How Can We Protect Our Winters? - Interview With POW Ambassador Jani Johansén

How Can We Protect Our Winters? - Interview With POW Ambassador Jani Johansén

We at Weekendbee love snowy winters and we want to be able to enjoy them in the future as well. That is why we support Protect Our Winters Finland on their mission to fight against climate change. Together we can raise the discussion and make actions that have an effect for the future.

We got an interview with POW-ambassador Jani Johansén who tells us, why he loves the winters and why he wants to protect them.

Who is Jani Johansén?

I am a telemark-skier and a father of three children and I live in Lapland. I work for Flatlight Creative House as a Head of Post Production.

Jani Johansén

What is your relationship with snow and winter?

Winter is my favorite season. Since the year -81, when being 5 years, my winters have gone in downhill. When I was young I lived just next to the Levi fell. Getting into telemark-skiing took me to tour with Finnish skiing team to World Cup competitions. After my active competition years, I spent most of my time on the mountains, in La Grave and Chamonix and got an education in media sciences, specializing in nature and adventure productions. Since then I have been making various interesting outdoor film productions and for example, helping to design outdoor clothes. I also tech telemark-skiing where I get to share my love and knowledge of downhill skiing.

What are your favorite winter sports?

My love is telemark-skiing which I have been doing for 25 years. Also, fatbiking and ice swimming are my daily hobbies in winter. In addition, I do some cross-country skiing to keep in shape and we also do skiing trips with my family.

Jani Johansén telemark

Why do we need to protect the winters?

For our children. We need to make sure that also in the future our kids have the possibility to enjoy playing in the snow and sled riding. Snow brings so much joy for the kids.

What could we all do to protect our winters?

Protect Our Winters Finland website has a great seven-step program toward a more sustainable life. These steps include the following: vote in the elections, be vocal about climate change, study, live simpler, choose sustainable food, travel smart, vote with your wallet.

What kind of actions are you doing to follow these steps?

When POW Finland was founded and I was asked to participate, I was hesitant because I wasn´t sure if I was good enough in terms of sustainability. In the end, I decided that it´s important to use my voice to talk about these issues. I try to be smarter with my consumption: buying less ”wrong things” and when buying, choosing smarter. I have also started using eco-electricity and I invested in carbon stock which means protection of swamps. Peat is the biggest and the most effective carbon storage on land and the second biggest in total after the oceans. I also eat mostly vegetarian food and in the elections, I vote for people who drive topics related to climate change.

Jani Johansén hiking

What do you think, should we stop traveling to distant skiing destinations?

For me the skiing trips to distant locations stopped once I got kids. Also, I travel seldom for work. I learned to enjoy skiing in the nearby hills but to be honest, it doesn´t take away the longing for the big mountains. I´m lucky because I live in Rovaniemi which is only a short drive away from places like Pyhä and a manageable drive distance away from big mountains like Tamokdalen or Lyngen in Norway.

How could companies and other organizations promote the Protect Our Winters topic?

Of course by supporting Protect Our Winters Finland organization. Like you guys have done. Also being active in teaching more sustainable consumption and behavior to consumers.

Jani Johansén skiing

You live in Lapland. What are your ways to survive the long winter there?

The most important things are the right kind of gear and attitude when spending time outdoors in winter. There is never perfect weather so there is no reason to stay inside waiting for it. I don´t think winter is surviving, it´s more about enjoying the natural lights for example. Cold water swimming is my way of getting used to each season. In my opinion, winter could be even longer :)

Big thank you to Jani for the interview!

All the pictures in this interview are from Jani. You can follow Jani in these channels:

instagram.com/janijohansen
facebook.com/janijohansen
youtube.com/janijohansen
vimeo.com/janijohansen
janijohansen.com