Paula Hansen

Paula Hansen is The Mountain Studio’s factory store manager in Engelberg. She comes from the south of Sweden but has lived full-time in the little town in the heart of the Swiss Alps since a few years back, skiing, mountain biking, and hiking as much as she can in her free time. Despite having never done any ski racing or formal training, Paula is a strong technical skier, with a good sense of how to move around the mountain safely.

As she has spent many winters in Engelberg, she also knows her way around the mountain better than most. If you ever need advice on where to ski, don’t hesitate to stop by our shop and ask her for some tips.

Aside from her work as store manager and wholesale coordinator for The Mountain Studio, she spends a lot of time skiing in front of Oskar Enander’s camera as they create content for various channels.

“I come from the south of Sweden, and skiing isn’t the natural thing to do around there. However, we went for a lot of ski holidays in the Swedish mountains, and that was where I made my first turns when I was just 3 years old. According to my mom, I wasn’t particularly impressed by the ski school or by having somebody force me to make a turn, I liked to go straight! Starting when I was 13, we started spending a lot of time in Chamonix in France. It was there that I received my first set of wider skis, a pair of K2 Public Enemy Jrs. I remember being very proud of them!”

“I’ve had a lot of memorable ski days over the years, but the best ones are those where I didn’t have any expectations at all in the morning. A day skiing in a blizzard could beat a bluebird powder day, just because I was positively surprised and there wasn’t any powder frenzy and not a lot of people on the mountain.”

“I love being out in the mountains and the sense of liberty it gives me. The feeling of being small can be frightening at times, but it also gives you a kick. I like to improve myself, and to see my skiing keep getting better. And sharing my adventures and joys with friends and family is the best feeling ever.”

It’s fun but challenging. I get to ski a lot, but at the same time, November through February are our busiest months of the year because of the sales season. That means I have to be structured and plan my work ahead, but if I’ve done that properly, I can take some time off in the morning and go for a few runs before the store opens. Some days, I have the luxury of working on the mountain as a skier in front of the camera. After all, skiing is part of The Mountain Studio’s DNA, and I think I can communicate that better if I live according to our philosophy.”