Alex Søgaard Nielsen

I learned to ski at 6 in Trysil, Norway, taught by the red Skistar ski instructors. I thought they were so cool! The highlights of my childhood were our holidays once or twice a year in Trysil and later Hemsedal, shifting towards the Alps as we got older. From that very first trip, I thought skiing was the best thing ever, and I got better and better with every holiday, in ski school every single time. The instructors seemed like the coolest people with my dream life, so I became one myself, at 17, while at boarding school in Denmark, and never looked back. It was always more and more training, and now I get to live in the mountains every winter. Little me is living the dream. I’ve never competed professionally. In my free time, I love touring and freeriding in the backcountry most of all, but also carving groomers or slaying moguls. If the lifts are open, you’ll find me somewhere in the resort, though I might be hard to catch on a powder day. As a clever man once said: “A bad day skiing is still way better than a good day not skiing.”

My best skiing memory is a touring trip to Lyngen, Norway, last April with my dad, my cousin and his father, a whole week of out-of-this-world scenery and amazing snow all to ourselves. Sharing that experience with loved ones was the best thing ever; 10/10 recommend if you get the chance. I became an instructor because I love sharing the happiness and love for skiing with others, and my favourite thing about the job is seeing guests progress with a smile. I’ve been instructing for five years.

In the summer, you’ll find me back in Denmark with friends and family, working, playing sports, sailing with my grandparents or at a festival. I love being active: football, running, mountain biking and the gym. One surprising fact about me: despite coming from one of the flattest countries, my father, brother and three cousins are all ski instructors too.