How Finland's Snowboarding Coach Knits His Nerves Away

If coaching world-class snowboarders doesn’t work out for Finnish snowboarding coach Antti Koskinen, he already has a start on a fallback career: professional knitter.

During slopestyle qualifying rounds at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang over the weekend, Koskinen was spotted at the top of the run clutching yarn and a pair of needles, even shedding his gloves in the frigid temps to get a better grip.

Though eagle-eyed viewers turned to social media to delight in the coach’s unusual pastime, it’s not the first time Koskinen has channeled his Olympic nerves into knitting needles. He worked on a scarf while advising snowboarders at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games, explaining that it helped lighten the mood for his nerve-wracked athletes just before a competition. Other athletes joined in with the intention of passing the pieces to their 2016 Summer Games counterparts.

This year, Koskinen’s craftiness has not only returned—it now serves a purpose beyond helping athletes keep their chill on the slopes.

So far, Koskinen and Team Finland haven't been able to spin wool into gold just yet, though they have claimed a couple of bronze medals. But that’s OK—they’re still a close-knit team.