Sebastian Schjerve

Profile and significance

Sebastian Schjerve is a Norwegian freeski specialist in slopestyle and big air who has converted junior promise into senior-level credibility with World Cup podiums and X Games finals. Born 16 March 2000 and hailing from Namsos, he rose through Norway’s pipeline and onto the international stage with an eighth place in men’s big air at the 2021 World Championships, then notched his first World Cup podium in December 2022 at Copper Mountain. He followed with further podiums—including second at Mammoth Mountain slopestyle in early 2023 and third at Tignes slopestyle to close the 2024–25 season—establishing himself as a reliable finals rider with the ability to lead early and hold position under pressure. Add X Games Aspen results (fifth in slopestyle 2022, sixth in big air 2024) and a growing media footprint, and Schjerve sits in the sport’s competitive first tier just outside the medal-collection elite.

Competitive arc and key venues

Schjerve’s arc tracks cleanly from junior silver in slopestyle at the Junior Worlds in Cardrona to senior starts across Europe and North America. His breakout at Copper Mountain’s Visa Big Air marked the pivot from prospect to podium threat, highlighted by high-degree bio rotations landed with authority. In 2023 he reinforced range with a slopestyle podium at Mammoth, demonstrating that his jump expertise travels when rails are consequential. The 2024–25 campaign brought another signature result at Tignes, where he posted 83.48 in a weather-affected final to finish third behind Alex Hall and Andri Ragettli. Along the way he handled invitational pressure at Aspen’s X Games on Buttermilk Mountain, and he has remained a consistent presence at late-season Silvaplana/Corvatsch finals above Lake Silvaplana—venues that demand speed control, clean axes and strategic risk on the last hit.

How they ski: what to watch for

Schjerve skis with tall posture into the lip, minimal arm noise and a late, confident initiation that keeps the silhouette organized for judges and cameras. On jumps, look for bio-axis doubles and triples with long grab holds that change how the spin reads. He mirrors spin families left and right, and he is comfortable opening runs with foundation tricks that set amplitude before escalating degree count. On rails, he favors linkable lines—front swaps into gap pretzel exits, redirections that conserve speed, and feet that land deep on pads to keep momentum for the jump line. The overall effect is runs that look unhurried even when the difficulty peaks late.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Modern freeski relevance is part results, part visibility. Schjerve maintains a steady competition calendar while building an audience through SebVlog, a travel-and-training series that documents course-inspection logic, speed reads and run building. That transparency matters for emerging riders who want more than a highlight reel; it shows how a podium day is assembled—feature by feature—rather than magically appearing. His ability to transition from qualification pressure to a composed finals run speaks to a resilient process: open clean, upgrade where speed and light allow, and protect grab standards when wind or surface changes threaten axis integrity.

Geography that built the toolkit

Norway’s system—small-to-mid resorts for repetition, winter light that forces sharp edge reads, and a national team culture that prizes execution—shaped Schjerve’s timing. Internationally, he sharpened different pieces of the toolkit at distinct venues: the scaffolding feel and altitude management of Copper Mountain’s big air; the long mileage and variable wind at Mammoth Mountain; the spring showcase lanes at Corvatsch/Silvaplana; and the TV-heavy, consequence-aware setups at Aspen’s Buttermilk. Each site emphasized a specific discipline—axis control at altitude, finals-day upgrades when speed is fragile, and run design that holds up under broadcast scrutiny.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Schjerve’s long-running associations have included outerwear from Peak Performance, optics from Oakley, and park-focused hardware from brands like Armada. For progressing skiers, the actionable lessons are straightforward. Choose a twin tip with predictable pop and durable edges for rails, mount close to true center to balance switch and natural approaches, and keep tuning consistent so speed reads don’t change from training to finals. On course, borrow his sequencing: open with a reliable amplitude setter, protect grab clarity mid-run, then finish with your highest-value spin in the strongest wind window available.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Sebastian Schjerve matters because he embodies the complete modern slopestyle/big-air skill set without sacrificing readability. Fans get finals that escalate intelligently and tricks that hold form long enough to appreciate on replay. Developing riders get a blueprint for sustainable results: mirrored directions, late but composed takeoffs, honest grabs, and rail sections that preserve speed instead of burning it. With World Cup podiums in both disciplines and credible X Games finishes, he is firmly in the conversation whenever conditions reward execution as much as degree count—and he is trending toward even bigger Sundays as his trick library matures.