to involve a variety of activities that surround skiing. It will include everything from skiing together and watching ski movies or talking more technical stuff in seminars and things like that. It will be quite fluid as we want to do whatever the community feels is needed.

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That hippy style that Rosina talks about is prevalent through her video parts but the messages of sustainability and care for nature are something she takes through her daily life. It is hard as skiers to face the changes the planet is undergoing at such a rapid rate. Whether we like it or not, skiing and climate change will always be inextricably linked.

I think it’s hard to combine skiing with sustainability, that’s something we all have to face. I’m just trying to make changes where I can, I think that’s all anyone can do. I take trains over flying where possible, eat locally and really like to look after my clothes if I can. I think it’s important to give them a good lifespan, that’s partly why I was so keen to take over my friend Janine’s thrift store three years ago.

It was the year that I tore my ACL, that really wasn’t an easy year for me. I had really wanted to focus on my skiing after I had finished my bachelor’s but I hurt myself on the 1st of December - winter was over. That puts you in a bad space - we’ve all been there - and I was scared about getting back to the level of skiing I had been at before. After a few months of rehab, my friend Janine asked if I wanted to take over the shop and I did. It was a nice reminder that although injuries are tough, good things happen in the end.

“It’s important to get longevity out of our gear as skiing isn’t great for the environment I think I have to try and make up for it in other aspects of my life”

Armada’s 21/22 outerwear has focused itself on longevity and sustainability, with products like the Furtherance 3L Gore-Tex® Pro Anorak having a lifetime warranty and the rest of the collection being overseen by many great partners to become more transparent in their efforts to become more sustainable.

Rosina in the Armada Babka Fleece

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It’s awesome to see film-oriented female skiers getting the recognition they deserve. Although it may not be the pairing most would have predicted, it makes sense on many levels. Armada has always put projects before podiums and kept its roots firmly in expressive forms of skiing. With an absolutely stacked team of riders and all the filming prowess Armada has, the season to come with Rosina is going to be wild. We can’t wait to see what comes next!!