Kristiin Häkkinen Remaining Resilient

Interview Stella Pentti

Breaking down barriers and paving the way to a self-made career in snowboard event management.

The Luminaries Series was first launched on Whitelines Snowboarding Magazine as part of International Women’s Day, as a way of paying homage to some of the most interesting and inspiring people in snowboarding. The project is dedicated to shining a light on some of the most noteworthy women in our industry, documenting their rise in their given professions, and sharing some of their insights along the way.

With a rusty voice, always dressed in black, fingers adorned with heavy silver rings, and glow-in-the-dark flame-painted nails, Kirstiin Häkkinen is a woman you will not easily forget – a true force of nature. This is a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she believes in.

Working as an event manager for events like DIYX and The Uninvited, Kristiin has forged her own path in an industry she loves. But the road here wasn’t easy. Years of hard work, followed by a series of surgeries that led to depression, tested her resolve. Yet, Kristiin embodies the idea that hard work pays off, even if, at times, it feels like the whole world is out to get you.

Beneath the hard shell is someone with a kind heart, dedicated to not only running events but ensuring everyone involved is fairly treated. Kristiin is blazing a trail towards a more inclusive and equitable industry and is here to share her story.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to talk with us, Kristiin. What’s kept you busy this summer?

No worries Stella, for you always! Summer has been nice and busy for me, as I am working on music festival productions all over Europe and England. The last one actually took me all the way to Albania.

Your job is quite unique in this industry, and you had a busy season last year working with events like CSTL DIYX and The Uninvited. But let’s take a step back before we dive into what you do: How did you get here?

I’m from Estonia, where I grew up. I moved to London in 2009 and didn’t really have a solid plan; I just knew that was where I wanted to be. After working multiple bar jobs and pouring beers all night got boring, I ended up working in corporate events. As much as I enjoyed the events, the corporate industry was not my scene, so I packed up my bags, quit my job, and followed my friend to the Austrian Alps. I eventually ended up moving back to London after taking a job with Factory Media, and that’s essentially where my entry into working in the snowboard industry was. At Factory Media, I worked as a Junior Producer. I had my job interview with my then-boss, Sarah Rimassa, in a taco bar over a pitcher of Margaritas; I guess that sealed the deal. 

And what exactly is it that you do?

[A big sigh…] It’s hard to pin down just one job title as I’m a freelancer and can take on a lot of different projects and roles. But I would say it’s along the lines of event and production manager. Every job I do is different and has its challenges, but it’s what keeps things interesting and helps me grow. 

You’ve been a big part of putting together the DIYX STRT JAM for a good few years. It must have a special place in your heart by now. Can you tell us more about how you got involved and what you do to help make it such an amazing and successful event?

Ethan [Morgan] and I have been really good friends for a long time, and he started DIYX ages ago. I believe the first one happened in Kuhtai about seven years ago. Ethan and the crew would go to ski resorts and build up some of the most ridiculous shit to ride and have the best time just between friends. That was one of the best things snowboarding can have. Nothing was regulated, nothing was scored, there were no rules, just pure snowboarding. So when Ethan decided to bring it to the streets, I thought it was one of the sickest, most mind-blowing ideas. Such a unique concept.

I came on board when the event grew bigger. I put all my festival/event knowledge into something that essentially is a passion project and, together with the team, helped it become one of the raddest things in snowboarding. A big shout-out to Chriso McAlpine, Jacco Bos, and, of course, Ethan Morgan for taking me in and making me part of the DIYX family. This one’s gonna stay with me forever – mainly because I have a DIYX tattoo on my arm…

Woah, that’s commitment! So what are your best memories from the DIYX events?

There are so many. It’s a rollercoaster of an event. But stage diving at TERROR live with my laptop on my back was pretty fucking insane. Especially because just having TERROR, one of my favorite bands, play at our event was already mental.

And worst?

Ugh… That’s a hard one. Of course, as an event organizer, there are so many stressful moments, but I don’t really have a “worst moment”. But as an example, I recall one night, after a full day of work, sitting down and about to have my first beer at around 10pm. Before I had even had a sip, security came up to me to tell me I had to chat with the head of the police department of the region where we were hosting the event… The beer was left untouched. Also, seeing anyone injure themselves is a big downside to what I do. It’s hard to handle seeing people you care about being hurt.

How do you find ways to keep your head together and stay calm?

The events industry can be tough and isn’t for everyone. It involves hard work, sleep deprivation, and being on the road most of the time. I find it hard sometimes. But at the end of the day, I love what I do and wouldn’t have it any other way.

You recently helped put together the Uninvited European Qualifiers too, and what a successful event that was. Can you tell us a bit more about your involvement there and the event itself?

I’m not going to lie, getting an email from Jess Kimura asking me to help out with their first-ever Euro event was something else. It was such an honor to help bring the Uninvited to Europe and give the European girls (who, by the way, deserve the biggest shoutout) the platform they deserve. The riding level blew everyone away to the point that what was The Uninvited Euro Qualifier has now become the Euro Open for next year. How amazing is that? Bigger production and more prize money for the riders!

Such a great feeling knowing your hard work is paying off and being recognized.

Thank you. I do hope so. Jess is someone who I have always looked up to, and what she has created and achieved is absolutely insane. The crew she’s built around her consists of some of the most amazing people I have ever had the chance to work with. Big shout out to Nirvana, we would not have been able to do the Euro event without her wizard skills. And, of course, Abby, who now works with us on DIYX. 

And you got a little award yourself as well.

Haha yeah… I got a little recognition trophy for my work. I was blindsided. Thank you!

What would you say are the main challenges involved in event organization? 

I’m a freelancer, and that itself is already tough. You never know where the next paycheck comes from, and you always have to find the next job. But in general, I think the hardest thing was breaking through into the industry. Coming from Estonia, I didn’t know anyone. I had no connections, so I had to work extra hard to get anywhere and prove myself before I was taken seriously.

Did you always know that you wanted to work with events, or how did it all unfold?

Definitely not. I wanted to become a professional dancer and danced until I was 18, but I had to stop because I had a slipped disc condition in my spine. It just made it impossible for me to pursue dancing to the level I was growing at. After that, I went through a bit of an existential crisis and was going to learn 3D animation… super random, I know. It did not go far.

What have been some of the biggest challenges along the way? 

There are always tough things that you have to overcome to get to where you want to be, but I think one of the major things that set me back was my knee injury and four back-to-back surgeries followed by heavy depression. This essentially took away five years of my life. It was kind of hard to focus on anything else when you’re in constant recovery, struggling to get out of bed. You can’t commit to anything fully, so I’d say that really set me back in my career and in time for what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be.

Any specific challenges you’ve come across as a woman in the industry?

Haha, well, don’t we all have to overcome those… But a few things come to mind. There was this one incident when I was told by a middle-aged man, “What do you know? I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years. I know how this works. No one needs your opinion.” There are a few more, but the worst ones are seeing this happening around me, and there is very little I can do about it as a woman. 

What do you mean by happening around you?

Hearing comments like, “Oh, she’s a girl; what does she know? She doesn’t even snowboard that well; she’s only in the competition because she’s hot.” That boils my blood. 

The fact that people still think and act like that is sad.

Unfortunately, some do, but I think there’s a solid change happening at the moment, which is good. There are a lot of people who support women in the industry, and it’s amazing to see. Like my own crew with the DIYX, I have never had more support within the snowboard industry than I’ve gotten from them.

Have you come across a lot of support from other women?

It’s kind of a yes and no here. Where I have had a lot of support, there’s also been a lot of pettiness. And it’s something I really hate to see. It is hard enough for us as it is. We need to stick together, not try and bring each other down. I guess there might still be the thought in the back of our heads that there is not enough space for all of us, so we need to compete against one another.

I do have to say, though, that I do not think I have ever come across such immense support between athletes as in women’s snowboarding. It’s just mind-blowing. It is also amazing to start seeing more and more support from the guys who haven’t necessarily always been there. I mean, Kaili had her own topless minion crew of men who had her name written across their bodies and were carrying her up the setup. 

On a personal level, I’m really grateful for the support I have received, not only from the people I work with but also from riders.

So what’s next for Kristiin? Any events we should keep an eye out for?

Well, now that the summer is over, so are the majority of my music events. I am focused on snowboarding, and the next big one is DIYX STRT JAM in Stockholm. It’s been in the works for a while now, and I cannot wait for everyone to see what we came up with for this year. 

Do you have any advice for the next generation who wants to get involved in the snowboarding industry? 

Work hard, and don’t dwell on unimportant things or people. Stay true to yourself. And most importantly, if anyone ever tries to make you feel lesser, just tell them to f*ck off – politely, of course…. Τ