“Of course I accepted the challenge!”

Former Nordic Combined athlete Mikke Leinonen has always been interested in sketching and design and has been the creative mastermind behind Nordic Combined Team Finland’s helmet design for this year. In Tuesday Talk, he looks back on his time in Nordic Combined, professional life after his sports career and gives some insights in what inspired the helmet design for his former teammates.

You ended your career in 2017 after ten years in Nordic Combined. What did you do afterwards?

Mikke Leinonen: I started studying design at the Lahti Institute of Design in 2014 and I graduated from there in spring 2018 as a vehicle designer.

Even during your active career, you were interested in design and shared many sketches and ideas on your social media platforms. Was it always your plan to pursue a career in design after your sports career?

Mikke Leinonen: I've always liked drawing and designing so at some point I realised that I could make my living like that some day. Designing and the vehicles were my interest so when you are competition or training trip there is always some free time to develop yourself in other things too. I did sketching.

You were the mastermind behind the new helmet design for Team Finland this season. Can you tell us how this project came about, what it meant to you and what the inspiration behind the design was?

Leinonen: My old teammates have asked me before if I could design new helmets for them. I had done the visual for the Finnish Ski Jumping Team helmet last year and the year before that, the design of the service car for the Nordic Combined Team. This autumn, I was then asked if I could do the helmets and of course I accept the challenge.

I started by making quick versions and of course I asked athletes and Europcar's people if they had any wishes or ideas about design. The combination of these ideas resulted the helmet with Europcar colours and a map with the Nordic Combined competition road for the 2019-2020 season.

The boys can check now where to go next if they forget. (laughs) You can see the end result on the athletes’ heads now.

What is your favourite Nordic Combined memory looking back on your career?

Leinonen: Oh, that’s a difficult question. The Olympics were a great experience and of course I remember many competitions where my performances were successful.

But I have maybe even more good memories from all around the world with great people: travelling, living, training and competing. You all know that the Nordic Combined circus is like a small family and sometimes I miss it.

With Ilkka Herola ad Eero Hirvonen, two of your former teammates have put Finland back on the map of Nordic Combined nations to watch. Did you follow their results from the sidelines since 2017?

Leinonen: It's good to see that the hard work of the boys is starting to pay off and of course I have and will follow all the races. If I don't have time to watch a competition on time then I watch it afterwards.

When you are not designing helmets for your former teammates, what are you up to these days?

Leinonen: Professionally, I have been doing vehicle design and other design jobs after I graduated. A few times a week like to go and play ice hockey and sometimes I just go skiing. Last spring, I also got the chance to go to China, where I did cross-country skiing coaching for half a year.