In 1951, three-year-old Heinrich Giesker was steered between his mother’s legs down the slopes of Sörenberg, in Switzerland’s Lucerne canton. Though he had no say in the matter, that first skiing experience shaped the next seven decades of his life. “When you get a taste of nature and skiing so early, it becomes addictive,” he says. “I was instantly hooked.”
Skiing has been a life-long love affair: at 79, he still logs 150 days on the slopes each winter — with no signs of slowing down. For Giesker, skiing isn’t a hobby; it’s his anchor. He doesn’t care about records or milestones. Instead, he’s motivated by simple pleasures: the silence of the mountains, the thrill of the glide, and the pure joy of living in the present. “Some might think I am a bit crazy, and they are right. But I am happy as I am, and I have skiing to thank for much of that.”
Clad in a cosy white wool sweater, a matching anorak and white windproof trousers, Giesker is a permanent fixture on the slopes of Engelberg, the Swiss village and leading freeride hub that is now his home. “My real name is Heinrich, or Henry,” he says, “but here everyone — from children to grandmothers — calls me Snowflake.”
His distinctive all-white look and nickname date back half a century, born from an act of defiance. “It started when snow groomers and ski patrollers first arrived,” he says. “They forced everyone off the mountain when the lifts closed. It was for safety, sure, but I was furious. I wanted to stay until sunset, just like I always had.”
To evade the ski patrol, Giesker dressed in all white to blend into the snow. He hid behind rocks until the patrollers passed, allowing him to enjoy the slopes and sunsets in absolute solitude.
It’s late March when we meet in Engelberg. A spring storm has blanketed the mountain in fresh powder, though fog keeps the upper lifts closed. Despite the fading afternoon light, there is no sign of stopping. “I like to ski until the very last lift goes up,” he says, breaking into his characteristic laugh. “If I’m not on that final chair, I actually feel a bit sad.”
Fully embodying the ski-bum spirit, his enthusiasm remains undimmed. “With skiing, you are never fully learned. Even at 79, I keep discovering new things. I can’t claim to know everything, which is why I never get bored.”
Giesker spent many years in Zürich, where in the 1970s he co-founded Blondino, a fashion boutique which expanded to have 13 stores across the country. Despite a packed schedule, he kept skiing. “I left the city every Thursday afternoon to ski the weekend,” he says. “It was how I coped with busy city life.” Only the fashion shows in Milan and Paris could keep him away from the mountains. When he retired in 2020, he bought a small flat in Engelberg and became a full-time ski bum.
After catching the last lift, we ski down the long valley run through falling snow. Giesker tells me he never married or had children. “Skiing is everything I need,” he says. “Is there anything more breathtaking than snow?”
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