Jesper Tjäder skis the world’s first open loop project in Åre, Sweden in January 2024.
© Judith Bergström
Freeskiing

8 incredible tricks that prove Jesper Tjäder's a true freeskiing maverick

These features are as unique as the tricks themselves, watch as Swedish freeskier Jesper Tjäder takes things to a whole new level.
Written by Hanna Jonsson
3 min readUpdated on
World firsts, world records and out-of-worldly is one way to summarise Jesper Tjäder’s collection of tricks he’s stacked up in the last decade. Innovative, bonkers and jaw-dropping is another. The Swedish freeskier has become known for pushing boundaries and creating rail features and tricks that are futuristic and bordering impossible. His edits have gone viral, his competition tricks have earned him gold medals and he’s even got himself a Guinness World Record.
Check out eight of Tjäder’s most mind-boggling tricks from the past ten years below.
01

Open Loop, 2024

3 min

Skiing the world’s first open loop

What to do when a ski loop isn't enough? Chop the top off! Jesper Tjäder takes on his crazy open loop in a world first.

A loop-the-loop but with a gap in the middle? Yep, that’s right. A never-before-done rail straight out of Tjäder’s imagination. A trick that’d been nine years in the making, “only” took 42 tries and two and half hours to complete. Now that’s almost as impressive as watching the tricks itself.
02

Backflip from Wallride, 2023

Whilst Tjäder has become famous for his mind-boggling ski edits, he often taps into his golden creativity during competitions as well. Like this backflip from wallride that saw him win the Best trick comp at the 2023 Red Bull Playstreets. Is he human or half cat, that's the big question?
Scroll to 0:23 in the vide below to catch is from another angle.

1 min

Highlights from Red Bull PlayStreets 2023

Watch the highlights of Red Bull PlayStreets 2023.

03

World longest rail, 2022

9 min

The world’s longest rail

Watch Olympic freeski medallist Jesper Tjäder set a new world record by completing the world’s longest rail.

In 2022, Tjäder set out to do something he’d never tried before. To claim an actual Guinness World Record by attempting a world’s longest rail grind on skis. The length he had to beat? 128.6 meters. Did he do it? Of course he did! Sliding exactly 154.49 meters on his 127th attempt, Tjäder becomes the new King of rails.
04

The “Impossible” Hole, 2020

Jesper Tjäder jumping through a hole during Gameshow Project in Gallo, Sweden on October 1, 2020

What kind of bonkers skills do Tjäder possess?

© Adam Klingeteg / Red Bull Content Pool

Is Tjäder half human, half cat? It is a genuine question after watching him squeeze through the tiniest hole with ultimate precision. This idea didn’t actually come from Tjäder himself but from the production crew during the shooting of "The Japanese Game Show". They wanted to create an impossibly small hole for Tjäder to attempt, so that he would explode through the paper wall creating a cool shot for the camera. Little did they know, Tjäder would nail the tricks in only two tries.
Watch him nail the tricks at 02.30 in the player below and scroll forward to 09.41 to get the full story behind it.

13 min

Jesper Tjäder's Game Show

Rail skier Jesper Tjäder tackles an obstacle course inspired by classic Japanese game shows.

English +2

05

The 7-meter high Crane Rail, 2019

Jesper Tjäder performs during the filming for Unrailistic 2.0 in Are, Sweden on May 26, 2019.

Is that high enough for you?

© Emrik Jansson / Red Bull Content Pool

Back with another insane edit, Unrailistic 2.0 had even more insane rail features, all originating from the creative mind of Tjäder himself. Whilst once again jam-packed with madness on two skis, one of the most memorable features musty be the 7-meter high Crane Rail where Tjäder tries to rail as high up in the air as possible. Get the full story behind the rail at 13:19 in the video below.

18 min

The making of Unrailistic 2.0

Most of the tricks in Unrailistic 2.0 look smooth and effortless. Don’t be fooled.

06

The Rail Loop, 2017

3 min

World's first rail loop

Supervention II Behind the Scenes: Jesper Tjäder's loop rail.

After two years of trying and an unknown amount of crashes, Jesper Tjäder became the first person ever to rail a loop on skis. It came at a cost, with plenty of fails and frustration, but the end game was well worth it. Check out what went into the process in the video below.
07

Box-Flip-Box, 2015

Jesper Tjäder testing the limits of possible

Jesper Tjäder testing the limits of possible

© Red Bull

When Tjäder released his first Unrailistic video back in 2015 it went viral well beyond the realm of the ski world. It was described as being light years ahead of its time. Packed with incredible tricks it’s hard to pick just one, but if we have to, it’ll be the insane Box to Backflip to Box. Check it out at the 01:21 mark in the video below,

3 min

Jesper Tjäder's Unrailistic edit

Watch Jesper Tjäder redefine what's possible on rails in this mind-blowing ski edit.

English

Part of this story

Jesper Tjäder

As a creative genius and Freeski mastermind, Jesper Tjäder continuously pushes the boundaries of the sport with his innovative tricks and original projects

SwedenSweden

The making of Unrailistic 2.0

Most of the tricks in Unrailistic 2.0 look smooth and effortless. Don’t be fooled.

18 min