Neil Williman Archive

Fabi meets… Neil Williman

„Fabi meets…“ is a series of interviews with Fabian Lentsch and other skiers, friends and people he meets on the road. Same questions, different answers!

Neil Williman, mainly Kiwi, partly English, living in Austria with a Swedish lady he met in France. Beside skiing he’s working as commentator and engineer. He’s been filming with Fabi since 2013 after meeting him and Raphi Webhofer in New Zealand. Their welcoming and generous ways are a big part of the reason why he ended up moving to Innsbruck. Neil has been part of the Snowmads films A Journey Towards Eastern Suns , Ya Mas and Snowmads – Sense of Home . Neil is also well known as the voice of the Freeride World Tour.

Neil during the very first Snowmads trip „A Journey Towards Eastern Suns“

How was it to grow up in New Zealand?

Good, but not very ski focused, the closest ski hill was 1.5 hours drive then 1.5 hours walk away! And it only had rope tows that you needed a special harness to ride. Eventually I moved to Europe, mainly because of the skiing.

What do you think about skiing? Have you ever tried it or seen someone ski? What do you associate with it?

Yep I love it and I do it a lot. Skiing means a lot to me, especially since it gives travelling such a sense of purpose since. It’s something you can share with people at home, or on the road, whether you know them well or you just met them.

Why did you choose this job/career?

Being a pro skier just kind of happened from following my dreams and heart.

What are you most passionate about and why and what makes you happy?

Skiing, travelling, friends. They just go so well together since the mountains bring people together in such a special way.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Follow your heart just as much as your head.

What is freedom to you?

The fact that we can travel to pretty much anywhere in the world that we want to is pretty special, it’s something that not everybody has the chance to do and I appreciate it very much.

Love, what is it?

Being ready to give something back to a person or thing that makes you happy.

How do you spend most of your free time?

Skiing, biking, playing guitar or with firestick.

What does money mean to you?

A necessary evil that allows me to do the things I love

Neil and Fabi on the summit of Mt. Olymp in Greece

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Neil Williman

Skier, traveler, explorer. People call him Fabi, he’s the head of the Snowmads idea.

People call him Fabi, he’s the head of the Snowmads idea, the one with the crazy ideas of traveling to places far away and a professional skier with an aim for big and steep lines. A humble and open minded person, a traveler and explorer, always on the hunt for new lines in places no one has ever been skiing before. Paragliding, biking, mountaineering, surfing and recently martial arts and skateboarding are what the Innsbruck based Austrian is doing when not driving the Snowmads Truck or skiing wild terrain.

Snowmads Films: A Journey Towards Eastern Suns, Ya Mas
Social Links: Facebook, Instagram

»For me Snowmads is a way of life, there are no boundaries. You can do what you want.«

Neil
Williman

Gallery

Powder Dreams in Turkey

In 2016 Fabian Lentsch and the Snowmads crew get lost in nipple-deep turkish powder

After a long and unsuccessful search for new tracks, the urgent need for powder among the Snowmads crew gets almost unbearable, but when they arrive in Yaylalar they are rewarded for their relentless efforts. This little remote and isolated mountain village, which often is cut off from the rest of the world, is surrounded by the impressive Kaçkar Mountain Range and offers countless opportunities. Neil William, Dane Tudor and Markus Ascher are keeping Fabi company and together they enjoy the sheer endless amount of powder. Unfortunately the snow conditions appear to be very sketchy and the boys have to be careful in the choice of their lines. After they narrowly escape an avalanche they decide to stay below the tree line, which still gives them numerous options. It seems like Turkey is the place to be, when the Alps lack snow.

Sharing the Stoke in Armenia

The Snowmads on their journey to the east

This Episode sees the Snowmads venture off course following some botched navigation, but after some backtracking, the boys find their way to Aragatz, Armenia. With less-than-ideal conditions, the crew set out to enjoy the culture, meet some local folks, and share the stoke of skiing. Sometimes, it’s less about that perfect big mountain line, and more-so, having fun with your friends and embracing the cool places skiing can take you.

Fresh Tracks in Iran

Good times and fresh snow in the Iranian mountains

What happens when you take an old fire truck and refurbish it into the ultimate ski-mobile, pack it full with professional skier Fabian Lentsch and his crew of Snowmads , and hit the road on a massive road trip in search of powder? The absolute journey of a lifetime! In this episode the boys head to Iran and meet up with some of the locals to claim some fresh tracks and good times on the mountain.

Skiing Epic Dirt Lines in the Middle of the Desert

Of Dirt Spines and Brown Pow

So the skiing wasn’t all chest deep powder, it happens. But that didn’t stop Fabi & Co. from ripping fresh lines throughout the Middle East. When the crew stumbled upon some of the finest dirt spines that Qeshm Island, Iran could offer, there was no hesitation to strap on the boots and hike up for some virgin tracks… in the middle of the desert. That’s adventure.