Milton Holmqvist (22) is our Finnish-Swedish rider who has made a seamless transition from park freestyle to freeride over the past two years and has had a successful season in the Freeride World Qualifier, finishing with a great third place in Riksgränsen, Sweden, where the now legendary Scandinavian freeriding championships traditionally takes place. To put it into perspective, Edvin Olsson finished first and Kristofer Turdell finished second, both of whom you may know as very strong riders, Kristof Turdell is a two-time Freeride World Tour Champion.
You had the opportunity to follow Milton through his Instagram profile and in our posts and stories on IG or Facebook, now we would like to introduce him to you in more detail.
Many freeride riders have a more classic background, they start in FIS races in ski cross, moguls, or slalom. How does a purely freestyle rider who spends whole days in the park become a powerful freerider in such a short period of time?
I think simply by spending most of my days outside of the park exploring different terrain with people who have more experience in freeriding. dropping cliffs and doing tricks came naturally, even though it’s not quite the same as in the park. Becoming a ski instructor made me think about my own technique a lot and that has played a huge part as well.
You have had quite a busy season, you have been to races in several countries. Which face did you like the most and which one was the most challenging and why?
I would say my favorite is the 3* face in Bulgaria. It is a proper face with many good lines. It is hard to say which one was the most challenging since they’re all challenging in different ways. If I have to pick one, I’d say the 3* event in Bonneval sur Arc. The cliffs were way bigger and the landings much flatter than they looked like during the inspection. That’s because we were looking at the face from a much farther distance than usually. When I got to my double drop, It turned out to be twice the size I expected. On top of that, I landed in a big bomb hole and ended up tomahawking down the entire face.
You ride different difficulty races, in addition to 2* and 3*, you also had the opportunity to ride the highest-rated 4* Freeride World Qualifier race this season. What are the differences in them from your point of view?
The biggest difference is probably the size of the face, a 4* face can be three times as big as a 2*. Another huge difference is the amount of points you can earn, If you win a 2* you get 600 points, and if you win a 4* you get 2500. The level of skiing is always really crazy in the bigger competitions, although it can be just as insane in some of the lower-rated ones.
How is it with the spectators at the races, during the finals of the Freeride World Tour Xtreme Verbier the whole city comes alive with it, does something similar also apply to the Freeride World Qualifier spots? In addition to the race, do you even have time to perceive the place itself?
Nothing compares to the Verbier Xtreme, but there is always a crowd and a great atmosphere. I usually go to the competitions in the morning and head back home straight after, since it’s the cheapest way to do it. As a result, there’s rarely any time to explore the place, although I’d love to stay longer.
Which races were the most difficult for you during these two seasons and which, on the contrary, were the most comfortable for you?
I was the most nervous for the first one I ever did, which was the 3* in Bansko. Since you can only look at the face from below, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find my line. It turned out to be quite easy to find that line, but the whole visual inspection part is something I still need to work on. The most comfortable one for me was the 2* in Verbier this season. It was a short face with a few really good cliffs for tricks. It was also on a bluebird powder day, which is quite rare for competitions.
Let’s go to the end of your season, which you really successfully nailed in Riskgränsen. What were the conditions at the race and what system is used there?
The conditions are never ideal in the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships. It’s either good snow and bad visibility, or bad snow and good visibility. I heard someone say that this year had the hardest and iciest snow ever, but at least the sun was shining all three days. There is always one qualification day, followed by two final days if the weather allows it. The scores from all three runs count, so you have to perform well every day to have a chance for the podium.
How do you prepare your skis for a race? In freestyle, the blunter the skis in the park, the better. Did you have to change this approach when riding in freeride?
I don’t really prepare them in any special way right before a competition, I want them to feel the same as the day before. I just check to make sure they are good to go and maybe crank up the DIN a little bit.
Last season you were at only two events where you immediately placed well, this year at 10, how do you perceive your progress? How does the difficulty of traveling to events affect race performance?
I definitely feel like I improve after every competition and I try to learn from my mistakes. I’ve struggled the most with the visual inspection but I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. Traveling can be really tough. Waking up at 3 am and driving for a couple of hours isn’t the best way to start a competition day. However, I still prefer that over spending a lot of money on accommodation.
What are your plans for the next season?
This upcoming season I plan to be based in Verbier. I had a few really good days there last season, so I’m excited to explore the area more. I will also continue to do competitions and try to qualify for the Challenger Tour.
What do you do in the summer?
The summer is all about working and saving up as much as possible for the winter. I try to save enough money so I’m not forced to work full-time during the winter. In that way, I’m able to put all my focus on skiing and competitions.
Milton is currently riding LOTOR Fullcarbon 187 cm and PERUN 183 Hard. He uses a SKADI 178 for riding in the park. He earns money all summer so that he can ski all winter.
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Milton Holmqvist and his great Freeride World Qualifier season
Many freeride riders have a more classic background, they start in FIS races in ski cross, moguls, or slalom. How does a purely freestyle rider who spends whole days in the park become a powerful freerider in such a short period of time?
I think simply by spending most of my days outside of the park exploring different terrain with people who have more experience in freeriding. dropping cliffs and doing tricks came naturally, even though it’s not quite the same as in the park. Becoming a ski instructor made me think about my own technique a lot and that has played a huge part as well.
You have had quite a busy season, you have been to races in several countries. Which face did you like the most and which one was the most challenging and why?
I would say my favorite is the 3* face in Bulgaria. It is a proper face with many good lines. It is hard to say which one was the most challenging since they’re all challenging in different ways. If I have to pick one, I’d say the 3* event in Bonneval sur Arc. The cliffs were way bigger and the landings much flatter than they looked like during the inspection. That’s because we were looking at the face from a much farther distance than usually. When I got to my double drop, It turned out to be twice the size I expected. On top of that, I landed in a big bomb hole and ended up tomahawking down the entire face.
You ride different difficulty races, in addition to 2* and 3*, you also had the opportunity to ride the highest-rated 4* Freeride World Qualifier race this season. What are the differences in them from your point of view?
The biggest difference is probably the size of the face, a 4* face can be three times as big as a 2*. Another huge difference is the amount of points you can earn, If you win a 2* you get 600 points, and if you win a 4* you get 2500. The level of skiing is always really crazy in the bigger competitions, although it can be just as insane in some of the lower-rated ones.
How is it with the spectators at the races, during the finals of the Freeride World Tour Xtreme Verbier the whole city comes alive with it, does something similar also apply to the Freeride World Qualifier spots? In addition to the race, do you even have time to perceive the place itself?
Nothing compares to the Verbier Xtreme, but there is always a crowd and a great atmosphere. I usually go to the competitions in the morning and head back home straight after, since it’s the cheapest way to do it. As a result, there’s rarely any time to explore the place, although I’d love to stay longer.
Which races were the most difficult for you during these two seasons and which, on the contrary, were the most comfortable for you?
I was the most nervous for the first one I ever did, which was the 3* in Bansko. Since you can only look at the face from below, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find my line. It turned out to be quite easy to find that line, but the whole visual inspection part is something I still need to work on. The most comfortable one for me was the 2* in Verbier this season. It was a short face with a few really good cliffs for tricks. It was also on a bluebird powder day, which is quite rare for competitions.
Let’s go to the end of your season, which you really successfully nailed in Riskgränsen. What were the conditions at the race and what system is used there?
The conditions are never ideal in the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships. It’s either good snow and bad visibility, or bad snow and good visibility. I heard someone say that this year had the hardest and iciest snow ever, but at least the sun was shining all three days. There is always one qualification day, followed by two final days if the weather allows it. The scores from all three runs count, so you have to perform well every day to have a chance for the podium.
How do you prepare your skis for a race? In freestyle, the blunter the skis in the park, the better. Did you have to change this approach when riding in freeride?
I don’t really prepare them in any special way right before a competition, I want them to feel the same as the day before. I just check to make sure they are good to go and maybe crank up the DIN a little bit.
Last season you were at only two events where you immediately placed well, this year at 10, how do you perceive your progress? How does the difficulty of traveling to events affect race performance?
I definitely feel like I improve after every competition and I try to learn from my mistakes. I’ve struggled the most with the visual inspection but I’m finally starting to get the hang of it. Traveling can be really tough. Waking up at 3 am and driving for a couple of hours isn’t the best way to start a competition day. However, I still prefer that over spending a lot of money on accommodation.
What are your plans for the next season?
This upcoming season I plan to be based in Verbier. I had a few really good days there last season, so I’m excited to explore the area more. I will also continue to do competitions and try to qualify for the Challenger Tour.
What do you do in the summer?
The summer is all about working and saving up as much as possible for the winter. I try to save enough money so I’m not forced to work full-time during the winter. In that way, I’m able to put all my focus on skiing and competitions.
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