How To Be a Professional skier: 14 tips for success

Filming a segment for the legendary ski movie company ‪@MatchstickProductions‬ in the Lyngen Alps of Norway, while exploring how you get to be a pro skier with Olympic skier and Freeride World Tour rider ‪@HedvigWesselYT‬ and myself.
Hedvig on IG: / hedvigwessel
Myself on IG: / nikolaischirmer
My chill-out pants: www.norrona.com/en-GB/product...
My skis: www.black-crows.com/fr/en/p/a...
My boots: www.vpg.no/dynafit/269395/dyn...
My goggles: www.vpg.no/julbo/271624/julbo...
The FATMAP app: fatmap.com/
The travel bags: dbjourney.com/
Stay in Lyngen: www.lyngenexperience.no/
Go skiing with Finn: www.ascentdescent.com
Watch The Stomping Grounds here: geni.us/StompingGrounds
The full podcast with PK Hunder: open.spotify.com/episode/190W...
The Music:
Get Hoppípolla by Sigur Rós here lickd.lnk.to/abj6NJID!Nikolai...
License ID: 6KEj10GAqO0
Get this and other songs for your next KZbin video at lickd.co
Get Play God by Sam Fender here lickd.lnk.to/84lL4rID!Nikolai...
License ID: yoXlkKjZlM8
Get this and other songs for your next KZbin video at lickd.co
Get Will We Talk? by Sam Fender here lickd.lnk.to/8rfRHzID!Nikolai...
License ID: QBynL35YEdK
Get this and other songs for your next KZbin video at lickd.co

[@alpinejonny]

The storytelling in this 12 minute film beats almost everything MSP has ever put out.... And the filming, lines, and vibe is just as good. You inspire me so much N, and I'm an old almost 40 dad who grew up on MSP. Thank you for keeping the Stoke alive.

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks for enjoying the vids Jonny!

[@pointingup2]

Same

[@SmokedSauce]

Could not agree more, currently raising a upcoming freeskiier and we watch your videos together. P.S ive skiied with you like 15yrs ago :)

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

@@SmokedSauce heyhey hope we had a good time back then! Cool that you’re raising a little shredpartner of your own

[@peterhyperman]

Totally agree.

[@lucasbs3267]

I really appreciate the fact that you talk about “privilege” as many other skiers or athletes fail to mention it.

[@apt.1101]

💯 %

[@ChangLRC]

was about to comment this

[@felixmi3029]

probably the most important thing about pro sports and being an influencer

[@slimigan]

The other great thing about your videos is that I always think to myself "man, I could really see being great friends with him". That's really uncommon, and I'm sure most who watch feel the same way. You're actually a good person on top of being a great skier and filmmaker.

[@phoenixGrassl]

I 100 percent agree!

[@kuanjuliu]

Your videos have the rare distinction of not making me feel like I'm procrastinating when I watch them. Instead, I feel more connected with humanity and so get a big boost for my day. Thank you.

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks for watching!

[@partyguytechno]

This video came out 2 days after my house burned to the ground and the only thing I had left was the pair of skis in my car, Ive always thought about how I can make my life about skiing while still feeling like i'm progressing in life and this has really given me some great advice to reflect on. I might never be a sponsored skier but that doesn't mean I cant still make a mark in the history of the mountains, Thank you

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Oh no! So sorry to hear that. Hope you had good insurance. I wholeheartedly agree that you can make your mark on the mountain without being a sponsored skier

[@TomYoungsChannel]

As always you make a 12min video seem like a 2hr feature film! Your storytelling is unparalleled. Beautiful.

[@johannesminge]

The tips: 1. Privilige (3:13) 5. Be a skier (7:02) 6. Be a producer (7:03) 7. Be an agent (7:04) 8. Be a PR agent (7:05) 9. Be a f***** (7:06) 9. Be a filmer (7:08) 10. Do everything (7:11) 11. Entrepreneurship (7:57) 12. Put energy into it (11:04) 13. Love it (11:06) 14. Even failing is sweet (11:40) Nice 👌🏻

[@w4terrl321]

tysm

[@GlutenSnois]

Both the visuals and storytelling is in a league of its own. Stunning!

[@DaveSearle]

Wow I thought I was going to hate this video when I saw it but then I watched it and loved it. Thanks!

[@donpablo8459]

Same, I thought he would stand in front in the camera and tell me how to make a good social media or something 😂 I'm glad it's more about Nikolais and Hedwigs journey becoming a pro

[@aylahughes9185]

Nikolai is part of what keeps the magic of the mountains alive for me. I hope one day our paths cross for a tour.

[@migueldemoina]

Damn nico, i’ve been watching you for a year and your storytelling never stops to surprise me. What i like most about you films is that even when you’re sending the coloir of death it looks like “having fun” and “being safe” share the number one spot of priorities. Keep it up!

[@stephenourada3217]

Happy New Year Niko! Thanks for the great videos.

[@ericktorres8855]

You both are awesome, many of us get inspired just watching you skiing. Keep the ball running and do not forget to have fun!!

[@paulcollins1607]

Utterly brilliant, as always. Keep on keeping on, Niko.

[@onelastmore5924]

Let's hope this gets you the recognition (and bump in subscribers) that you deserve

[@stevewinter4843]

Nikolai- this is so good, thanks for all the work on this and honest take on pro tips. You and Hedvig are amazing and talented humans.

[@danielwinder2093]

you made that flow super well and those are valid tips for sure

[@brokeredratemortgagecorp.2024]

this entire film is just perfect. Great job !

[@CBonesey]

Incredibly inspiring. There are so many ways to measure success, and enjoying the ride is the purest of all measures.

[@Maxischupp93]

during times like this where i cant go skiing videos like yours are the next best thing! keep em coming pls :)

[@jcleary1945]

Top marks Niko, you're killing it, stoked to see Hedvig here also

[@bauabh]

Amazing. Loved the video

[@toddwinslow9974]

Super engaging story Nikolai. I echo many of the other comments. As someone in my mid-fifties who still feels the stoke, thank you for being a part of something bigger than yourself contributing to the stoke that those of us who love the sport all feel. Wishing you a speedy recovery and hope you are back on skis soon. Maybe you already are???? Happy New Years!

[@laurenceblanchette7177]

Best video you put out best production, good vibes keep it up !

[@ondrejjanoska660]

Again and again …. Real great work

[@peterresch7685]

Following this channel for quite some time now, that video was by far the most inspiring so far!

[@garrettburt511]

Just found your account, and honestly this is one of the best KZbin videos I've ever seen. The quality of the storytelling, the video and everything is amazing! Kjempebra kompis! 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@peterbaumeister]

love this one, great storytelling with the old pictures.. thanks for the insights ;)

[@callumglass]

😭 This was super inspiring, from all ends of the spectrum. Beautiful. I must add from growing up on MSP films also. Your KZbin channel alone of adventures. Beats any ski films now. The stories and production you pull off, each and every time. Spectacular.

[@nicoloweiss6529]

Man congratulations .your channel is awesome

[@RobertoBenvenuti9a]

Love it! Nikolai, you're the best ski movie shooter and producer ;)! Keep riding!!!

[@spopovici]

I've been skiing since I was 5. I always dreamed of the big lines that I could do and I always wondered what is the step you need to take to become a pro skier. Thanks, Niko for the advice. This is going to be a good year!

[@vladimirscerbin9511]

Love all your videos.

[@mathpipe.666]

That the best recap I have seen so far!

[@flaksirus]

God, that's probably the best ski freeride channel on whole platform. Thank you very much Nikolai!

[@lukebohemian]

Another great one 🧡

[@forestnymph3000]

Watching this during a snow day here in nyc and feeling inspired and ready to go skiing. Subscribed to your channel! :)

[@coolmanyo00]

Great video as always. Godt nyttår :D

[@KrystaNorwick]

This new wave of individuals sharing personal stories is amazing! Less hype, more truth, tons of real emotion and vulnerability! Incredible production, well done!!!!

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks!

[@maxknausTV]

Met Hedvig a couple of weeks ago in Engelberg Switzerland, super nice and super talented. Phenomenal video as always, Nikolai.

[@Menelaos_Nanas]

respect for realizing your privillege and your position in the world and for trying to do something about it

[@DaniPicot]

This video is lit 🔥 Congrats! Great storytelling and filmmaking!

[@olivercheyne5134]

Amazing video! (As always) it’s great watching someone do the thing I love as I probably live in one of the least mountainous or snowy countries on earth. Australia. I have a huge passion for skiing but we don’t often have enough money to regularly travel overseas to ski. Hopefully the time will come that I can move to Europe to ski!

[@AustinV333]

so good nikolai, great job man

[@mannesturesson2890]

Wisest skiier in history!

[@AJV55]

So refreshing and cool to see that Mr. Schirmer and his crew don’t seem to have none of the ego/macho/cool dude mentality. All their content is very, very nice to watch!

[@dwdeezul]

Niko this is an amazing video 🖤

[@lachlanswanson1582]

I swear my mind is blow every time I watch a new Nikolai Schirmer video because of the incredible production value and storytelling that goes into each of these videos. The coolest thing about Nikolai is even if he isn't throwing double backflips and dub corks his personality makes me want to come to Norway to meet him.

[@johngeronimo8172]

WOW! I love this! Don't know where to start... Love how you in a classical Nordic way down-play your own skills and put Hedvig on top. She's a fantastic skier, one of my all time favorites, and with a background in moguls she has a fantastic base to develop from as a free rider, and I love how she's using that to her advantage! Hedvig rocks as a person and as a skier

[@geirlyster6375]

Godt nytt ar fra Golden BC! Looking forward to Hedvig competing here in February at Kicking Horse Mtn Resort on the Free Ride World Tour representing Norge. Great vids Nik! Jadda!

[@deividass]

Such an amazing video! You never fail to amaze me with each video you share! Thank you!!! Huge inspiration to me while I just started tour skiing beginning this year

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks! Have fun with it!

[@LouisGiannotta]

Thank you Nikolai, once again 😊 Cheers from France!

[@110ski]

As someone who grew up watching MSP this feels really genuine. Ascension podcast is really awesome to know what happened behind the curtains of the golden era of ski movies. Awesome content Niko! Keep it coming!

[@RastaMarv]

Your Channel is soooooo underrated! I LOOOVE your Vids Greetings from Switzerland - Valais

[@monopoly5496]

insanely well filmed

[@aleksapecelj2809]

Great stuff 💪🔥🔝

[@manoumaudgal]

Great video! 🙌

[@LeSkiShow]

Insane Nikolai, we wish we could go ski those mountains one day !

[@evanecg2134]

Love how it's just the two of them until 10:38 and then you can see a crowd up on the ridge with them reflected in Hedvig's goggles! Goes to show these vids are never solo or just a couple people, usually there is a whole crew.

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Hehe yep! Joonas, Matias and Anders hiding in a safespot for all the drone shots on this one

[@deathrabbit8385]

As someone who is new to the skiing world I never knew about MSP until this video!! Nice one man.

[@otomarjupiter45]

Unreal quality, as always. Get well soon.

[@Saintsfan019]

One of the most underrated youtubers

[@crazyweirdproductions]

Very sweet! Gettin it!

[@1993wesi1993]

Such a nice video! Moreeee

[@andrazegart]

I've watched you for quite some time, Nikolai. You really inspired me to start my own channel and try my luck with youtube. I am studying video production, and I am on my way to become a licensed alpinist. So I hope I can bring those two paths together and make a living out of it one day. Thanks!

[@colincurley9751]

This is a great vid 👌

[@Nik09836]

What a great Vid

[@danwatts2096]

This was so much beyond what I expected this video to be like hahaha. There's an art to your films Nikolai that just puts you above every other ski content creator I've ever seen. Fan for life.

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks Dan! Glad it didn’t live up to the thumbnail

[@MrFoodsweden]

Riktigt grym är du!! Men säger absolut inte att du inte har tekniken vid hoppen men hade du kunnat utveckla dem herrejösses 😎😍 Bra filmer alltid tummen upp kör hårt !!

[@eaglesfannnn]

Sick as usual

[@Flaskygg]

I love your videos so so so much. I would do absolutely anything in the entire world to ski back country with you, just a single time. Hell, I would do anything just to ski anywhere in Europe right now...

[@hpel1649]

dropping again the best ski content on KZbin! If my ski movies can be only 10% of yours Nikolai I would be pretty satisfy with myself!!

[@berryableguy5]

dude your videos are going to push me to become a pro. like wow

[@dashielcockrill998]

A while after The Stomping Grounds came out me and my friends met up to watch it. Half way through we got bored and instead we just rewatched your videos for the 10th time. The quality and storytelling that you produce is way better than the stuff MSP puts out.

[@eetuvierinen4134]

Sick

[@DamnDstryr]

Sigur Rós! Also RIP Sarah Burke. What a legend.

[@campionjj]

Great one Nikolai! realy appreciate your views and insight on freeride skiing and its humble of you to acknowledge your privilege straight off the bat. cool to see hedvig ripping in norway too. hope your achilies is healing up well! ut på tur aldri sur! yee boi!

[@tmotten]

you make some seriously sick vids mate. top class production value

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks!

[@tmotten]

@@Nikolai_Schirmer thank you for making these.

[@shotbyzurbriggen]

I hope you get times 10 times the views with your incredible content

[@OGPROGAMER1246]

super nice vid

[@SazanD1]

Blir så sykt gira av disse opptaka! Begynte med randonee i fjord og ser frem til å komme i gang igjen.

[@romyniederhauser1314]

You are so inspiring, and I’d love to get to shadow you one day! I doubt you will see this, but I love the art of your filmmaking!

[@AndreiKucharavy]

That's a great video, both content-wise and quality-wise (as usual)! Thanks!

[@Drew-de2rc]

Best. Filmmaker. Ever.

[@ryanflaherty9478]

Niko, can you give us a 360 tutorial? You make them so clean!!

[@jarrettreckseidler]

Great film…your more grassroots approach is way better than the big productions. You do what you do for the right reasons. Bravo!

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks!

[@Krishn0v]

You are my idol Niko

[@Hugo-dm1dj]

This is rlly inspiring, but first i have to buy some freeride skis. Im going to verbier in February and ill try film something

[@jacksongriffith1563]

This gets me super excited! The links to your gear didn’t work for me-may want to check them.

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks! Tried a bad url-shortener. Fixed it now

[@sup3richard802]

that's so cool! really appreciate that type of videos. (ps: can you give me the size of your ion binding breaks for your 108 atris plz ?) all support for ur content btw!!

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Thanks! I use the 115mm breaks on the atris

[@sup3richard802]

@@Nikolai_Schirmer big thanks !!

[@Alastair_]

I'd say location is the most important issue. Being able to just go to the mountains often. It's dammed expensive for me just to even get a single week away in a winter.

[@skisupreme-sxy575]

I am 15 and i only have one career path freeskier and like him i dont like competitions but i would like to do the freeride world tour at least twice to make my mark and i could make it as a freeskier

[@WaechterDerNacht]

Hey Nikolai I'm going to Lyngen for some skitouring in the beginning of March. Not quite sure about what kind of skis to bring etc. Right now i own a Line Sir Francis Bacon from 2015 which is like 2.3-2.5 kg per ski. So I'm looking for something lighter. I'm actually never riding backwards and am also not spinning around like crazy (what a surprise at 2 m and above 100 kg... ^^ ). So now I'm trying to find out what kind of conditions are most likely to be in March in Lyngen and what kind of conditions are mostly here in the alps to find a good and light ski for someone who mostly only hikes up to ride down. So the downhill part is my priority. Wouldn't consider myself as the best skier, but definitely not too bad, somewhere intermediate to advanced when it comes to off-piste skiing in the normal guys touring area. Thanks for the info and all the great videos, really enjoy them! Cheers from Switzerland

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

Hi Philip, Lyngen in March will be great! Best time of the year. Along with April and late November. If I were you on that trip I would go for either the corvus freebird or the atris. The atris should be a little better if you like a slarvy turn, while the corvus’ flat tail will hold a little better. Both are the perfect width for Lyngen

[@WaechterDerNacht]

@@Nikolai_Schirmer Thanks for the answer! Gonna take a look at them and see if i can try one of them somewhere. Really looking forward to it!

[@domesticterrorist483]

A dream colab would be for you and Cody Townsend to ski in Lyngen together or you to go to the USA to shred some lines with him.

[@Nikolai_Schirmer]

That would be dreamy indeed. As soon as he finishes his fifty or I stop caring about my emissions I guess haha

[@domesticterrorist483]

@@Nikolai_Schirmer We can all chip in for your carbon offsets, it would be worth it. Maybe you can go along on one of his remaining 50? We can dream. Maybe Bjarne can put in a word for you.

[@AndreiKucharavy]

Also, I think you forgot a pretty big one - although it's a shared one with a lot of other ones - not being a total asshole. Mind-blowing runs don't matter if no one wants to go up with you, shoot with you, sponsor you or watch you. There is a whole spectrum of personalities that can get along - and a chill guy really fond of skiing is one of them (that we all here enjoy a lot), just as a top-tier competitive skier looking to resource and recharge (looking forwards to this winter's Hedvig runs!) or many others. Just not making everyone coming across you hate your guts.

[@ApplegateA]

Everyone at the resorts now is decked out, head to toe. I still go in a sweatshirt and jeans.

[@ShadesmarRS]

Jeg skulle lagt meg for fire timer siden, men et Schirmermaraton er verdt en trøtt morgendag

[@alex64rextommi51]

Thank you I'm pro now

[@thatsnotmyname7462]

Me with ADHD: I don't even remember what he said, but the nature and skiing is epic

[@jeremyzed6726]

what happened to tip 2-4