Matteo Ferraiuolo

I first learned to ski at the age of three with a ski instructor in Frabosa, in the province of Cuneo. Although I live in Genoa overlooking the sea, I grew up in the mountains, introduced to skiing and snow by my father, who is also a ski instructor.

From a young age I skied regularly in Artesina and Prato Nevoso, with a few holiday trips to Cervinia along the way. I began competing at just five years old in the children’s categories and continued racing until I was 18, mainly in slalom and giant slalom, with giant slalom always being my strongest discipline. I competed at both regional and national level, primarily within Piedmont, before deciding to shift my focus and follow the instructor pathway. In my free time, I enjoy free skiing and fitting in a few adrenaline-filled turns whenever I can; while off-piste isn’t my main focus, I do like to explore it occasionally.

One of my most powerful skiing memories is the day I was accepted onto the ski instructor course—it was an emotional moment that made me incredibly proud, and since then my race number, 37, has become my lucky number. I became a ski instructor to share my passion with others who want to experience this amazing sport, and my favourite part of the job is watching students progress from the start to the end of a lesson and seeing their confidence grow. Outside of skiing, I consider myself a multitasker: I study motor sciences at university while staying active across many sports.

During the summer, I focus on exams before working a variety of small jobs, all while continuing to play football and tennis. I love all sports, but football holds a special place in my heart—I’m a true ultra for my favourite team—and I’m also a big fan of video games, especially football-themed ones. Alongside skiing, I’m a qualified ski instructor and first-level coach, currently completing my degree in motor sciences.