Tonga in the Tundra: Alpine skier's island spirit on Swedish peaks

Imagine a Londoner of Tongan descent, born in the bustle of Notting Hill, suddenly perched on a frozen mountain in the Swedish Arctic.

For Kasete Naufahu Skeen (Vava'u/Tongatapu), this isn’t a Hollywood story or remake of Cool Runnings, it’s just another Tuesday.

Skeen tells John Pulu of PMN Tonga that love brought him here.

“My father is Tongan and my mother is English,” Skeen explains. “I met a Swedish lady, as one does, so I followed her back here….now we live under a big snowy mountain.”

Known on the circuit as “Tomba di Tonga” - a nod to Italian skiing legend Alberto Tomba - Skeen has gone from city life to becoming the first Tongan alpine skier to compete at the World Ski Championships.

It all started on a family ski holiday. “I knew we were serious when my partner invited me on the family skiing holiday,” Skeen says.

“I got to meet the whole family and embarrass myself skiing with them, because I hadn't really skied before. I just became obsessed with trying to be a better skier and improving myself.”

That drive led him to the Royal Tonga Ski Federation, eventually representing the Kingdom at four World Championships.

His grit was tested early at the 2017 championships in Switzerland, where he arrived with a broken hand from a training accident.

Kasete Skeen and the colours of the Kingdom in the snow. Photo/Thule

“I ended up going into that race with a cast on my hand with instructions on how to protect myself if I fell,” Skeen says. “It’s been a crazy adventure for sure.”

Skeen says living in the Arctic Circle allows him to explore his culture creatively.

His musical duo, Ilaheva, blends Tongan heritage with Swedish landscapes. Named after the mother of ʻAhoʻeitu, the first Tuʻi Tonga (sacred king of Tonga), the band’s sound mixes atmospheric EDM with the quiet of the mountains.

“Since I moved to the mountains, the music that I make kind of reflects the tranquillity of the environment,” Skeen says. “I would say, cinematic…it has that blanket of atmosphere, but then also the beats underneath that carry more of a rhythm - hopefully something to dance to.”

Despite the distance, the music is never far from Tonga. “Going to the Tongan events, hearing Tongan sing, I think is probably one of the things that kind of just sends the hairs on your arm and the back of your neck on end."

While Skeen admits that representing a tropical nation in an “expensive” technical winter sport can feel lonely, he is determined to ensure he isn’t the last.

"We are always looking for more skiers,” he urges. “Often I've been on my own doing stuff."

By encouraging more Pacific athletes to join the federation, Skeen hopes the Tongan flag won’t be a rare sight in the frost, but a regular fixture.

Watch Kasete Skeen's full interview below.