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.
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