Featured Image: Emil Brandt | Skier: Jesper Tjäder
Summer skiing can change depending on where you roam. From Mount Hood to Woodward Copper, sliding rails and finding jumps in the heat of June means sourcing out the remaining snow and getting to work. In Copenhagen, Denmark, however, it means something entirely different. CopenHill is a revolutionary ski area built in the nation’s capital city which turned a waste-to-energy power plant into a recreation paradise. Featuring climbing, running, and of course, skiing, it’s a beacon of innovation bringing Slopestyle skiing into a new era. By placing rails and jumps throughout the green astroturf-covered slope, the team at CopenHill has created a viable way to ski year-round. You may have heard of this engineering marvel in the past, and this summer, it’s back in the freeskiing spotlight.
On June 8th, 2024, the Scandinavian Team Battle will once again descend on CopenHill. It’s an epic event that draws a packed crowd of stoked spectators excited to see both stomps and tumbles. Be warned, there are plenty of each. Divided into five teams of two skiers, it’s a genuine battle for the North at the world’s largest dry-slope competition.
There will be teams from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Innsbruck. Skiing the course as a pair is required. The judges will look for caliber of tricks, but more than that, they often reward, “creativity, big sends and general crowd-pleasers,” according to the official press release. From tandem flips to elevated rails, we’ve seen plenty of unique sends in the past. Jesper Tjäder and Emil Granbom from Team Sweden will be back for their fourth year, and as defending champs, they’ll be looking to secure another title.
🇸🇪 TEAM SWEDEN: Jesper Tjäder & Emil Granbom
🇳🇴 TEAM NORWAY: Johan Berg & Mikkel BK
🇩🇰 TEAM DENMARK: Jakob Ebskamp & Isabella Tvede
🇫🇮 TEAM FINLAND: Harald Hellström & Elias Syrja
🇦🇹 TEAM INNSBRUCK: Lisa Zimmerman & Tereza Korábová
“I couldn’t be more stoked to once again host such amazing skiers in my home city to ski plastic in the summer sun! I believe this year’s event will be the biggest one yet and I can’t wait to see it all unfold.” – Jakob Ebskamp, event organizer and skier on TEAM DENMARK
The Team Battle has provided some insanely creative skiing in the past, and we hope for more of the same. The malleability of the course is something that makes it so fun and separates it from what a normal Slopestyle course allows. Plus, as much as we all love deep snow and bitterly cold mornings, skiing in the summer sunshine just brings a different atmosphere, and we’re all here for it. We’d like to give a huge shout-out to Jakob Ebskamp, Team Denmark skier and Marketing Manager at CopenHill for putting in the work to bring this project to life. He’s helped to create a thriving freeski community in Denmark, bringing experienced riders and first-timers together at CopenHill.
As we get ready for the next edition of skiing’s favorite Scandinavian throw-down, take a look through the immersive photo gallery below consisting of shots from years past. Keep an eye on FREESKIER this weekend as we bring you the action from Denmark.
Photo Gallery
Images by Emil Brandt & Jesper Grønnemark
