The Raconteur
One of skiing’s preeminent storytellers is a quirky Swede living in Switzerland; here's a talk with Johan Jonsson about skiing and storytelling
There's danger in telling a good story that resonates with an audience. Just ask Clint Eastwood, Billy Idol and Stephen King. Being typecast as an actor, having a go-to set list for decades as a rock star and having readers expect a certain formula in your writing is nightmare fodder for some artists (but it’s also fortune and longevity for the aforementioned). I gravitate to actors who are chameleons (like Joaquin Phoenix), true musicians who evolve (a la Radiohead) and writers who constantly adapt (Cormac McCarthy gets it). Skier Johan Jonsson understands, too.
The Swedish skier who rocks Tecnica boots, Blizzard skis and Fjallraven clothing dropped an edit years ago that sent the internet into a frenzy. Throngs of skiers from the Alps to the Andes, from Jackson Hole to Queenstown were raving. The bulletproof conditions belied the standard over-the-shoulder blower that most ski edits highlight. And real skiers the world over empathized with what Johan—in his typical quirky way—dubbed "shit fuck conditions."
In Aspen and Telluride we call it chalk, in Squaw they call it boiler-plate, and on the east coast they call it normal. Every skier understands the struggle of sub-par conditions. But, Johan was toeing a fine line in that edit.
"Were you ever worried about becoming pigeon-holed to shitty conditions?" I ask the Swede who arcs one of the prettiest and most aesthetic powder turns I've ever seen.
"Yes! That absolutely happens,” says Johan. “Since that edit, I get emails from skiers all over the world inviting me to their home mountain because the conditions suck. Everybody started thinking I only ski ‘shit fuck.’"
That's what happens when you tell a good story that your readers can relate to: People want more. They want to see you in a familiar role.
So, what did Johan do to combat the shit-fuck typecast? He did what he's always done... He told more stories.
He skied waste-deep pow and dropped off British Columbian pillow lines naked.
He published a gorgeous magazine that had devout readers.
He traveled to Turkey to ski and experience Muslim culture through the lens of his ski goggles.
And throughout every experience, he told a new, compelling, refreshing story.
Johan is a raconteur in the truest sense of the word. From Instagram posts to Alpinkultur's features (his top-shelf Swedish-based ski magazine stopped printing five years ago, but I still think it was one of the better ski mags in the world), in cobblestone refuges in the Dolomites to river banks along Norway's trout-rich waters, Johan is always regaling fans, readers, audiences, friends, listeners and fishing partners with stories. Incessantly.
What's he talk about?
He talks about cleaning asbestos in rundown Oslo housing complexes to pay for his winter adventures. He talks about ski design and his utter fear of avalanches. He examines politics, culture, religion, characters encountered and inspirations. He tells stories about his family and fishing, ways to combat ISIS and ideology, and funny YouTube edits. And, he talks about his two sons—a lot—with love, pride and inquisitive wonder.
He's a storyteller. He's also a reader, viewer, content consumer, tastemaker and listener—as all good storytellers are.
Johan’s on a mission centered around his reader, audience, fan, follower and viewer. He’s committed to entertaining, providing value and sparking dialogue.
“You can’t stop serving the readers, and you need to do stuff you believe in. While I think ski slang and 50-meter cliffs are cool, a magazine like Ski Lodge Bulletin that we do for Ski Lodge Engelberg needs to be adjusted so that readers and guests other than 20-to-30-year-old core skiers appreciate it too,” says Johan.
The beauty: it is through telling the different stories of skiing that we show the many layers that make up this subculture and all-consuming passion.
A family on rental equipment skiing groomers underneath a bluebird sky combined with a stormy day in nipple-deep powder coupled with traveling to distant locales mingled with racing around plastic gates in a speed suit—these vignettes and experiences all come together to create a three-dimensional portrait of skiing. It’s not just freeriding or racing, apres or over-priced slopeside dining. Like an onion, skiing has layers. And Johan peels back each layer, uncovering the different nuances of skiing.
“You can’t paint the whole picture on one medium,” says Jonsson. “It’s important to have channels and mediums that don’t try to reach a massive target group. We need each niche. And this was an important mission of Alpinkultur. We always say we’d rather ‘hit 50% of our readers in the heart with our words, photos and stories than hit 100% of our readers in the shoulder.’”
This impulse to tell and share a story has been engrained in Johan Jonsson from the beginning; it’s in his DNA. “I’ve always liked telling stories. My dad loves telling stories, almost too much,” says Johan. “We tell different stories though. He talks about searching for chanterelles in the woods. While storytelling has always been a part of me, I think my inclination to tell a story is engrained more from the people I hang out with, travel with and connect with. I believe in nurture more than nature.”
In addition to being a professional skier, magazine publisher and coffee connoisseur, Johan is a fly fisherman. Hyperbole, storytelling and oral lore are inherent aspects of his other passion; so, it’s no wonder that Johan’s always eager to share. Like surfing or sailing, you can always saddle up at a bar next to a salty old fisherman—regardless of where you are in the world, from Montana to Norway—and immediately strike up a conversation about the angling, waters and indigenous fish swimming underneath the surface of the river. “When I meet someone who is also a fly fisher we instantly can become good friends,” says Johan. “More than skiing, fly fishing is a special mentality and sharing stories and experiences bring fly fishermen together.”
The desire to tell real stories lead Johan and two other friends to launch their own ski magazine. Three guys sitting in a ski shop, sipping coffee and sharing stories were tired of the mainstream ski media they were forced to consume in Sweden. “We should start our own magazine,” they said. “It’s just words and photos, how hard can it be?”
“It is just photos and words on the page, but what makes our magazine quite unique is the design and the feeling we bring to the publication. When brainstorming ideas we sit around and ask each other, ‘What do you want to see or read?’ Then, we do it! We are doing exactly what we like. Our readers like what is authentic.”
The mantra behind every page in Alpinkultur and every story they told was to be a good force in the Swedish ski scene. There’s an ethos to the words and photos in Johan’s magazine. Along with his partners and friends, Johan is trying to bring about change, create conversations and pique readers’ interest. “I’m way past trying to be cool,” says Johan. “I’d rather leave pages blank than tell the types of stories that are a disservice to skiing.”
Whether he’s sampling powder in BC, exploring the Alps or skiing “shit fuck,” Johan Jonsson is creating content, telling stories and building an audience. Each experience is different, and the dynamic nature of skiing and travel is what keeps Johan going. “If it were perfect powder everyday skiing wouldn’t be fun,” he says. “I’m always trying to be creative. Change is good. I’m not trying to ski the same thing or tell the same story. Sometimes, however—on the shit fuck days—I just crank my bindings and try to stay on my feet…”
[PS… This interview initially took place in 2015. All conversations with Johan are fun and most chats are evergreen. However, some things were changed (with Johan’s permission and addition) to reflect a current perspective. How’d Johan put it? “I think it’s worth mentioning it’s an old [interview]. I’m still the same person. Just a bit more tired and sore. Haha.”]
[PPS… Stay tuned for more “TK” storytelling (hopefully) with Johan as they say in publishing and as Matt Taibbi entitled his must-read Substack newsletter (CLICK HERE to check out “TK News” by Taibbi).]