Andri Ragettli: success through discipline and a love of sport

Siri Schubert

7.9.2026

Translation: Megan Cornish

Andri Ragettli is one of the most successful freestyle skiers in the world. The 28-year-old’s been competing at the highest level in action sports for years. In this interview, he explains the importance of discipline, fun and recovery.

Andri Ragettli’s a Swiss professional freestyle skier specialising in slopestyle and big air. The man from Graubünden has won the overall World Cup multiple times and is considered one of the world’s most influential and successful freeskiers. In the spring of 2017, he also landed the world’s first quad cork 1800, a quadruple backflip. He finished fourth in the slopestyle event at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina in February.

I meet Andri at the opening of the Garmin store in Zurich. The freestyle skier’s an ambassador for the sports watch brand.

Andri, you’ve already achieved so much, yet you’re still giving it your all. What are your goals?
Goals are very personal to me. I share them when it feels right, but I don’t want to announce every step. Basically, I want to be actively competing in freestyle skiing until the next Winter Olympics in the French Alps in 2030. That would definitely be my goal, even though things can change quickly in this sport.

You’ve been competing at a very high level in freestyle for a very long time. How have you managed to stay at the top for so long?
For me, it’s important to have a healthy lifestyle, which means eating healthily, getting plenty of sleep and living consciously.

You’re a vegetarian, right?
I am, yes.

What else is important?
Discipline and hard work are crucial. I think my success over the last 12 years also stems from the fact that I’m always willing to work hard, even when I don’t feel like it.

Sport’s your job. Do you ever think about whether you enjoy it?
Absolutely. Because the joy of skiing’s still one of the most important things. If you’re just doing something out of sheer discipline and it’s no fun at all, I’m the first to say something’s wrong. That’s probably what accounts for my longevity in the sport: the combination of fun and discipline.

What does freestyle skiing mean to you?
In the beginning, it was the feeling of being in the air – it’s pure freedom. I felt that way even as a little boy. The freedom to express myself through the sport and be my own boss came later. I’m extremely disciplined, but as soon as someone tells me, «You have to do it this way,» I immediately think, «No, I don’t».

You’re already so experienced and have been at the top of your discipline for so long. Are there still people who can help you improve?
Yes, there are always coaches who bring a new input, for example, in strength or athletic training. That’s definitely helpful. And I can also learn a lot about mental training. I see great potential there.

What exactly do you do? Visualisation? Breathing exercises?
There are so many possibilities. Visualisation’s especially important in freestyle skiing because it allows you to mentally rehearse the tricks and individual movements over and over again. Then there are breathing exercises to help you relax. And then it’s very much about mindset: how you look at things, how you judge them. Even reading a self-help book’s a form of mental training for me. I want to progress and learn new things.

Your willingness to constantly challenge yourself is clear to see in your balance parkour videos. Are they part of your training too?

When I was at sports school, obstacle courses like those were often part of my training. I started doing them again during Covid, but it was also a bit of a show. I wanted to do something that was a bit more difficult and looked even cooler. But it’s obviously very helpful for freestyle because balance and coordination are vital. I haven’t made a video in a while now. I think it’s about time I did it again.

I look forward to seeing it. You’re a Garmin athlete, but I tend to associate Garmin watches more with endurance sports.
That’s how it all started. I bought my first Garmin watch during the pandemic. Back then, all the gyms were closed. I went jogging a lot and was looking for a challenge. So, I decided to run 100 kilometres in one go. To know when I’d reached the end, I needed a watch with GPS. So, I bought a Garmin. The partnership with Garmin came about a bit later.

Did you manage 100 kilometres?
Yes, but it was more of a mental challenge. I can’t do it too often, though, otherwise the explosive power I need for freestyle will suffer.

What do you use the watch for? What data’s important to you?
I have the Garmin Fenix 8 and, as of today, the Fenix 9. A lot of data points – such as VO2 max – are also important for action sports. But you don’t win just because you have a higher VO2 max value. For me, recovery’s crucial. And for that, I look at sleep data and heart rate variability. Last night, my sleep wasn’t very good and I only got about eight hours.

How many hours of sleep do you get per night?
It should be at least nine. Sleep’s very important to me to recover from training and then be fit for the next challenge.

What other data do you look at?
Calories. I sometimes forget to eat enough, and when I see: wow, I’ve already burned 4,000 to 5,000 calories, I have to have an extra protein shake.

There are a lot of things watches can’t measure yet, such as muscle fatigue or explosive power. How do you measure these things and how do you combine the data?
I do strength tests at regular intervals, then I find out whether I’m at the right level or not. Whether I need to become more explosive, for example. I then give the data to my coach, and he adjusts my training accordingly.

AI’s playing an increasingly important role in training management. What’s your take on that? Are you excited about it? Or do you think it’ll lead to a loss of creativity and individuality?
There aren’t many meaningful AI applications for snow and tricks yet, but I think that will change. Generally speaking, I’m positive about it and open to new developments. If you resist it, you’ll only make things harder for yourself. Being open-minded is definitely part of achieving longevity in sports.

Now I’d like to know: what are your favourite tricks? The ones you do over and over again and that you really enjoy.
One I always enjoy is the Superman front flip. I’m especially proud of the quad cork – the quadruple backflip – because I was the first person in the world to do it.

If you’re not skiing, what sports do you do?
I go surfing in the summer. And I really enjoy playing tennis and golf. I also love mountain biking. Recently, I’ve discovered speed hiking in my hometown of Flims, where I regularly encounter ibex. I enjoy pretty much all sports.

That doesn’t surprise me. Thank you, Andri, for the insights into your training and all the best for the upcoming season.

Did the interview pique your interest and now you’d like to learn more about Andri Ragettli? Maybe his book would be of interest to you:

Biographies

EUR19,90

Attack your dreams

German, Andri Ragettli

Siri Schubert

Senior Editor

Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.ch

Research diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.

---

Background information

Interesting facts about products, behind-the-scenes looks at manufacturers and deep-dives on interesting people.

Show all