Interviewed by Maastohiihto.com, the skier Perttu Hyvärinen representing the Puijo Ski Club was in Ramsau, Austria, for a camp and sounded quite cheerful in a phone interview. And the reason was apparent from the start. Perttu has been healthy throughout the training season, and his summer training has been well-planned and successful. His fitness is better than in the previous two years at this time.

“It’s been great to train here in Ramsau in the summer. I’d rather train in warm, good weather than in bad snow up there,” says Perttu and adds: 

“It was about basic training, and the summer went really well, and no drama was created.”

A more relaxed approach to skiing

Perttu hasn’t kept a training diary for 11 years, but he estimates his annual hours at around 1,000. The skier is more interested in results than in recording the number of training sessions in the corner of his diary. Read about Perttu’s training in the next article, as this story will take you deeper into the skier’s soul and prospects.

“I now want to enjoy the sport and all it offers. I’ve had a more relaxed approach to the sport in a way, and oddly enough, my results were better last winter when I wasn’t gripping that pole so tightly anymore,” Perttu analyses his attitude towards his profession and life in general.

While reflecting on his life, the 32-year-old skier returned to his past and pondered the question of what today’s Perttu is like compared to the skier of his youth.

“Maybe I’m enjoying the sport now like I did as a junior. After that, it was more of an obsession when the results didn’t come out as expected. It’s much better now than it was between 22 and 26. I enjoy the sport much more now than I did then, and I can see the great things about it. I still have a strong motivation to succeed, and that’s the reason why I do sport. Of course, it’s nice to move and play sports as a way of life, but it’s the pure success that interests me.”

Life is more than sport

Pertu’s hunger for success is his strength, but he no longer pushes himself in sports and lets things happen with a more relaxed attitude than when he was younger. In his free time, Perttu also focuses on things outside of sports, such as designing advertisements, working in the garden at home, getting to know people, following sports, and growing his network. For him, it’s essential to follow the world and news outside skiing, but his dreams still live on strong.

“Since Covid, I’ve been following more and more sports. And there are always all sorts of things to do back home in the countryside, and you have to enjoy life from time to time. For me, sport has never been my whole life, and many things interest me. Even though I’m getting old, I have the mind of a young man. I’m a big dreamer. It would be nice to look outside the world of sport in the future and see what it’s like to be a normal person without sport. That would also be fun to try.”

When considering the future and the length of his career, Perttu said he always looks at one season at a time. The upcoming three years of competitions sound like a long time, but it all depends on how the skiing goes in the coming years.

“Let’s move forward with the results and take it one year at a time. You can’t deny that there are some great championship years ahead. I can’t say if they will be for me, but they will be for somebody. These future championships will be great destinations.”

Going one year at a time, it’s always a time for analysis in the spring when you look at your strengths and focus on improving your weaknesses.

The athlete, who is studying forestry at Joensuu University, admits that if there is no progress, the skis will be left aside, and it is time to do something else to develop. Continuing to study is an absolute step in life. However, sport is only part of his life, and he has plans for other areas.

“We’ll see what we can come up with. When skiing is over, we’ll go on to pursue other dreams. The next thing is definitely to finish my studies. That’s a clear goal.”

Aiming for a podium

Last winter, Perttu finished 11th in the distance overall results in the World Cup, and next season, he has his sights set firmly on the top ten. The podium is, of course, the number one goal, and the skier believes he is finally capable of skiing in the top three in the world in individual races. In sprint skiing, too, the aim is to qualify, and the Tour de Ski is one of the season’s highlights.

“I’m happy that I was able to ski good results last season consistently. I haven’t reached the World Cup podium at the individual level yet, so that’s the number one goal. In the overall standings, you must get as good a position as possible. Now, I’m clearly more prepared than when I was younger, and I was able to qualify for the sprint in the Tour, and that’s also a clear goal for next season. I’m by no means talented for sprint skiing, but I’ve worked hard to build up the skills to a level where I can ski that kind of speed. The Tour de Ski is a great race, and I should be able to ski for good placings. Let’s try to get into the top ten all the time, and from there, you can fight for the podium in the individual races.”

Perttu confessed that the atmosphere of international competitions gets him fired up and also gives him fuel for training.

“Yes, I enjoy the World Cup races as an athlete. I’ve already had enough camping days, and I’ve been out jogging a lot, so it’s no longer the first thing on my mind.”

Ski Classics in the future?

Finally, we had to ask Pertu about possible future participation in Ski Classics. The man was still quite unsure about his own contribution to long-distance skiing at this stage but left the door open.

“You never know what you’re going to do in this life. There’s life outside of sport, but it must be hard to get out of it. When I stop skiing in the World Cup, it might be possible to ski in the Ski Classics,” Perttu said enigmatically.  

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