Featured Image: Daniel Rönnbäck
Rosina Friedel has made a name for herself in the world of freeskiing in more ways than one. She was the first-ever female finalist in Level 1’s notorious SuperUnknown competition in 2018, she is also an active member of the Innsbruck-based community, the Peanutbutter Club and she’s the producer of the all-women ski flick series “Bucket Clips.” What started as a one-off idea with Newschoolers to create a project much like the snowboard films “The Uninvited,” “Bucket Clips” has transpired into a collection of its own with the recent release of “Bucket Clips II.”
Whether she’s flexing her creativity in front of or behind the camera, Rosi has a way of creating pure magic on skis and the most recent example of her hard work at play is being celebrated across the world. We caught up with the Austrian pro skier to talk about the creation and evolution of “Bucket Clips” and everything else Rosi has up her sleeve for this season. Keep reading for the full Q&A below.
First off, how are you? How has your early season been so far? It looks like Austria is off to a great start!
I’m super fine, thank you! I just came home from skiing today, skiing powder, so I would say we are off to a super great start this year, and I hope it stays like that [laughs], fingers crossed. I have a feeling it’s going to be a good winter, I have that feeling in my stomach.
How has the reception of “Bucket Clips II” been so far?
It was a super good reception! I’ve already gotten messages from skiers who want to take part in it next year, so I’m super stoked about that. Twig from Newschoolers, I think he is probably the biggest fan of Bucket Clips, he’s really supportive. And also from my friends who liked it a lot and people saying they can see the progression from the first film to the second, from the filming to the backflips. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many backflips from female-identifying skiers.
What inspired you to curate the first iteration of “Bucket Clips” last year?
Definitely “The Uninvited.” When I saw the first “Uninvited,” I thought to myself, ‘Why isn’t there something like that for skiing?’ And then we got this budget from Newschoolers and I thought, ‘Alright, let’s try this idea.’
What does the process of making “Bucket Clips” look like?
I first started talking to Twig and Luidwig [my husband and filmer] to come up with the idea of Bucket Clips, and then I needed to find sponsors to get money for the cutting and editing. Then I needed to find some girls who wanted to take part, and then we provided the open submission via Google Drive. We looked through all the clips and found good music, cut it all together, got some feedback, and then we premiered it.
What do you hope “Bucket Clips” does for ski women and/or the industry?
I hope it inspires people to get out and go skiing, go filming and I also hope it creates a platform for all female-identifying skiers to show their skills. I also think it’s nice for skiers to see the other girls who are out there and hopefully connect to ski together and create more.
Are you anticipating a three-peat for the series?
Yes, we are doing a third “Bucket Clips”! I’m already in the planning for this next one.
What else do you have up your sleeve for the 2024 ski season?
“Bucket Clips” for sure, and Lui and I want to do something around the environment, trying to use our skiing to tell the story. It’s hard because skiing is not good for the environment or for the climate but we are trying to make something more creative that people see and believe we need to take care of our winters because if not, our winters are gone. There’s a popular German singer who did something similar, using his voice to bring awareness to the environment, so I thought maybe I could do something like that with skiing that people would resonate with.
What do you wish to do more of on your skis?
I would love to do bigger adventures on my skis. Big-mountain, hiking stuff. We did a little bit last year and it was super nice. I would love to do more of it this year and especially get better at line skiing. I also want to do more with the Peanutbutter Club and with Protect Our Winters.
Anything you wish do you wish to do less of?
Nope [laughs]. I love skiing. I would say I have to take more care in not skiing too much, I’m trying to learn to take rest days. It’s nice to get new energy for skiing, it’s super important but it’s hard when it’s so much fun.
What does the perfect ski day look like to you?
My perfect ski day is like today when you’re in the mountains with a super nice crew and you’re having fun—the vibes are super good, fresh powder and creative jumps and terrain. You ski the whole day and have a great feeling in your stomach, like a child on holiday.
