Laama, Kärppä and Naali. Or in English, llama, weasel and arctic fox. Teemu ”Laama” Lahtinen, Jani Kärppä (that is in fact his real name) and Matti ”Naali” Ollila aka The Animals have been my good friends way before we even started to work together. They all share the same passion for riding and nature as I do, so it’s kind of obvious to have them in my crew. They all are possibly the most mellow guys I know – and that suites to my temper like a glove.
People I work with
The Animals
Teemu Lahtinen
I used to look up to Laama when I was a youngster and he was a pro. After we became co-workers his opinions of riding and filming have been crucial to me. For every project we make the plans together, and all the time we get more ambitious. Laama is the guy who has captured me as a freerider more than anyone else.
Jani Kärppä
Kärppä is the fastest photographer I have ever worked with. In this case, speed doesn’t mean rush or bad quality – this silent killer just nails it before you even notice. First you see him shooting on the other side and in a blink of an eye he’s on the other side getting mind-blowing shots.
Matti Ollila
Naali and I have been friends from first grade or so. We even started to snowboard almost at the same time, so to get to have him today as my filmer makes me a happy dude. You can always count on Matti. He’s always chill but enthusiastic – no matter what he does.
Tuukka Tams
The multi-talent of all multi-talents! Sometimes I just wish Tuukka would lend me one of his skills for just one day. He sings in a band, plays guitar, writes, skates and of course rides really well. Tuukka has been following my career since the beginning and has written countless stories to many magazines about our adventures. Every time we’re planning something different I’m trying to hook Tuukka with us. Whether it’s writing or working with new projects Tuukka’s help come in handy.
Harri Tarvainen
It’s always a pleasure to work with Harri because his approach to riding is a lot like mine. That’s why we can always make something great despite the weather or the place. Sometimes Harri can suggest such things that I’m not quite sure of, but when we put them into action the result is usually that we leave the slopes with a perfect photo.
Rami Hanafi
Rami is Rami. He is a living legend of Finnish snowboard photographing who is always having a thousand projects going on. He has been shooting with me since my early days. We’ve been working in a rainy halfpipe with the shittiest weathers ever and still able to keep smiles on out faces – and we’ve had a lot of those days. Nowadays we make only special trips together, but those adventures with Rami are always epic.
Ilmo Niittymäki
My manager Ilmo is always one call away. No matter if it’s day or night, you will reach this never-sleeping machine. But he’s lot more than only business: he might as well be the best riding manager there is, possibly the best surfing manager too. If he’s not taking care of business, riding or surfing, you find him from the highway with his motorcycle. True heartbreaker!
Guys at Pulp Management have been helping me out behind the scenes since the early 2000. With their advice and support I felt confident to do the changes in my career focus from the contests to the backcountry riding. I’m stoked to have smart folks to develop my ideas with, sharpen them and make them reality.
Get in touch with the guys in all business related matters.
