APRIL 20-MAY 5, 2008 FINLAND - The FLOW team made its annual trip to Finland this year in mid April for two weeks of numerous planned photo shots and events. The major objective was to finish off the season with a large amount of good photos for use in next season’s magazines and in FLOW marketing materials.

The reason the Team chooses to go to Finland is for the light. During the winter Finland has mostly dark conditions due to the angle of the earth and its position from the sun. During the summer the opposite effect happens, it’s almost completely light all the time. So, during the middle stages between the seasons there is a period of almost dark and almost light. The sun is angled perfectly, creating long sunsets and long sunrises. Combined with a winter of good snow and a couple resorts willing to work with the team, this equals prime shooting conditions.

Tim Humphreys hits a hip in Finland 

Scotty Lago and Tim Humphreys got an early start to the trip. Scotty had brought along Jared Slater from Grenade to film some footage. All three of them caught up with FLOW Team photographer Rami Hanafi and team rider Risto Mattila to explore the northern Lapland area. The resort there was very helpful and built some impressive features.

Later on in the trip, Scotty had to bail back to the US for a Grenade shoot, while Christophe Reynders and Scot Brown flew into Helsinki. They met up with TM Andrew Mutty where they rented a car, then loaded it onto a rail car and took an over night train some 600 miles north into Lapland. From the train station to the resort was an additional 100 miles!

Christophe Reynders & Scot Brown Waiting for the train

Scot and Christophe met up with Rami, Tim and Antti Autti at a resort called Yullas.  Yullas was hosting the Finish snowboard movie “The Scrapbook Project”, lead by Miikka Niemi and a slew of Finnish snowboard stars. Four days of shoots provided some great images for FLOW and the Scrapbook crew. Snowboarder Magazines photo editor, Ryan Hughes joined the Scrapbook crew to document the Northern Finland Action for a feature story in next season’s magazine. The park crew set up a double line with a 75-foot cheese wedge, a step down style jump, and a 60-foot step up. The most impressive of the Yullas session was Tim Humphreys backside Rodeo nose grab and Christophe Reynders double cork 1080 on the step up.

Every year the migration of Finish pros, and snowboard enthusiasts, makes the trip to the middle region of Finland to a resort called Ruka. Ruka is known for its dedication to making a sick park and having one of the better pipes in Finland. A snowboard cultural experience in Finland known as Wappulounus happens annually at Ruka in late April. A Finnish holiday, (similar to the American holiday of Labor Day, a holiday for the workers) falls around the same time as Wappulounus. This holiday is known as Wappu and the event derives its name from the holiday. It’s also known for its wild parties and crazy style of dress. Historically everyone gets all dressed up in funny hats, wigs, and glasses using all types of bright colors and accessories.

Random party people at Wappu

Snowboarder Mag. Photo Editor Ryan "Huggy" Hughes rockin' the mic.

Timmy partying at Wappu!

  
Wappulounus is a “snowboard” festival and holiday that lasts for one week straight.  Most participants show up on a Monday and stay till the following Sunday. The actual snowboard contest is a 4-day event, consisting of a Halfpipe comp, Slope Style, Pig, and Water Skim. For most of the competitors it’s an endurance event. Long nights parting followed by long days in the sun snowboarding, for one week straight. But the FLOW crew came to Finland with their own agenda. Snowboarder staff photographer Ryan Hughes joined the crew in Ruka and helped to capture the fun of the moment. Antti, Risto, Tim and Scot Brown could be found getting shots with Rami and Ryan during the day and well into the evening either on the slope or scoping out jibs with Scot.

After the mayhem of the Ruka scene and one two many Finnish Gin and Lemon sours, the group was ready to depart. The long drive from Ruka to Helsinki takes one day to travel. Leaving Ruka at 10am and arriving in Helsinki at 11pm makes the trip long and tiresome. After leaving Finland The FLOW Team felt as if they were glad to leave, for whatever reason; homesick, tired, drunk or bored. But, sure enough come March of 2009, everyone will be asking, “Are we going back to Finland?” 

-Words & Photo's by Andrew Mutty