Meet Mattias Hargin, former national team slalom skier with a World Cup victory and three World Championship medals under his belt. Today he works at the outdoor company The Mountain Studio and has recently become a father to his second child. His competitive career is over, but his passion for movement, snow, and skiing remains. Both in his free time and in his professional life.
Growing up in Stockholm in a large family with four older siblings, everything revolved around snow, ski slopes, and competitions from the start. Two of his sisters also made it all the way to the national team, and for Mattias, skiing became a natural part of everyday life from the beginning. Role models were close at hand and perhaps most important of all: his sisters showed what was actually possible.
– I set my own goals pretty quickly. Seeing others in the family succeed obviously meant a great deal.
Career highlight
Already at 16, Mattias moved away from home and learned early to take responsibility. That inner drive and clear sense of purpose is the common thread running through his entire skiing career. And it’s still a big part of who he is.
For ten years, Mattias Hargin remained at the top of the world in slalom. The highlight? A World Cup victory in classic Kitzbühel. Plus three World Championship medals in team events. But it’s the individual performances that he himself highlights as his greatest achievements.
A seamless transition
– Above all, I’m proud that I stayed at the top of the world for so long, even though I obviously would have liked more victories.
When his competitive career ended in 2019, Mattias faced the same transition that many elite athletes recognize. What happens after the career, when the extremely clear goals disappear?
But it turned out that the transition would be unexpectedly seamless. Mattias continued to live close to skiing, but in a freer way. Now the focus was on freeriding, photography, film, and creating content on his social channels. For several years, Mattias built on his personal brand, including through YouTube.
Around the same time, The Mountain Studio emerged, a premium brand for ski and outdoor clothing. The company was founded in 2021, in part by Marcel Hirscher, one of Mattias’s competitors on the slopes and, according to him, one of the best skiers of that era.
Passion as a profession
What began as an ambassadorship for The Mountain Studio quickly developed into a deeper commitment. Today, Mattias is part of the company and works with marketing, but in a small team where everyone does a bit of everything.
– The team behind The Mountain Studio is very exciting and the main reason I wanted to get involved from the start. I saw an opportunity to grow within the company, and working in an agile way and creating something from the ground up suits me very well. And of course, getting the chance to continue working with my great passion, skiing.
The experience from his elite career, combined with years of work with social media, photography, and film, has become a natural asset in Mattias’s new role. And even though his work life looks different compared to his career on the national team, the drive is the same: that sense of purpose and getting things done.
From the Alps to Stockholm
Mattias Hargin’s base is now Stockholm, even though a large part of him never leaves the Alps. He describes Engelberg as his second home and the place for the best ski days in endless amounts of snow.
Switzerland has long been a part of his life, but with two small children, Stockholm is increasingly becoming the hub. The Mountain Studio’s headquarters is in Zermatt, while the operational marketing and web team is based at GT30, after previously being based at Helio Slottsbacken.
– We need a flexible, hybrid workplace and Helio suits us perfectly. It’s nice not to have to be responsible for our own space, and the community here is great.
Constantly new goals
Alongside work and skiing around the world, Mattias continues to set goals. He’s constantly in motion, in more ways than one. He’s completed the Stockholm Marathon classic, a marathon as well. He’s also cycled through Sweden. Being active isn’t a project, it’s a way of life.
Right now, Hyrox is taking most of the focus in his training. The next goal is Hyrox Stockholm in December.
Now the family has grown with a second child. Everyday life looks different than during the years on the national team, but the sense of purpose and passion for skiing remain.
Quickfire Questions
– Piste skiing or freeriding?
Freeriding.
– Stockholm or the Alps?
The Alps.
– Competition nerves or powder bliss?
Powder bliss.
– In front of or behind the camera?
Behind the camera.
– Clear goals or spontaneous adventures?
Clear goals.
