The ninth edition of Kimbo Sessions recently took place in Kläppen, Sweden. Over sixty professional skiers from around the world attended the most sought-after spring park skiing event on the planet.
You might be wondering what makes Kimbo Sessions so amazing. After attending the 2024 Kimbo Sessions on behalf of SKIER Magazine, I now know the answer to this question. It’s a combination of factors that make this event truly special: The overall vibe, the park setup, the athletes, and the location. All of these factors come together to make Kimbo Sessions the most coveted park shoot in the ski industry.
The Kimbo Vibe
The slogan for Kimbo Sessions is “Anti-Stress.” This Anti-Stress formula allows for a unique progression session that is unlike any other. It is not a competition, it is a spring park shoot, inspired by classic events from the past like “Parkasaurus” and “Super Park” back in the early 2000s.
There are no judges or rules; skiers can ski whenever they want, for as long or as little as they want, and perform any tricks or lines they desire. It encourages creativity, self-expression, and stacking clips while shredding a snowpark that is very creative and well-built.
The Kimbo Park Set-Up
The mastermind behind Kimbo Sessions is local Swedish legend, Kim Boberg. He is a seasoned professional skier and a true style guru. Kim is much more than just a great skier, he is one of the world’s best terrain park designers. However, Kim cannot create his annual masterpiece alone. He has partnered with Snowpark Consulting, a Swedish-based snow park construction team that has built spectacular parks and slope-style courses all around the world.
This year’s snow park was unlike any other ever built. It resembled a transition-style skate park rather than a conventional snow park. The park offered a wide variety of lines, many of which were not obvious. You could explore endless ways to slide through the park, the only limitation was your creativity. The event lasted for a week, and even on the last day, until 10 pm when the sun had finally set, skiers were still discovering new lines through the park. Despite the relatively long time frame and the presence of the most creative and skilled skiers in the world, there were still many lines through Kimbo Park that went un-skied.
When you create a snow park with distinctive features that become so popular that they get named after you, it’s a clear sign that your park has made an impact. For instance, when someone mentions a “Kimbo knuckle” or a “Kimbo style up rail” to a park skiing enthusiast, they instantly know what is being referred to. Anyone who loves park skiing would love to hit a Kimbo Knuckle. Trust me.
The Kimbo Sessions Athletes
Kimbo Sessions is a melting pot of skiers with a wide variety of styles. X-game and Olympic champions mixed in with purely style-based video part skiers. Backcountry tricksters rubbing shoulders with park rats. Men and women from all around the world come together to showcase their skills, pushing the sport in the right direction.
Just check out this list of invited athletes and media folks: Kim Boberg, Edjoy, Max Moffatt, Olivia Asselin, B-dog, Henrik Harlaut, Mango, P. white, Matej, Tormod, Mac Forehand, Nico Porteus, Mikkel BK, Jesper Tjäder, A.Hall, Hunter Hess, Krypto, Dani B, Joss, Charlie, Alex Ferreira, Joona Kangas, Ferdi, Kuura, Rell, Colby Stevenson, Woodsy, Oliver, Hugo Bruvall, Vilmer, Joel, Magz, Johan Berg, Björn, Remco, Benjamin, Emil Granbom, Cody Laplante, Öystein, Harald, Anni, Marin, Jennie Lee, Hackel, Brady, B-mack, Torin, Hannes, Ante, Noah, Ez Panda, Morten, Ariana, Niklas Eriksson, Stoudge, Joel Andersson, Daniel Rönnbäck, Owen, Ecook, Hotlaps, Simon Bartik, Tall T Dan, Milo and yours truly Chirs Dane German.
STACKED.
The Kimbo Sessions Location
Kläppen ski resort is located very far north, at approximately 61°N in latitude. This is merely 610 km south of the Arctic Circle. To put this into perspective, this latitude is equivalent to the northernmost tip of Quebec, much further north than any other province in Canada. It is similar to the mid to upper Canadian territories. Kläppen is at a similar latitude to Anchorage and Fairbanks Alaska. It is way up north.
Being this far north in the springtime means that the days are very long (roughly 18 hours long in early May) and more importantly, the sunset in Kläppen lasts for about three hours. This is every photographer and cinematographer’s dream, as the golden hour is by far the best time to get shots.
Another factor that makes this location so perfect is that the T-bar is only as long as the park lap. All your energy is poured into skiing the unique features, none is wasted skiing to and from the park.
Lunches were prepared by the team at Kimbo Kitchen in an outdoor kitchen at the top of the park. Watching pros lap the park while enjoying a hot lunch was very inspiring for everyone.
The accommodation setup is conducive to generating positive vibes and new friendships. Five large cabins house all the athletes and media folks in attendance. Each cabin fits about 13 people. These cabins were stacked with many of the best skiers on earth. This creates a great environment for brainstorming new and innovative lines through the park, as well as coming up with new tricks to try out the next day.
Final Thoughts
The current trend in competitive skiing is to incorporate more spins, flips, technical grabs, and slides. However, Kimbo Sessions is taking the sport in a different direction by emphasizing style and creativity above all.
It is so great to hear the slope style and pipe skiers, as well as the street and video part skiers say things like “Kimbo Sessions is the event that I look forward to the most every year. It is the best way to wrap up the ski season. I can’t wait to come back next year!”
Big thank you to Kim Boberg, Kläppen Ski Resort, Snowpark Consulting, Kimbo Kitchen, and everyone else involved in organizing this event. On behalf of skiing community, I extend a big thank you for another successful Kimbo Sessions. This event slaps and we cannot wait for next year.
- Words and Photos by Chris Dane German
