(from issue 25.2)

Picture this: it’s early January 2024, and a concentration of some of Vans' tightest crew is packed in Antti Jussila’s van, driving around frozen Helsinki to destroy one spot after the other. That’s how I imagined it, at least. While filming for Benny Urban’s latest video project, “You Are Inside Your Heart,” these guys decided to head back to what some call the “Mecca of street snowboarding,” Helsinki. Why go film there again like so many before them, you may ask? PragmaticaI, Benny would tell you they’re not there to “reinvent the wheel anyway.” Sure, but I feel this city has a special place deep inside their heart. And searching for that inner self might be the secret to renewing themselves in a not-so-exotic location. Believe me, if true innovation might not be specifically on their mind, progression is ceiled in them. Your direct environment is quite determinant for the outcome of what you intend to do in general, but in the end, it’s surely what’s inside your heart, body, soul (and legs) that will make the difference. To try to understand a bit more what was behind Matt George’s outstanding photography we received, we asked each member of the squad to share their thoughts about their state of mind at that moment, how it went, and their overall feeling while filming there.

PHOTOS: MATT GEORGES

The City

“The cold air hurt my nostrils as I stepped outside the airport and made my way to pick up the rental car. It had been cold back home in Sweden, but this cold felt a lot worse, probably cause of the nearby ocean. All of us had been to Helsinki before, like most street snowboarders, and before this trip, we had discussed going to Oslo instead. At the last minute, we decided on Helsinki once again, and by the time we arrived, it felt like the whole street snowboarding scene had gone to Oslo. 

Even though it would have been fun to see all of them, it felt nice to have Helsinki in prime conditions pretty much to ourselves. The good thing about Helsinki is, firstly, the amount of snow they get, the infrastructure is surprisingly good for snowboarding, the police and people, in general, are mostly very positive and understanding of what we do, the food is good, and there are good vibes in general. The negative thing is that it’s very hard to find new spots since so many crews have been going there year after year. I had made a list of spots I found on Google Maps, and Antti pointed out which ones had been done and which he thought were new. We drove around a lot, looking for new stuff, too. Everywhere, there would be spots that had been filmed before. It was like driving inside a street snowboarding museum. 

The consequence of it being more challenging to find new stuff is that it comes with an extra feeling of satisfaction when you find a new spot or come up with a new trick at an old one. The year before, I rode a spot that Joni Malmi had hit many years before me, a rider that I looked up to a lot as a kid. It felt special knowing he had been battling that same rail for a video part in his prime and to now be in a similar position. 

This year, we added a few more new spots to the “abd” list and also went back to a few favorites for which we had something new in mind. Many riders have left their mark in the city of Helsinki, and now our crew has left a few more.”

– Nils Arvidsson

Filming the streets

“Filming street snowboarding in Helsinki is incredibly inspiring for me. The city’s mix of old and new buildings covered in snow makes every scene look amazing. Each street and alley in Helsinki has the potential to create unique and exciting shots, turning the city into a key part of street snowboarding.
One of the best parts is the unpredictability. Unlike controlled environments, the streets of Helsinki are always changing, which requires snowboarders and filmmakers to be very adaptable. Getting the shot takes both technical know-how and an artistic eye to make the action fit the urban setting. This combination of challenges keeps me passionate and engaged.
The sense of community among street snowboarders in Helsinki is also very inspiring. There’s a shared excitement at every session. Their dedication motivates me to capture their talents in the best way possible.
Despite the extreme cold, which was tough on our equipment, we had excellent snow conditions. Our hardworking and well-prepared crew spent a lot of time finding the best spots. This planning paid off, as we were able to film a bunch of tricks and various riding styles, which is always a joy to capture.
Helsinki is a rapidly growing city, and each visit brings new spots to discover, making every trip exciting and fresh. In short, filming street snowboarding in Helsinki is an inspiring mix of sport and art set against the backdrop of a vibrant and constantly evolving city.”

– Alex Pfeiffer

The office manager

"Having Antti there with us was definitely the cherry on the cake. Antti is a calm and collected individual and the kind of person everyone wishes they had on a trip, especially when it comes down to being in his hometown, Helsinki.
There´s not much to worry about when he’s driving you around in his T5, aka “the office.” He’s got it all, from pins to out-of-town spots to nice and cozy restaurants to magic hands when it comes to icing some rough surfaces. Not to mention, every tool you need is stored in his trunk. Antti’s work attitude is amazing, and he’s a very helpful person in many ways. He will make sure you will get your Seksico Tacos. 
But Antti was not only there to guide us around his city and operate the winch when it was needed, his main job was to stack clips, and he definitely went in and got some amazing stuff. His style and spot choice are really refreshing, and the way he goes about it is a pleasure to watch. 
It was my first time on a film trip with Antti, and I wouldn’t blink twice about doing it again, especially when it comes down to going to Finland and being his passenger in the T5."

– Sebi Springeth

“It's always a lot of fun when friends come to shoot in Helsinki. Even though I've been filming here for a long time, I still find new inspiration when people from abroad visit the city. They often see things differently, which is refreshing.
Nils had only been here to shoot once, and it was the year before, which I could hardly believe. It was cool to see how he ended up hitting a spot that I've been eyeing for a long time, thinking that someday someone will do it.
Since most of the crew had already been to Helsinki, I didn't have to do much hosting or worry too much as a local. Most of the time, I just wanted to make sure when we got a chance to eat, it would be at a cozy place with good food. *laughs*  I was only a little worried that one time, when we split up, the boys ended up setting up a spot next to the Russian embassy…”

– Antti Jussila

The diplomatic incident

“It all happened outside of a fenced-in area, an evening when Antti was not there with us. The rail we were planning on riding is somehow attached to this crazy fence that has spikes on top, with obviously something crazy behind it. We didn't think much of it then, but I still sent a photo of the spot to Antti, and he replied, “Dude, get your eyes off that thing. That's the Russian embassy behind, where the diplomats live. I fucking wouldn't do it. ”
Since the embassy was behind the fence and the spot we wanted to snowboard on the other side of it, we decided to still take the crew there. Everyone was super excited about the spot because it would just make a great photo or a great video clip. The shitty part about the spot, though, was that the end of the rail had like a little metal nub, which had to be cut. So, for 45 minutes, in the dark, with our face masks on, Sebi and I tried to cut this thing with a saw that wasn’t sharp enough, of course. We were cutting this thing forever, and it just wouldn’t come off. We were hiding, too, because we knew it was the Russian embassy. We already had built a snowdrop tower pushed all the way against the fence one meter away from Russian ground, so to speak. We were so excited, and in our own world, we forgot about it or didn't want to face the seriousness and consequences of fucking around so close to the Russian border. 
At one point, shit hit the fan. While I was trying to cut this rail, Sebi, who was spotting the people on the street, said: “cops, cops, cops, cops!” I threw the saw in the snow and walked away from the spot while the cops had already pulled over. I started throwing snowballs like we were playing in the middle of the park at night. The cops came to us and asked what we were doing here in Finnish. We told them we didn’t speak the language and that we were just checking some options to build a jump to snowboard on this hill the next day. They told us: “Definitely not here. You know what that is? That's the Russian embassy, maybe a few years ago, but not now, so please get out.” We thought it was pretty mellow, but while we were walking towards our car, one of the cops turned around and asked for our IDs and passports. Checking our information took twenty-five minutes, which is quite absurd for snowboarding. Then they asked us to take them up there and show them what we were planning to do. It turns out they did a background check on us because they got a call from the embassy saying we were messing around with their fence. A detail we did not mention, obviously. That’s when my heart dropped. We were sweating because the saw was still up there in the snow, and now I was supposed to bring that cop up there where it was lying on the ground. I can only imagine what they can speculate about two guys in the middle of the night wearing face masks, cutting the Russian Embassy's fence… So while we were walking towards that rail, I kept blasting this cop with information about what we do, traveling the world to find all these locations and how this one was the perfect dimension to do this trick or whatever, telling him we didn't want to cause any, inconveniences, and blah blah blah. Then the cop stopped and said: “Yeah, I get it. That's a cool spot.” He just dropped it, 10 meters away from seeing the saw and realising I had just lied to his face.
We got the passports back, the cops left, we left, but the saw was still up there. After driving around the block three times, we were tripping so heavy we decided to wait half an hour and just go grab it before the FSB did. We went back, grabbed it, and headed home, joking that we might find two guys waiting for us in the sauna when we got there.”

– Benny Urban

Street photography

For many, Helsinki is considered the Mecca of street snowboarding in Europe, with countless clips and tricks having been filmed there. Personally and for that reason, I’ve often tried to avoid shooting there these past winters. Returning to the city after so many years really felt good, like a pilgrimage. The city has been heavily overexposed – not just in terms of hammered spots but also photo-wise. It has a huge snowboard culture history and you can really feel it. 
Let’s be honest: while shooting snowboarding might seem straightforward, doing it with a fresh perspective and a creative eye while still getting the trick accurately is definitely not an easy feat. Especially knowing you’re in a city where some of the best photographers have already worked their magic. The bar is set high for the rest of us! Helsinki isn’t exactly what we could call an exotic location either.
Anyway, once you come to terms with these facts, you feel a sense of relief and your heart is lighter. Of course, there’s one very very very small detail to deal with: Photographer’s "everyone’s favourite person" – the filmer and his beloved fisheye lens.
The conversations are usually very deep and sound something like this:
"Can I go there?" NO!
"What if I move one step forward?" NO, I can see you.
"Are you going to stay in the middle of the staircase the whole time?" YES.
"Why are you always shooting fisheye? Can’t you be more creative?" NO.
As you can see, life is full of compromises – maybe more so for us, photogs. But don’t worry, we still love you guys! Let’s just wait until XXXX lands his trick so we can all hug and celebrate (and maybe I’ll secretly punch you in the ribs very hard).
Okay, hard feelings aside, shooting street snowboarding is always a mission because of all the uncontrollable factors. But when everything falls into place, Helsinki is for sure one of my favourite places to shoot. The spot opportunities are endless, the Finnish police are always supportive and stoked, the light is beautiful, and the red brick vibe makes it all worth it.
Kiitos, Hesa!”

– Matt Georges 

The job

“This must have been one of the top five trips of my life. Pure Snowboarding, insanely good conditions and most importantly – a dream crew. It wasn’t necessarily about trying super hard to go somewhere very exotic and invent the wheel again – it was more about pursuing the most efficient way where everyone gets to snowboard a lot in one trip. Pretty classic location, but with an OG local guide such as Antti Jussila we worked our way around the city as well as possible. Spots, equipment, food – everything was on point.

In terms of getting clips I’m not sure if more would be possible within just two weeks. We ran a three-spot-a-day pace in the beginning, and almost burnt ourselves out by day four. We have realistically four months where we can really do this if we're lucky, so every day is worth it. Of course, we want to make the most of it too, because we're all emotionally so invested. But with a few proper meals at Seksico Tacos and some sauna rounds at the airbnb we managed to fight through! Everybody was super hungry and really wanted to get it. We were in boots from eight in the morning to eight at night. We just had dinner and booze and went out after to get some more clips. It was sick, bringing back our youth spirit with a true snowboard rat style.
Being a recent father makes it super hard to leave for trips, but I'm fortunate enough to say that my job is really fun. I enjoy my job, so I got to go. I try to be in the present and enjoy the time with the guys out there. You value free time so much more when you’re a father. My job feels like part of it is free time because it's playing, so that's cool. It's a healthy balance. 
To me, what is changing now is the perspective on risk. I don't want to come home hurt. A broken ankle or a fucked up wrist will impact your fatherhood quite heavily. I really played it safe and put in that extra half an hour to make the spot nice with a lot of snow on the landing. I try to move around in my range of capability. Sure, push it, but I don’t want to try to do something super dangerous. I don’t interpret snowboarding in terms of danger or gnarliness anymore, but I now think more about technicallity or aesthetics. I have so much inspiration from snowboarders like Scott Stevens or Alek Oestreng. It’s so sick when snowboarders have their snowboarding age with them.

I sincerely thank everyone who was a part of that trip for contributing their expertise and making it very memorable and super fun!“

– Benny Urban

Watch 'You are inside your heart' here