PowderPeople | Tiemo Rolshoven

PowderGuide:
Hey Tiemo, thanks a lot for your time and the interview! First of all, you need to explain something to me. You're competing for Germany at the FWT. In your Insta-Bio you have the Canadian flag next to the German one, and you are speaking in a broad Vorarlberg dialect. How did that come about?

Tiemo:
I was born in Switzerland, I lived there for about two and a half years, then I moved to Feldkirch and grew up there until I was 19. I finally moved back to Switzerland when I was 19. My mother is French Canadian, she comes from Montréal and my father is from Berlin. I now live in French-speaking Switzerland, but ride under the German flag.

Does that mean you also speak several languages?

Yes exactly, I speak German, French, English and Spanish and, as you can hear, also the Vorarlberg dialect (laughter).

Well, we've cleared that up now. Let's move on to skiing: Many freeriders originally started out as racers, how did it start for you?

Well, I never took racing very seriously, but until I was about 8 years old, I actually raced regionally in the club. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as freeriding, so I started taking part in freeride training when I was 14. At first I was often in the Montafon and at 16 I finally started training with Stefan Heusl on the Arlberg. I did my first contests at 14, then the junior and qualifier events of the FWT and now I'm part of the tour.

Does that mean that your current friends, with whom you ski a lot, were and still are your training partners?

Between the ages of 16 and 19, and even before that, I skied a lot with my friends in Vorarlberg. These included Jake Müller and his brother, my brother Mika, Flo Michelini, David Meier and many others. I'm sure I still forget a lot of people. And since I've been living in Switzerland, I've been skiing there a lot with other people from western Switzerland.

Yes, that's true. I can imagine that there is a lot of pressure, so let's move on to the competition preparation. You've been competing since you were a teenager, are you still nervous or have you learned strategies for dealing with mental challenges in training?

I'm always nervous, especially the day before it's often difficult. I do meditate, but I still think that this tension is part of it and is also normal somewhere.

Back to skiing again: You are one of the younger riders in the field and therefore possibly part of a new generation of freeriders. I think you stand out with your tricks. In addition to this new generation, there is also a type of freeriding that stands out less for its tricks, but more for its steep and fast lines and huge cliffs. Would you agree with me on this distinction?

I wouldn't separate it as strictly as you've just said. I myself see a bit of everything because I've never concentrated purely on freestyle. Of course, there are people who go more in a freestyle direction and those who go more in a big mountain direction. I would put myself pretty much in the middle, with a bit more focus on freestyle.

Speaking of freestyle: I saw on Instagram that you do a lot of cliff diving in summer. What does your summer look like? How do you prepare for the winter?

In summer, I basically do what I feel like doing and don't have a strict training plan. I do a lot of cliff jumping, mountain biking and surfing. Last summer I went skiing in New Zealand for the first time. I'm also studying mechanical engineering in Lausanne. As there is often little time for this in winter, I devote more attention to my studies in summer.

How was skiing in New Zealand?

It was good, of course not as good or as much snow as in Europe, but the vibe and spirit there was different and it was very cool.

The last question would be this: You took part in the first FIS Freeride World Championship in Andorra. Was there a difference for you compared to other stops on the "normal" Freeride World Tour?

To be honest, yes, as the result had no impact on the tour ranking, there was less pressure. You don't have in the back of your mind: "Ah, I have to achieve a certain result to somehow stay in the cut" and therefore ride strategically, but it's freer. You can actually only win and therefore go all-in. In that respect, it's a different feeling, not better or worse, but different.

Cool! Thanks for your time Tiemo and good luck for the next stops of the FWT and the rest of the season.