The Henning Family Ski Legacy

Ski tradition in the Henning family goes way back and hand in hand with the evolution of modern alpine skiing. Four generations raised on alpine skis, starting with my grandfather Eric Bylund. He grew up in Sollefteå, a Swedish lowland small town and a skiing hotspot in the early days. The world championship in the Nordic disciplines took place in Sollefteå in 1934 and Eric was a part of the organization.

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To catch up with history, Watch this movie from the 1934 FIS ski world championship in Sollefteå. At the same time and place, the 13th international F.I.S ski congress was arranged. It was then decided to include alpine skiing in the Olympics for the first time, coming up in Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936.

This occasion became the starting point for organized alpine skiing in Sweden. Late spring 1934, the first organized slalom and downhill competition in Sweden took place at Riksgränsen. This event was initiated by Olle Rimfors and Sigge Bergman. Both had made a pilgrim voyage to the alps earlier that winter, spending two months at Hannes Schneiders ski school, learning the Arlberg ski technique. In St Anton the Swedes made a daring start at the 1934 Kandahar race without any success.

Swedes kept skiing during WWII

Eric served in the Swedish army during WWII. He was placed in Åre when the whole valley was sealed off from tourists for security reasons. At that time, Skiing was only available for locals and the military. The local ski hero May Nilsson and my grandfather became good friends, and they skied together both in Åre, Storlien, and Riksgränsen.

Just before the WWII started, May won the bronze medal in slalom at the world championship in Zakopane/Poland. The photo below was taken by Eric during midsummer 1943, in Riksgränsen. After the war, May moved to France and teamed up with the French skier, vice world champion from 1937, Maurice Lafforgue. She gave birth to two twin sisters; Birgitte and Ingrid who both became famous skiers representing France in the world cup circus for many years.

While Eric was away from home, protecting our borders. His family in Sollefteå kept growing. My mother Ann-Mari was born in Sollefteå in 1940, the oldest of four siblings. She earned a bronze medal at the Swedish downhill championship in 1957. Winner in the same race was Eivor Berglund, a dear friend and distant relative to my mother from Åre. Shortly after, my mother moved to Stockholm and met my father.

Eivor who won the Kandahar rennen in giant slalom at Garmisch Partenkirchen 1955 (bib number 101 in the movie). Was a shooting star among skiers in that era. My mother became deeply involved in the ski community as a ski coach and a board member in clubs and federations. She raised my older brother Niklas and me into ski racing. Her connection with Åre and the skiers there led to us growing up with one foot in Stockholm and the other in Åre.

Stockholm, the ski capital of Sweden

Strange as it sounds, In the 70s Stockholm was the leading ski community in Sweden. Many of the first and second generation alpine skiers moved down to the capital for education an jobs. Bringing their passion for skiing with them. During that time, more than a dozen ski clubs popped up and ski hills where to be found in every corner of the town. Ski slopes where not long and the vertical drop pending between 60-80 meters. Despite that, Stockholm ski clubs fostered more than half of the world cup skiers in Sweden into the 80s and 90s.

As soon as my brother and I had a chance, we relocated to the mountains. Niklas became a long-time member of the national ski team. An 8-times Swedish downhill champion, and the winner of the World Cup Super-G in Val d’Isere in 1989. Bib number one in that race was held by Lars-Börje “Bulan” Eriksson, the son of Eivor Berglund. My brother surprisingly wins the race with bib number 35, pushing Lars-Börje off the podium to the fourth place. Watch the race here! Bulan who already was a winner twice at the world cup. Once in Aspen and once in Thredbo, was stoked for Niklas one-time victory.

Myself, I turned to snowboarding in the late 1980s and became one of Sweden’s first professional snowboarders, earning 4 national championships and competing on the world pro tour between 1988-1995. I married my wife Maria after the carrier took and end and carried on as a ski and snowboard coach. Raising the 4th generation of skiers in our family.

The fourth generation keeps the family ski tradition alive

At the age of 25 both our youngest son Christopher and his cousin Emelie has turned into professional skiing. Emelie, the oldest daughter of Niklas, was an uprising world cup slalom star in the Swedish national ski team but she just ended her racing career. Christopher is a spectacular big mountain power free skier. Do yourself a favor and follow the adventures of our next generation skiers on instagram where they both post frequently.

Jonas Henning

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