All Photos by: Alric Ljunghager
Some names in the industry sneak up on you. Some, you see here and there - these days Instagram is the main culprit - and you notice some style or you like an insane trick you’ve never thought of. Maybe, you’ll make a mental note, maybe drop them a follow and they become a part of your regular scheduled social media programming. Mostly you move on, and that's it. But you never know whose eye you might catch… and Theo's is the story of catching the right eye(s).
The accompanying interview was done in two parts, by serendipity rather than design, at the start and end of the season - with Theo Thoren, the 14 year old Nepalese born, Swedish sensation who has his eyes set on the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. At the beginning of the season, Theo joined fledgling ski brand 1000 Skis. While Magnus’ influence on the ON3P team has been well documented, this signing came more from the influence of Hackel and LSM. Magnus told me that they called him about being his first sponsor over summer whilst out in Zermatt, going on to say that the fire in his eyes, motivation, and passion confirmed all their thoughts about adding him to the roster.
Theo’s story begins with being adopted by Swedish parents at the age of 3 and moving to Sweden where he tried skiing for the first time. At the age of 5, he spun his first park laps. Earlier in the winter, I conducted an interview with Theo, with 1000 Skis co-founder Alex Hackel offering some insights and translations (yes, Alex learned to speak Swedish in a couple of years…)
Theo has the relentless energy of a breakout kid and it shows in the stories of his first forays into freestyle, and if you follow him on the ‘gram already you’ll have seen he’s pretty relentless on the dry land training too.
“When I was 7, I did my first backflip and that was when I started to fall in love with the park. From that day on I spent every day riding I could in the park. Except for when I go skiing with my family and I have to do more resort skiing… I can’t get enough of it!”
1000 Skis are making it their mission to support riders they believe in, younger riders with huge potential to grow in the sport. It’s a noble path taken by the brand to make sure that the most deserving, albeit maybe not the most obvious, riders in the space get the support they need to pursue their lofty aspirations.
Theo has been added to the team, not only because of his competition potential but also because, along with Anni Kavara’, he is going to put 1000 Skis to the test in the air harder than the founding squad. When I spoke to Theo in December, his plan was to put down a triple in the spring, which he then did with some serious authority (see season edit below). From the brands perspective Hackel had this to say:
“One of the biggest things we get asked about our skis is how they perform on big jumps and in a slopestyle setting. We see Theo as a great ambassador for the highest level of riding and doing big jumps on them.”
“He wants to compete in the next Olympics for Team Sweden in slopestyle and big air. Our role as we see it is to involve him in our film projects but to support him as an up-and-coming developing competition skier who wants to ride for team Sweden.”
We got to see the red skis at the Olympics in Beijing this year already, with Anni Kavara taking them to the world stage and placing 9th. Theo wants to be there next time around. This year, he'll be joining the World Rookie Tour so he can compete outside of Sweden and make more of a name for himself on the broader ski circuit. As part of 1000, Theo has gone on the Team Weeks in Engelberg and Funäsdalen and competed in plenty of events, and had the full support of the team of experienced pros behind the wheel.
When I spoke to Theo back in December he had been recently back from an injury so had been taking things a little more mellow in terms of pushing the limits of his new kit. However, he tells me that he’s never had a ski like them, especially the playfulness and their ability to butter blew him away. As the winter progressed we have seen more and more madness from the Swede spinning into the future and getting flexy on the perfect features offered up by Klappen and other nearby resorts.
“Not only have I had skis to ride but the team has been there for me all season; through both competitions and injury, generally, they’ve made me even more motivated to ski.
They have supported me during competitions, they have helped me when I was injured and they have made me more motivated for skiing!”
Here are some of the results from Theo’s outstanding comp season. Kicking things off with the Swedish Slopestyle Tour, competing an age group above and finishing in second. This was followed by the World Rookie Tour in Madonna Di Campiglio - his biggest competition to date - coming third in the grom class. Theo does it all, competing in the Swedish Champs (yet again up an age group) he came 3rd in slopestyle nad 4th in both big air and half pipe. His final comp was the last stop of the Swedish Slopestyle Tour in Funäsdalen, taking home silver with some sage advice from the team.
“Magnus and Alex talked to me about how I should think through my run and some pointers on what to do on the jumps and on the rails and therefore I managed to put down my best slopestyle ride in my life so far, so I was very happy with that!”
Alex: “We aren’t Theo’s coaches but he is on our team and we ski with him and like all ski partners we push each other and learn from one another. In fact I think Theo has taught me more than I’ve taught him… We were in the same spot as the tour was happening and because of my slopestyle background I just went into coach mode, strategy and setting runs up to score big. Magnus also went into coach mode and was also the hype man for the day.
The airbag has changed the way skiers learn tricks and with access to an airbag in Klappen Theo’s jump game is progressing at a phenomenal rate. Although Theo is a versatile skier, shown by his serious rail tech his preferred tricks are variations of big doubles (add triples to the list). With the dub 14 on lock and the dub 12 blunt and dub 16 variations being honed in at Klappen’s facilities Theo told us a little bit about a day in his life with such state of the art training options available:
“The bag changed my life a lot I think. When I try new tricks I would always try them in the springtime because that’s when the landings are soft and that is traditionally when everyone has learnt new tricks. Now we can train jumps all year round, I train on the airbag three days a week year-round. Every day I get up and eat my breakfast, take the bus to Klappen and spend all day there skiing before getting picked up. That’s a day in my life. I sleep and repeat it again.”
Alex joins in on the questioning and asks Theo where he finds the passion to go skiing day-in-day-out:
When I started skiing I did a lot of racing but I found it boring. When I started in the park you could really feel the hype and the energy, it was a lot more exciting and generally a fun atmosphere to be around. I did my first backflip at the age of 7 and from that, I just wanted to develop and learn new tricks. Now I have my first sponsor. It is pushing me and giving me something to work for. I love all sports but in skiing, I found a mix of so many things I love, the gymnastic aspect, going fast and the technicality and freedom it offers me. You can’t beat the energy in the park, it’s a fun place to be and it’s a nice place to hang out.
Theo’s advice for any younger people trying to get into park riding is to ask questions and get involved. He rounds things off by saying, “dare to ask!” and I think that’s something we can all take away with us on our journeys through the world of skiing. Whether it’s your first 360 or foray into the backcountry, you don’t ask, you don’t learn. That’s how Theo laced up his first dub 14 by asking the right questions of the right people. I’d also add that – and if you follow Theo you will know – that the incessant trampolining and gymnastics style training is also paying dividends.
It’s amazing to hear so much passion and fire from such a young talent and admirable to see the likes of 1000 Skis supporting young visionaries in their missions to take over the world stage of freestyle skiing.
This minute banger shows what Theo can really do! Plenty more where that came from.
[VIDEO]https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1043723/dccc0289d08a4f91988d32e38fb04d44-MOV[/VIDEO]
Some names in the industry sneak up on you. Some, you see here and there - these days Instagram is the main culprit - and you notice some style or you like an insane trick you’ve never thought of. Maybe, you’ll make a mental note, maybe drop them a follow and they become a part of your regular scheduled social media programming. Mostly you move on, and that's it. But you never know whose eye you might catch… and Theo's is the story of catching the right eye(s).
The accompanying interview was done in two parts, by serendipity rather than design, at the start and end of the season - with Theo Thoren, the 14 year old Nepalese born, Swedish sensation who has his eyes set on the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. At the beginning of the season, Theo joined fledgling ski brand 1000 Skis. While Magnus’ influence on the ON3P team has been well documented, this signing came more from the influence of Hackel and LSM. Magnus told me that they called him about being his first sponsor over summer whilst out in Zermatt, going on to say that the fire in his eyes, motivation, and passion confirmed all their thoughts about adding him to the roster.
Theo’s story begins with being adopted by Swedish parents at the age of 3 and moving to Sweden where he tried skiing for the first time. At the age of 5, he spun his first park laps. Earlier in the winter, I conducted an interview with Theo, with 1000 Skis co-founder Alex Hackel offering some insights and translations (yes, Alex learned to speak Swedish in a couple of years…)
Theo has the relentless energy of a breakout kid and it shows in the stories of his first forays into freestyle, and if you follow him on the ‘gram already you’ll have seen he’s pretty relentless on the dry land training too.
“When I was 7, I did my first backflip and that was when I started to fall in love with the park. From that day on I spent every day riding I could in the park. Except for when I go skiing with my family and I have to do more resort skiing… I can’t get enough of it!”
_
Fine company on 1000 Skis Team Week
1000 Skis are making it their mission to support riders they believe in, younger riders with huge potential to grow in the sport. It’s a noble path taken by the brand to make sure that the most deserving, albeit maybe not the most obvious, riders in the space get the support they need to pursue their lofty aspirations.
Theo has been added to the team, not only because of his competition potential but also because, along with Anni Kavara’, he is going to put 1000 Skis to the test in the air harder than the founding squad. When I spoke to Theo in December, his plan was to put down a triple in the spring, which he then did with some serious authority (see season edit below). From the brands perspective Hackel had this to say:
“One of the biggest things we get asked about our skis is how they perform on big jumps and in a slopestyle setting. We see Theo as a great ambassador for the highest level of riding and doing big jumps on them.”
“He wants to compete in the next Olympics for Team Sweden in slopestyle and big air. Our role as we see it is to involve him in our film projects but to support him as an up-and-coming developing competition skier who wants to ride for team Sweden.”
We got to see the red skis at the Olympics in Beijing this year already, with Anni Kavara taking them to the world stage and placing 9th. Theo wants to be there next time around. This year, he'll be joining the World Rookie Tour so he can compete outside of Sweden and make more of a name for himself on the broader ski circuit. As part of 1000, Theo has gone on the Team Weeks in Engelberg and Funäsdalen and competed in plenty of events, and had the full support of the team of experienced pros behind the wheel.
_
When I spoke to Theo back in December he had been recently back from an injury so had been taking things a little more mellow in terms of pushing the limits of his new kit. However, he tells me that he’s never had a ski like them, especially the playfulness and their ability to butter blew him away. As the winter progressed we have seen more and more madness from the Swede spinning into the future and getting flexy on the perfect features offered up by Klappen and other nearby resorts.
“Not only have I had skis to ride but the team has been there for me all season; through both competitions and injury, generally, they’ve made me even more motivated to ski.
They have supported me during competitions, they have helped me when I was injured and they have made me more motivated for skiing!”
_
Here are some of the results from Theo’s outstanding comp season. Kicking things off with the Swedish Slopestyle Tour, competing an age group above and finishing in second. This was followed by the World Rookie Tour in Madonna Di Campiglio - his biggest competition to date - coming third in the grom class. Theo does it all, competing in the Swedish Champs (yet again up an age group) he came 3rd in slopestyle nad 4th in both big air and half pipe. His final comp was the last stop of the Swedish Slopestyle Tour in Funäsdalen, taking home silver with some sage advice from the team.
“Magnus and Alex talked to me about how I should think through my run and some pointers on what to do on the jumps and on the rails and therefore I managed to put down my best slopestyle ride in my life so far, so I was very happy with that!”
Alex: “We aren’t Theo’s coaches but he is on our team and we ski with him and like all ski partners we push each other and learn from one another. In fact I think Theo has taught me more than I’ve taught him… We were in the same spot as the tour was happening and because of my slopestyle background I just went into coach mode, strategy and setting runs up to score big. Magnus also went into coach mode and was also the hype man for the day.
_
Capped and Clean
_
The airbag has changed the way skiers learn tricks and with access to an airbag in Klappen Theo’s jump game is progressing at a phenomenal rate. Although Theo is a versatile skier, shown by his serious rail tech his preferred tricks are variations of big doubles (add triples to the list). With the dub 14 on lock and the dub 12 blunt and dub 16 variations being honed in at Klappen’s facilities Theo told us a little bit about a day in his life with such state of the art training options available:
“The bag changed my life a lot I think. When I try new tricks I would always try them in the springtime because that’s when the landings are soft and that is traditionally when everyone has learnt new tricks. Now we can train jumps all year round, I train on the airbag three days a week year-round. Every day I get up and eat my breakfast, take the bus to Klappen and spend all day there skiing before getting picked up. That’s a day in my life. I sleep and repeat it again.”
Alex joins in on the questioning and asks Theo where he finds the passion to go skiing day-in-day-out:
When I started skiing I did a lot of racing but I found it boring. When I started in the park you could really feel the hype and the energy, it was a lot more exciting and generally a fun atmosphere to be around. I did my first backflip at the age of 7 and from that, I just wanted to develop and learn new tricks. Now I have my first sponsor. It is pushing me and giving me something to work for. I love all sports but in skiing, I found a mix of so many things I love, the gymnastic aspect, going fast and the technicality and freedom it offers me. You can’t beat the energy in the park, it’s a fun place to be and it’s a nice place to hang out.
_
Gotta have that swerve if you're riding with The Bunch
Theo’s advice for any younger people trying to get into park riding is to ask questions and get involved. He rounds things off by saying, “dare to ask!” and I think that’s something we can all take away with us on our journeys through the world of skiing. Whether it’s your first 360 or foray into the backcountry, you don’t ask, you don’t learn. That’s how Theo laced up his first dub 14 by asking the right questions of the right people. I’d also add that – and if you follow Theo you will know – that the incessant trampolining and gymnastics style training is also paying dividends.
It’s amazing to hear so much passion and fire from such a young talent and admirable to see the likes of 1000 Skis supporting young visionaries in their missions to take over the world stage of freestyle skiing.
This minute banger shows what Theo can really do! Plenty more where that came from.
[VIDEO]https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1043723/dccc0289d08a4f91988d32e38fb04d44-MOV[/VIDEO]
