The Beautifully Swedish Lifestyle of Snowboarder Chris Sorman
Enviable lifestyle alert.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Rekorderlig.
Chris Sörman has a pretty enviable lifestyle. As a pro snowboarder and member of the Beautifully Swedish Collective, he travels the world's most dreamy alpine regions and makes them his playground. Here he lets us in on what it's like to live in a permanent winter wonderland and why he never gets tired of going home to Sweden.
How did you get into snowboarding?
I was, as a kid, into all kinds of sports. Skateboarding was my main thing and I was living the lifestyle with baggy pants and dreadlocks listening to Wutang. When I was eight snowboarding came into my life and I fell in love from the first moment. I decided shortly after that to become a professional in that area. It's worked out pretty good so far.
What is the greatest thing about snowboarding for a living?
To be able to wake up every single day and do what you like the most in life with your best friend. I wish that for every single person on this earth.
Who or what inspires you?
A bunch of people have been a big inspiration to me during my ten years as a professional, people both inside and outside of the snowboarding industry. They could be very good snowboarders or just a random person with a good way of looking at life. I am always trying to capture the best of people into myself to create the best possible me.
What do you like to get up to most when there's no snow around?
I like to do a lot of different things. I am actually a bit of a 'workaholic'. I always have my hands full with different business ideas and projects. I love the feeling of being busy!
You've also had a huge hand in a number of Pirate Movie Production films. How did you get into that and how big a role do you play behind the camera versus in front of the camera?
Definitely had a bigger role in front of the camera. I mean, I am a snowboarder, not a director. But I definitely always have my input when it comes to angles and stuff like that. But it's not up to me to make that final call. In the end my mission is to always deliver high-class riding. I have spent many seasons filming with Pirate Movie Productions. They are now the biggest snowboard movie company in Europe, so it's pretty cool to have been part of it pretty much since day one.
Why do you think snowboarding and film go so well together?
I just think people enjoy watching it. I mean it looks like a lot of fun, right? Sometimes it's crazy and people like to watch things that are a bit crazy. The sun is shining, snow is flying and we are doing big jumps — what's not to like.
You seem to have boarded in some pretty amazing places. Where is your favourite place to hit the slopes or film and why?
I always get this question, and it's always the same answer. Where my friends are, that's where I have the most fun riding. Doesn't matter if it's on the big mountains of Austria, a small hill in Sweden or somewhere in Japan. It's not about the surroundings; it's about the people you're with.
Is the travel and the lifestyle of a professional snowboarder such as yourself as amazing as it seems?
Most of the time I really enjoy it, but for sure it has its bad sides as well, like anything in life — being away from family, travelling alone, no time for relationships and your sleep and health can really be affected when you're travelling, you have no structure in your life.
Everybody has a favourite travel memory that will live with them forever. What's yours?
So many! But when I won the Burton European Open back in 2005, that is my biggest and best memory from my career.
You get to travel a lot but your home country of Sweden is pretty beautiful. What are your favourite things about her?
I will never move from Sweden. I don't really know why? I have been to many countries all over the world in my life and they all have their specialties. Away is good, but home is always the best! Sweden is my home. You know what I'm saying.
