“I like the idea of getting more comfortable in big-mountain environments,” he says. “It’s a really wild, untamed part of the earth, and the fact that I’m born, raised and still live in a big city makes the contrast even more special. Being alone with your friends in the backcountry, miles from anything, is one of the most powerful experiences a human could ever ask for.”
Every summer, Jacob swaps his skis for a surfboard. The last two years, he and his longtime girlfriend, Sofia, have spent a large portion of the summer in Indonesia. This year, it was Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
“Some people can ski all year round, but I think it would break me, physically and psychologically,” says Jacob. “When I ski, I am more focused, I have a plan, and I execute that plan. In surfing it’s like I’m just meditating, discovering the ocean and getting a little spiritual. I also get to be a gaper and learn things too.”
Jacob was one of the first skiers to start blogging consistently good content. He created a substantial following before social media took off, so when he decided last season to produce his own web series, Unfiltered, the audience was already there. Without a strategy or budget, Wester filmed with Daniel Rönnbäck and released a new edit almost every month from December to May.
One episode features Oscar and Jacob in Engelberg, Switzerland, making the most of slushy spring conditions, building kickers, shredding grass and having a good time. “I don’t want to fall into the too-serious and overproduced trap,” says Jacob. “I want to keep making it fun and easy, with classic ski porn shots of good locations and snow. I really hope Oscar and I can get together more this season, building jumps and daring each other to try stupid tricks.”
Heading into this season, Oscar’s plans revolve around the major big air and slopestyle comps—the Dew Tour, the World Cup stops, France’s SFR Tour, Frostgun, Nine Knights and the European Open among others. He’s hoping for an invite to X Games. And he’ll film as much as possible with his friends and coach to collect footage for the edits he’ll be a part of.
Jacob and Rönnbäck are moving to Chamonix for the winter. “We’ll be skiing without any cameras on down days, and we’ll be completely ready to throw down when it’s on,” says Jacob. “It will be a great base to work out of and an international airport is only 45 minutes away.”
As far as Unfiltered, Jacob tentatively plans on dropping three webisodes this season. “All a little more in depth and documentary style, focusing on different aspects of my skiing,” he says. “Maybe one with backcountry jumps, one with big lines and a third with an exotic trip, focusing on the cultural aspect.”
On such different paths, Oscar and Jacob won’t see each other this winter by chance. But even if they don’t make plans to ski together, they’ll continue to feed off one another’s energy and push each other as only brothers can.
Editor’s Note: Jacob Wester suffered a severe leg injury while skiing in Chamonix in January, causing him to miss the majority of the 2014-15 season.
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