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PowderPeople | Shades of Sandra

An interview with freerider and filmmaker Sandra Lahnsteiner

by Lisa Amenda • 03/16/2018
Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner
Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner
State-certified ski instructor. Mental trainer. Freerider. And filmmaker. Hardly any other female skier has as many professional facets as Sandra Lahnsteiner. She has made freeskiing more feminine with Shades of Winter and tells us in an interview why it's worth just doing something, why it's brave to say "no" sometimes and why her films also inspire men to ski.

Sandra, you originally come from alpine ski racing and are a state-certified ski instructor. How did you end up in freeskiing?

I didn't have a professional career in freeskiing on my radar!

I graduated in sports and training science at the University of Salzburg, was one of only a few women to complete the C-trainer course (the highest alpine ski trainer course in Austria) and immediately afterwards started working full-time as a trainer in alpine ski racing. I worked for the Salzburg Provincial Ski Association and the Hofgastein Ski Tourism School (where Anna Veith, Marcel Hirscher and Philipp Schörghofer also went to school) and also coached Anna Veith, then Fenninger, as a private fitness trainer from 2004 to 2014.

But: Skiing has always been my great passion. In every form and in every free minute. And therefore also freeriding, which was still called off-piste skiing back then.

And: I'm a person who loves, needs and always looks for a challenge - and getting better at freeriding was definitely a challenge. So I worked on myself, skied a lot and took every opportunity to get off the beaten track. And that certainly didn't look "film-ready" at the beginning!

I hadn't planned for it to turn into a career as a professional freeskier, where I would also produce my own films. But when the opportunity arose, I took it on 100%.

In 2008, you started skiing in ski films and were one of the few women in Austria at the time in the, let's say, "male domain of freeskiing". What was that like for you?

Inspired and motivated by the film part of an American freeskier at MSP, I was given the opportunity 10 years ago to be the only female athlete in an Austrian freeski film production. That was of course cool, a mega honor and a great opportunity, for which I am super grateful to the guys from Abtenau from Ydreamproduction.

Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner
Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner

I got to know a new, creative side of myself. Working with the camera and photographer, with light and shadow on the mountain and being able to be the brush on the white canvas as a skier myself immediately motivated me. But it's also about getting to the heart of the performance as a skier. It's precisely this combination that is the big challenge that still appeals to me today.

Filming for "Made in Austria" with guys like Matthias Mayr or Matthias Haunholder pushed me extremely, showed me possibilities and motivated me to do more.

And how did your first film "As we are" come about?

It was at this time (2009) when I realized that there were actually no freeski film productions that exclusively featured female athletes. Every production had a maximum of one female athlete.

I was lucky, I was actually well provided for with "Made in Austria", but after the season with the boys, I simply had the idea of doing the same thing with girls only. That's why I organized my first own film together with a cameraman friend of mine, Mathias Bergmann: "As We Are - A Girls Ski Movie". The film follows a road trip of six female freeriders, including Lorraine Huber, Giulia Monego and Melissa Presslaber, across the Alps.

Due to its uniqueness, the film made it to the USA and that was the motivation, the starting signal, for my own production: Shades of Winter, with the "unique selling point" of combining the best female freeskiers and the highest production quality. Mathias Bergmann became one of the main people responsible for capturing the moments on the mountain and while traveling with cameras.

Your films are among the very few "all female" films on the scene. Have you ever thought about also making films with women and men?

No, not really. Shades of Winter has developed its USP and stands for giving female athletes and their performances space and room to present themselves. And there's still so much to do. If I had freedom of budget, I would have so many cool stories to tell.

And the encouragement I get confirms that: female athletes think it's cool because we suddenly have a place to show our performance. The film festivals have welcomed each of my projects with open arms precisely because it has shown women, female athletes. The ski industry was also supportive right from the start. And men like it because we have impressed them with performance and action.

In addition: "Shades of Winter" films are not just for women. I think men also think it's great and inspiring when they see women who step on the gas when skiing and are motivated to ski themselves and try things out.

Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner
Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner

You have now produced four Shades of Winter films. This year you released "Crossroads" together with Janina Kuzma. A short film that follows the two of you on a very relaxed ski trip in Canada. Over time, the pure skiing action has taken a back seat in your films and you leave more room for stories about the time you spent together on the mountain and the friendships you made. Do these themes also define skiing for you?

In the beginning, I already had the feeling that we had to establish a certain standing with our ski performance. But the numerous awards and nominations of female athletes in the films confirm that we have achieved this. And then came the idea of storytelling. Inspired by ourselves - we female athletes enjoy traveling, getting to know new countries and regions, immersing ourselves in local life, culture, skiing and the history of skiing there. And other people are interested in that too, of course.

It's not just pure skiing action, you don't have to fly halfway around the world, we have one of the most beautiful playgrounds right on our doorstep in the Alps. It's the experiences in the countries and with the people that enrich us and broaden our horizons. Being able to combine traveling with skiing, bringing pictures of it home with me, that's my great passion.

Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner
Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner

Do you think that skiing has a different meaning for women than for men? For example, does only performance count for some and being outdoors together for others?

No, I think there are both for women and men.

The difference is in professional sport. In professional freeskiing, we female athletes are just as concerned with performance as the men. And then there are days, both for professionals and non-professionals, when it's all about being outdoors, having fun together, experiencing things.

To come back to the shared experiences and friendships: Do you think that this aspect in the Shades of Winter films has also contributed to the fact that more women are interested in freeskiing?

Yes, I think so. Others can probably really judge that, but I have the impression that a lot has happened in recent years and that's a good thing.

Firstly, there are a lot more films in which female athletes are present, the film parts of female athletes have become longer, girls have been given more opportunities and secondly, more and more female athletes have taken the reins and are realizing their own projects.

I can remember a film festival in 2010 where I felt extremely lost as the only female athlete. Now there's a big hello and lots of female athletes.

And the presence of women in ski/outdoor/action sports films certainly also contributes to the fact that more women are interested in freeskiing. It's all more accessible for girls and social media certainly contributes to more women thinking "oh cool, that's good for me, I'll try it too!"

Is that why you also offer the Shades of Winter Camps?

I organized my first "Girls Freeride Camp" back in 2011. Out of pure desire to ski with other girls, to motivate and inspire them.

I then always organized one camp per season and since 2013/14 my camps have been running under the name "Shades of Winter" and stand for CONNECT - INSPIRE - EMPOWER.

Sandra with camp participants

Sandra with camp participants

Christoph Oberschneider

Sandra with camp participants

Christoph Oberschneider

My experience, my background as a coach and trainer, coupled with my passion for the sport, for freeriding and the need to share what skiing has done for my life, is my biggest motivation for the camps.

I just love pushing others, helping them to push their limits, giving them new confidence, showing them what is possible when you have the right attitude. That's extremely fulfilling for me!

The "need" for "all female" camps is of course also a huge motivation. And the encouragement from all age groups and so many countries. At the last camp in Gastein in February, the youngest participant was just 20 years old and others were in their 30s and 40s. And it doesn't matter at all! It's so wonderful to see how much the girls and women can support each other, with their individual stories, life experiences, attitudes and of course their motivation to ski. The participants this time came from seven different countries: Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Brazil!

In summer, there will also be the first "Shades of Winter"-Mountainbike Camps.

To be honest, I used to be rather ambivalent about whether we as women were doing ourselves a favor by turning everything into "Women's Only". In the meantime, however, I believe that among women we can admit our fears and push each other, but also on a different level, along the lines of "If she can do it, so can I". Do you also observe this in your camps?

I agree with you and I'm not a fan of pink carpets and the idea that we women need special treatment. I'm in favor of us getting equal opportunities. Not that we have to compare ourselves, but a level playing field should be created.

These "all female" platforms also give women space to develop and push themselves. Many women feel they can try out more among women. With freeriding, for example: everyone is motivated to jump over or down something, but very few of them have any experience before the camp. Only at the camp, where everyone is equal, you are given the time to adjust, you are allowed to show any emotions, you try it out, fail, get up, do it again and succeed. I can definitely confirm that trying things out and mutual empowerment are important.

Has being out on the mountain with all kinds of women also helped you to progress? It motivates and inspires. You support each other, can give each other advice on what's possible, can also be emotional at times and need time. It also motivates you when someone rides a cool line or jumps a backflip and you think to yourself "hey cool, I can do that too" and you try it. It's actually the same for us pros as it is for the camps.

While we're on the subject of "women's only": Do you think we need special women's ski products or are they an advantage for us?

Just because they're pink and have flowers doesn't make them a women's product, so I'm cautious about that.

But yes, there is a need. There are also different demands among women, and the industry could try to meet them. There are highly sporty women who need sporty skis and there are others who need less sporty skis. You can't lump them all together. But of course a women's boot makes sense, just in terms of a lower shaft. And you can still do a brutal amount there.

Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner
Christoph Oberschneider
Sandra Lahnsteiner

In addition to your work as a freeskier and film producer, you also work as a mental coach for female alpine ski racers from the ÖSV squad, among others. What advice do you give female skiers when they are faced with a mental challenge?

In the mental area, I work specifically with young athletes from the ÖSV focus school, the Gastein Ski Tourism School. But I'm also working as a fitness coach in Anna Veith's team again. It's extremely rewarding work and, just like at the camps, I really enjoy supporting other athletes on their journey.

Mental training is, of course, all about being able to call up your performance and get to the point. It's all about self-confidence and focus.

Have you ever reached your mental limits when skiing yourself?

Absolutely, especially on big mountain lines in Alaska. A lot happens in your head. It's a huge mental challenge. On the one hand, there's so much to distract you, and on the other, you have to concentrate solely on skiing at that moment. At the same time, you have to be alert again to be able to react to everything.

There are so many situations where I've thought to myself "okay, no, that's not possible" and then you try to calm down and think through the line as rationally as possible and then the decision is made - yes or no... And a no is a big and important, even courageous decision on the mountain, you have to be mentally ready for that too.

In general, performance and mental skills simply belong together. In every situation, in skiing but also in business. It's about getting both to the point.

Sandra, thank you very much for the interview. We wish you a great rest of the season!

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This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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