Do you have a motto for life?

To live every day as fully as possible and try to enjoy every moment you get, which isn’t always so easy. Even though you may have complaints about how things are or the way they are, in the long run they may still be good for you. You should just take life as it comes and learn from everything you go through. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.

How does it feel for you to be a Finn; what does being Finnish mean to you?

It’s such a luxury to be Finnish. Finland is far from all the bad influences of the world, so there’s a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere here. It’s probably one of the world’s cleanest countries, no pollution, and lots of fresh air. It’s always nice to go back to Finland.

Jussi skates goofy, but snowboards regular. "What the hell?" you might be thinking. But there really isn’t anything too perverted in his schizophrenic arrangement. Jussi started skating goofy almost right after he learned to run and still does. At his local mountain in South Finland there are just little hills, with a maximum vertical of 150 feet, so it’s all pipes and parks. The rental boards he learned on were all set up regular. So, he’s always skated goofy and snowboarded regular, making him (surprise, surprise) a bit of an expert on switch-stance riding.

My collarbone has been broken a few times. I broke it the first time in Riksgränsen, Sweden, in ’97. Then I went to ride too soon that summer and fell, so the bone didn’t heal all the way. When I went to ride in autumn, it broke again and they had to put some metal in it. After that, my ankle started to make some trouble. First, I hurt it, and then developed some kind of inflammation or something. It seems like it doesn’t heal all the way at all–it comes back again and again. I have just worked out a lot and now it seems to be getting better. Last winter I dislocated my shoulder. It’s jumped out twice so far. Now it seems to be okay, though. At this moment, I think everything is in pretty good condition again.

For years, all the tricks and airs have gotten bigger and bigger. Photographers, as well as the public, want to see crazier stunts. Does this put any kind of pressure on you?

No, it doesn’t. First of all, I think you can do some great stuff on smaller jumps, too. And secondly, I just like to go huge for myself. I think no one can want me to go higher than what I want myself. I want to win for myself in every trick I do, I want to do them bigger and bigger all the time.

Since snowboarding has turned into a profession for me, I have started to think more about it and I don’t want to do anything really stupid anymore. I’ll think, "If I’m going to do this, I might be able to do it, but I’m quite sure I’ll twist my ankle or break some bone, losing some time from riding and filming." These things are just in your head. It’s kind of an obvious thing to think, but then again, you can’t think too much like this ’cause you won’t do anything anymore.

What are the sketchiest places you’ve been to?

I haven’t been in any very bad places at all, in fact, at least with a snowboard I haven’t. Last winter when we were filming TB8 the jumps weren’t so big that I’d be nervous or anything. I’ve never done any big lines in Alaska or anywhere, which I really would like to do. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do some this winter. Maybe not in Alaska, though, ’cause I think it would be too big for a "first-timer" like me. Anyway, I think those lines might make me a little bit thrilled, because I know I’m quite bad with them. [Laughs]

Jussi doesn’t understand all the sides of the "American snowboard culture" so well. After being on tour a few years ago, he saw one of his teammates smashing beer bottles on his head, trying to break them. All Jussi could do was shake his head quietly when he saw the guy with open wounds and blood streaming from his forehead like a little Mississippi River. "What’s the point?" Neither could he understand all the yelling at nice waitresses or other people, who were just trying to do their work.

Finns don’t talk, cheer, or yell as much as Americans. In Finland everyone is more or less quiet and doing his or her own thing. In the U.S. it’s more like, "Yeehaw!" all the time. I think there are good sides in both ways and cultures. And then again, when you go to a place like Talma, Finland, there are so many riders who you’ve never even seen before, and everybody is riding so amazingly well that it’s unbelievable! Everyone is capable of doing all the same tricks as all the pros. I feel completely Joe Average there. It’s probably because in the U.S. everybody is riding powder and in Finland there isn’t any powder, so all the kids are riding parks and the pipe–naturally they get super good.

Did I tell you how Jussi’s property is lost quite often? No, I didn’t. Well, it is. But maybe that’s a whole separate story. Anyway, it would’ve just proved once more how Jussi doesn’t give a shit about material things surrounding every one of us. It would have just shown you again what a down-to-Earth person our smiley-boy is. You should already know all this by now.

Well, my parents have encouraged and pushed me a lot. They are really special. My mother, she is … [laughs]. Well, she’s the way she is! Great mother–very understanding and funny. And my father has helped me so much with everything, especially all the details with sponsors, which can be tricky.

What memories from childhood wouldn’t you change for anything?

I had quite a liberal childhood, so, I wouldn’t change anything. It was full of action and I was able to do whatever I liked to do. My parents gave me some rules, but I was still free to make my own choices. I tried everything when I was a child–I did lots of sports.

What things about life have you learned when traveling around as a pro snowboarder?

Naturally, I’ve become more independent. I’m not afraid to take off and go wherever I need or want to go. Now I enjoy all the trips, even when I don’t know where we’re going or what’s going on. There will be some kind of hassles and troubles to solve, but I don’t mind anymore. It’s just exciting.

Usually people learn most about life from their biggest mistakes. Have there ever been any really bad situations you learned a lot from afterward?

Well, there are some things that come with sponsorships you really must learn, the faster the better. In the beginning you don’t know anything and you most certainly will be screwed some way or another. The business side of this business is hard.

What things in life are close to your heart?

In general? Now that I’ve had time to be at home it’s been something big for me. Just to sleep in my own bed for a change and hang around with my friends. I’ve noticed it means more and more to me every day. It’s really some special and valuable time for me. It’s something I’m not able to do whenever I want to.

Jussi is cool. And not in the "Yo, yo. Hey, dude, waz up?" way, but in the right way, in a real way. He doesn’t try to act any better than anyone else, even though he has already tasted success. And he always has enough courage to talk about things that are on his mind. How many snowboarders do you know with whom you can openly talk about everything in life? About things you are afraid of or about things you love? How often can you stop Joe Pro Snowboarder and really talk with him about these things? Not too often, I would say. Usually the discussions revolve around more important details of life such as who has the best silicone tits on TV, or what is the coolest place for backcountry riding. But with Jussi you can talk about everything in life, from joy to sorrow. That’s what makes him cool, for real.

So, what dreams in your life have already come true?

This snowboarding thing, of course. But it really wasn’t such a dream, you know. It was a dream, but it wasn’t something I really thought much about, ’cause I thought it would be impossible to happen anyway.

What dreams do you still have in front of you?

Right now, I think I’m at my life’s highest peak. I just wish I could continue this as long as I can. After this is over I’d like to be able to start a whole new life. But these kinds of things are difficult to think about ’cause you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.

What experience would you like to share with everyone?

I think traveling, which I wish everyone could experience. School is one way to learn about things, reading and memorizing. But when you’re traveling it’s the perfect school of life! You see so many things. I think about some of my friends, who’ve never been more than 500 miles from their home, when there are so many unbelievable and amazing places all over the world.

What kind of things are you afraid of?

Just recently I’ve started to be afraid of all kinds of illnesses. I think I’m a bit paranoid. If I have something wrong somewhere in my body, I’ll go to the doctor the next day, you can count on it. I’ve seen bad examples of what might happen if you don’t take care of yourself and visit a doctor when you should. Health is so important.

One thing you still might not know about Jussi is he’s a little bit deeper person than this interview would ever show him to be. He is so full of life, with all the aspects of life, that one interview would never show it all. It would take at least a book. And maybe even that’s not enough. But that’s a good thing to know, a person is always more interesting than a piece of paper and some ink.