150 Days on the Road: The Reality of a Freestyle Skiing Parent

People often ask what it’s really like to support two kids building a serious path in professional freestyle skiing. They expect a "big words" answer about glory or podiums. But the reality is much more about training blocks, complex travel logistics, and a calendar that usually starts much earlier than you’d like.

In our case, it’s simple: a 13-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter. Both in freestyle. Both properly committed. And for me? It means being the ultimate support system.

We are on the road for about 150 days a year, including trips as far as New Zealand. When we aren’t traveling, we’re based in Corvatsch and Davos. It’s a constant juggle between the Sportgymnasium, Swiss Ski sessions, and private training.

Remote Work and High-Performance Schooling

People wonder how we make it work. In Graubünden, the options for "onsite and remote" schooling are world-class, allowing the kids to stay on track even when we’re halfway across the globe. I run my own company, which allows me to work remotely—provided I can find a decent Wi-Fi signal and enough caffeine.

While we have some great sponsors on board, the biggest support system is, and always will be, Mom and Dad. It’s a "NoNormal" life, which is exactly why the brand fits us so well.

The season is built around events, not routines. We’ve just returned from the first World Cup of the season in China. It was a perfect example of how logistics become the main event.

Early call times, transfers, and long days at the venue often mean we are out the door before breakfast even exists. Sometimes, the only thing available in a stadium or a remote hotel lobby is a kettle with hot water. That’s it.

I’m not looking for a "coffee experience" when it’s -15°C at 6:00 AM. I need a portable coffee solution that works everywhere: van, airport, or snow-covered parking lot.

I’ve shifted to NoNormal coffee for our travels because it’s lighter and works even when my "kitchen" is just a thermos of water. Same taste, no drama.

My Daily Travel Essentials:

• YETI cup: Keeps the heat in when the alpine air is freezing.

• Fjällräven Stubbe backpack: It takes a beating and carries the daily essentials.

• The NZ Spork: A random purchase from Mitre 10 in New Zealand that has become permanently useful.

• NoNormal Coffee: I like the "Classic Black" - great taste, easy to make

• Tube Squeezer: When you're 150 days in, you want every last drop of coffee out of that tube.

To be clear: I’m not the coach, and I don't try to be. My job is the infrastructure. I handle the ski travel, the stability, and the presence. If I can remove the predictable stressors, like making sure there's a warm drink and a plan for the next 16 hours, then the kids can focus entirely on their skiing. Freestyle skiing already has enough variables; I’m just here to manage the constants.

Right now, we are prepping for the Junior Worlds in Calgary with my son. Immediately after that, we head above the polar circle to Northern Sweden.

The route: Zürich → Stockholm, then a 16-hour drive north in a rented Volvo. It’s the kind of trip that looks straightforward on a map but feels very long in real life. But that’s what a high-performance season requires.

The journey is built on repetition and consistency. From the outside, "support" might look like waiting around. In reality, it’s what makes the whole thing sustainable. It all starts with keeping the mornings predictable, and that usually starts with a coffee that only needs hot water to be perfect.