Filming a World Cup Racer at Speed: Why I Wore a Speed Suit
Filming a World Cup skier at racing speed meant getting a cinema camera close to Felix Monsen while he moved through the course. To move faster, I stepped into a speed suit.
Why clothing mattered to the shot
At high speed, small sources of resistance become noticeable. A race suit reduces the loose fabric that catches air and lets the skier move more cleanly. I used one because the production problem was not only camera weight or stabilization. It was the difference between the athlete’s speed and my ability to stay in the correct camera position. The suit did not make the shot automatic. I still had to select a line, manage the rig, anticipate Felix’s movement and maintain a safe gap. It simply removed one disadvantage and helped the physical setup serve the creative goal.
Why not use a drone?
A drone could create a valuable aerial perspective of the course, but it would communicate a different experience. The close ski camera shares the acceleration, ground movement and pressure of the run. For this downhill ski followcam, that proximity was part of the visual idea. This does not make aerial filming unnecessary. It means the tool should follow the intended emotion. When the audience needs to feel what it is like to move beside a racer, a skiing camera operator can place the lens inside that relationship.
A collaboration built at home in Åre
The POC film with Felix Monsen was shot in Åre, Sweden, through a creative collaboration with my long-time friend Marcus Ahlström. Marcus directed the film, I served as director of photography and Felix brought the speed and precision of a World Cup racer. The result depended on each role remaining clear. The athlete delivered the performance. The director shaped the film. My task was to build a camera approach capable of moving with that performance and translating it into a controlled visual sequence.
The physical setup must serve the image
Specialist cinematography often looks like a gear question, but the most important decisions happen before the camera rolls. What must the viewer feel? How close should the lens be? What line allows that position? What changes help the operator execute it consistently? For POC, one of those changes was a speed suit. It was a simple solution to a specific production problem – and a visible reminder that sometimes the camera operator has to train, dress and move as part of the action.
