Alexander Rydén
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Born | 9 December 1988 Edsåsdalen, Åre Municipality, Sweden |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Climbing and skiing |
Alexander Rydén (born December 9, 1988,[1] Edsåsdalen) is a Swedish former elite-level climber, gimbal operator, and filmmaker. Rydén is also known as a followcam skier, which involves skiing with a camera next to other athletes.[2]
Early life
Rydén was born and raised in Edsåsdalen, a small ski resort in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, northern Sweden. He started filming his friends as a teenager, eventually becoming a professional followcam skier.[3]
Sporting career
Skiing
Rydén's skiing career spans 30 years and includes multiple extreme ski descents.[1] His skiing highlights include steep skiing on the Chlyn Wendenstock and Marcelo Couloir,[4] as well as a famous 20m cliff jump in Sweden known as the Högsta, Östra Ravin.[5]
Rock climbing
Rydén has been a rock climber for 18 years. He has performed in numerous first ascents and competitions at the Swedish elite level. His rock climbing highlights include a 7c+ onsight on Arugliopoulos, a 500m big wall on Presten,[6][7] and a 7c+ first ascent on Via Burrata. He has achieved 40 first ascents between 6c and 7c+, 30 onsights graded 7b+ or harder,[8] and has completed 40 multipitch routes. Rydén has also completed a free solo ascent of Vit November, graded 6c+.[9]
In 2017, Alexander performed a rope swing stunt from Åre Kabinbana in Sweden. This stunt was a fusion of bungee jumping and a high-intensity playground swing and took place at a ski resort. With the help of an aerial circus technician, Rydén executed this massive rope swing from the resort's cable car.[10][11]
Filmmaking and followcam skiing
Rydén works as a filmmaker and gimbal operator.[12] As a filmmaker, he has collaborated with Moncler, Ford, Red Bull, GoPro, Thule, Discovery, Visa, Peak Performance, Sunrise, Cake, and others.
His filmmaking credits[13] include serving as a camera operator for the skiing documentaries Shades of Winter: Between (2016)[14] and Aksel (2021).[15]
Rydén is noted for being a followcam skier, which involves skiing with a camera next to other skiers.[12] He has followed athletes such as Shawn White, Marco Odermatt, Axel Lund Svindal, Henrik Windstedt, and Kristoffer Turdell with a camera, capturing their performances in sports documentaries and feature films.[3]
References
- 1 2 "Alexander Rydén". head.com. 2017-06-21. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ Skovron, Zack (2020-02-12). "Video: BC Follow-Camming with Henrik Windstedt and Alexander Rydén". Teton Gravity Research. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- 1 2 Rydén, Alexander (2018-09-26). "Alexander: The Flying Cameraman". Red Bull. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ "Dubbelextremt i Engelberg: Chlyn Wendenstock & Marcello Couloir". Freeride (in Swedish). 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ "Tag along Alexander Rydén on the deepest day in Sweden, ever". Red Bull. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ Alström, Marcus (2018-06-18). "Climbing Presten". Red Bull. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ "Ny svensk film från Lofotens mest ikoniska klippa Presten". Freeride (in Swedish). 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ "8a+ av Alexander Rydén på Kalymnos". 8a.nu News. 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ "Klättrar Utan rep". YouTube. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ Wennberg, Erik (2017-09-06). "Watch this guys epic rope swing from a ski lift". Red Bull. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ "Alexander Rydén är i full sving". Freeride (in Swedish). 2017-09-03. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- 1 2 Skier video challenge. Powder.com.
- ↑ "Alexander Rydén". IMDb. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ "Shades of Winter: Between (2016)". IMDb. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ↑ "Aksel (2021)". IMDb. 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2023-06-05.