PRAYER. Even the announcer knows that Finland’s hope comes from among the smoke.
“The youngest member of the team, a future legend. Raised by Härmä and the dominator of his generation. His name is – Telma Särkipaju.”
Lauri Valonen uncontrollably warms the 17-year-old snowboarder. In the background, the DJ adds a beat and the smoke machine hisses.
The young talent steps out of the dark tent at the back onto the stage, wearing a beanie and dark sunglasses. Sarkipaju claps his hands together above his head and makes the audience wild with noise. At the same time, the gift hat flies into the crowd standing in front of the stage.
At least the train counters are in a good mood.
Särkipaju is from Seinäjoki. That is, from South Ostrobothnia.
However, the stiffness is far away when he is let loose at the presentation ceremony of the national snowboard team in Ruka.
Särkipaju knows how to entertain its audience at the foot of the home slopes, but under the skin, the young woman is a little scared waiting for the new season 2022–2023.
Rukajärvi has a new role in the national team
Two-time Olympic medalist Enni Rukajärvi32, is sure to be happy that the attention is starting to shift to others besides him and To Rene Rinnekanka.
Rukajärvi is only with the national team in the early season, then different invitational competitions and shooting projects come into play.
The current team leader of snowboarders Antti Koskinen has been involved in coaching Rukajärvi for about 15 years. Koskinen knows how important a piece Rukajärvi is to the current national team, whose coaching was pretty messed up for the starting season. For example, head coaches were given up for at least one season.
– In addition to his own calculations, Enni has an awful lot of know-how in the background. I would hope that it would be passed on to young calculators, that they didn’t have to learn everything the hard way. They could learn from Rukajärvi’s bottomless storehouse of knowledge and smooth out the worst bumps along the way. I see Enni’s role as a mentor in the team, Koskinen emphasized.
Rukajärvi has accepted his role in style. He wants to offer tips worth gold on the slopes and model performances for young snowboarders.
– Just the fact that it shows a model. Or if there are new situations, it shows how to act in them. You can also ask me for help. Just the fact that you count in big competitions and in new places. It has always helped me that there have been other accountants I know, from whom I have been able to ask for advice. And you can see how others count, so yes it did move forward, Rukajärvi compared the early days of his career from the 2010 season.
Sarkipaju was listening next to him calmly nodding.
Everything is new to him, although last season he had success at the European Youth Winter Olympic Festival in Vuokatti. Särkipaju won slopestyle and took silver in big air. At the European Cup, Särkipaju won the slopestyle competition last January, but now bigger arenas are waiting for him.
– The first World Cup races ahead. Exciting but I’m really excited. Yes, it helps to hear Enni’s experiences. Every time I go to the games, I get excited. New guys and the national team, how to deal with it. It will certainly be memorable and fun, Särkipaju is thinking about the beginning of the season.
In Ruka, the filming was in the possession of Rukajärvi
Before the mc tour, Rukajärvi and Särkipaju enjoyed themselves together on the slopes of Ruka. Filming was done in Rukajärvi, when Särkipaju showed the model with the beginnings of new tricks.
– I know that Telma is a really good calculator. He just has to trust his own skill. You will definitely be able to do it and be able to jump from those (world cup) jumps. Yes, it’s there, there’s no need to worry, says Rukajärvi.
Rukajärvi has long been a role model for Särkipaju. Särkipaju took her first selfie with Enni at the age of 12 at a spring camp.
– There haven’t been terribly many female snowboarders in Finland, and Enni has stayed at the top for a long time. It was so cool when I was younger, when the sport wasn’t that big and there was this type of guy you could follow. I felt like I wanted to try the sport too. I followed Enni’s games from the beginning.
Now both are playing for the Finnish national team.
– It’s really enjoyable to watch and learn new things. Enni is a stylish calculator. I take turps from there for tricks, so that I can make them look unique and what else can be added to them, Särkipaju justified the benefits of joint invoices.
– Yes, Telma challenges well. If you see that Telma is doing a trick, it will inspire you. The thought comes to mind that it’s not a joke, a pretty cool trick and story. I also want to try, Rukajärvi continued.
Rukajärvi has always been considered a stylish boarder. He still wants to practice his show jumping on the snow slope, not on the mattress.
Sarkipaju is almost on the same lines.
– Personally, I like to count rails the most, that’s my strength. I want to develop it and maintain jumps as well. I would like to be as versatile a calculator as possible, to do a little bit of everything.
Movie dreams and freediving in Alaska
Rukajärvi plans to continue counting as long as it makes sense as a professional. In addition to my own film, my dream is to ski in the mountains in Alaska.
– I would like to get more into the story of the freelancer. I always want to develop in a new way. Alaska is on the list.
– There are good snow conditions and shockingly beautiful mountains and walls. The climate is different. Storms come from the sea and the snow sticks better. You can lay down steep lines, and it looks spectacular, Rukajärvi justified the trip to Alaska, which is still open due to funding.
Sitting next to Rukajärvi, Särkipaju also dares to chase her dreams. However, he doesn’t want to plan his future too much, maybe a year or two at a time.
– Yes, the Olympics are what I want to get to. Everything is possible, the biggest competitions and filming are very interesting. My own movie would be really cool or some Partti (counting role) in the movie.
Would you take Enni there with you?
– Yeah, absolutely, Särkipaju laughed.
– To the closing credits, Rukajärvi grinned from the side.
Read more:
Watch how Finland’s top snowboarders sought victory in the World Cup – “A little bit of shit, a board to shit and a doping test”
Enni Rukajärvi made a big change – with the national team only from the beginning of the season: “Now there are other plans”