Photos: Louis Garnier

Jesper Tjäder is somehow simultaneously one of skiings most creative and talented, yet most underrated and underscored athletes. His move to Dope Snow might have raised a couple of eyebrows at the time but as the partnership has grown over the years, everything has started to make more sense. His new pro collection with the brand seems like the final piece of the puzzle, so we sat down with the legend himself to find out more about his recent career and where he sees things going in the future.

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You’ve had an impressive career to date. Do you have an all-time favorite moment skiing?

That's tough… there are so many. I can't pick just one. I guess the best days for me are the days at home shredding with friends. But a real highlight would be the Olympics in Beijing.

That was a pretty insane day. When I did a double backflip over the half pipe — that was crazy. It was a pretty crazy day as a whole, as well. I don't know, there are so many, it's hard to pick out a few!

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Do you have any plans to return to street skiing in the future?

Yes! I also have a street [video] part dropping soon. I felt like I was 16 again and I'm really stoked about that. I’ve just got to finish the editing, so it's dropping soon. I hope for more street skiing in the future, though my focus is going to be on the contest season for this year. But, there's more coming…

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What do you think are some challenges facing the ski industry currently?

That's a complex question. I feel like there’s a big divide between contest riders and film riders, but maybe that's just a natural part of how the industry is right now. Like, if you want to compete, it's a lot of work to stay in that business or on the circuit. So it's hard to combine both, do both.

It's probably natural, but it would be cool to see a bunch of the top contest riders do more filming in the street or in the backcountry. I think that would be good for the sport.

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How do you feel about trick progression and scoring in competitions?

I think competition skiing is in a good state right now. There are a lot of interesting tricks happening and there are so many different combinations and tricks people are doing. And I think it's interesting. I love watching contests, especially recently, because there are so many different tricks and it's not only “spin to win”.

And of course, where there are properly judged competitions, it's always going to be the right person taking gold. So I think that's maybe the future of the sport somehow. Maybe not for the Olympics or the Olympic circuit, but for free ski competitions, rider-judged contests are, I think, are as good as it gets.

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How would you like to see competitions change for the better?

Besides more rider-judged competitions, changing up the courses a little bit more would be more exciting in competitions. Making the rails section more unique because sometimes it feels like it's the same contest all over again. It would be great to change up the course or at least change the features.

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You have another exclusive line dropping with Dope Snow on the 3rd December. What's your favorite thing about the new collection?

The combination of it all: the fit, the colors, and the materials. The materials are so, so lightweight and stretchy. It's the most comfy kit to ride in.

Jesper rocking his new kit down under

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How does it feel to work with a ski-wear company to realize your vision for your own ski gear?

Yeah, it's unreal to be able to think about products you want, and then have Dope Snow there to realize that. For me, it’s trying to make the perfect ski outfit — the comfiest and the best-performing materials for snow, and the best-looking gear out there, too.

I feel like we're getting closer and closer to the ‘perfect’ thing. Right now, the kit I'm wearing is as close to perfect as I’ve ever felt for my riding. I've never, ever felt — or looked — this good! Haha.

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What inspired the overall design of your new collection?

The design for the new collection is inspired by the old school, like early 2000s pre-ski, old magazines, and old movies.

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Nice! What is it about retro style that is so appealing to you?

I like where skiing’s at right now. But, maybe, I like what happened in the past even more. Like when I was watching skiing as a kid — that’s what got me so hyped on the sport! And it still does. When I watch old movies I get so stoked. I just want to ride.

I love the old ski mags and the old-school ski products, too. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I do. And that’s what I wanted to recreate in this collection. So we can look like the riders we used to watch as kids in the big, baggy gear. I just love it so much.

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How did the old-school vibe influence the colors and the style of your new collection?

The fit is more like … a ‘boxy’ fit? I feel like that's more similar to the baggy fit [riders used to wear] back in the day. Also, the toned-down colors with one color that pops — I feel like that was kind of a vibe back in the early 2000s era.

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How do you envision people feeling when they wear your collection?

We wanted the jacket and pants to be made of a super lightweight and stretchy material. It's a crazy feeling wearing them. You feel zero restriction of movement, so you can perform any trick you want. And it just feels good wearing them. It’s like wearing joggers and a hoodie. I love that. I don't want, like, a heavy jacket on me. I want to feel everything. I want to have the mobility to do any trick and any grab.

Importantly, you still get protected from all the wind, snow, and rain, so for freestyle skiers, I think it’s the best material you could hope for. Plus, it looks good! Functionality and performance are things I prioritized when creating this collection, but it also needed to look right. I think we're as close to perfection as we can be right now.

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Okay, quick-fire round! If you could have one superpower, what would that be?

If I could have a superpower, it would probably be teleporting. I could skip the lift lines at the resort!

What's your favorite trick?

My favorite trick right now is probably a switch backflip. You can do it anywhere, I guess. And it's a nice, nice feeling.

What do you listen to as you ride these days?

I don't listen to music, I listen to the snow and I listen to the skis touching the metal [rails]. That’s the sound I like the best.

What do you prefer: skiing in Europe or skiing in the US?

Skiing in Europe, definitely! More specifically skiing in Sweden, back home in Åre, which is my favorite place to ski in the world. It’s where I can ride with friends, and if you’re looking for a good party, I’ve always had the best time in Åre in the spring.

Do you have any messages for your fans regarding this upcoming drop?

Yes, wear it, ski with it, and hopefully, you feel the same feeling as me! That ultimate freedom when you wear the jacket and pants. And also, hopefully, you feel as cool as I feel when I'm riding in them and love skiing as much as I do!

Finally, what are you most excited about for the future?

I'm excited to ski more, learn more tricks, and meet more great people on the slopes. I just want to keep on skiing. I'm excited for that.