Photos courtesy Kasete Naufahu Skeen

Donning a cool ski-racing outfit emblazed with bold Tongan motifs in red, white and black, Kasete Naufahu Skeen became the first Tongan to race at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at St Moritz, Switzerland, on 16 February.

It was Kasete's first taste of high-level international competition and, unfortunately, he crashed out in the second run of the Giant Slalom qualification race.

“Conditions were difficult but that is no excuse. Nerves had got the better of me and I could not ski my best,” he said. 

Although he completed the first run, Kasete was not happy with the way he skied and vowed to give it his best shot in the second run. “Half way down I hit a rut that bounced me up and off my feet giving me taste of the St Moritz snow.”

“If I had completed the course without trying to ski my best, without trying to give the best account of myself I would have felt defeated,” said Kasete. “We all fall down sometimes but knowing that I went down fighting makes it easier to stand up and try again.”

Winter Olympics

Although coming away with an unfavourable result at the World Championships, Kasete isn’t giving up on his ultimate goal of making the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Kasete is recording his remarkable journey to represent Tonga in a well written and illustrated personal blog, where an explanation details the meaning of the designs on his eyecatching outfit created by his cousins wife, Carrie Skeen.

His never-say-die attitude goes hand in hand with the Tongan Warrior design printed on his ski-racing outfit in the Kingdom’s colours of red and white, with black print. The motifs are based on traditional Tongan Tatatau (Tattoo) representing Kasete’s story, his journey to qualify for the next Winter Olympics, his country and culture and his family.

Carrie Skeen clarified she used Tonga’s history of seafaring and war as a design base - where warriors sailed using star navigation on double-ended Kalia war ships to conquer neighbouring island nations, the ski-race suit epitomizes a Tongan Warrior, gifted with speed, agility, strength and flight.

Each motif has a meaning. The arms show war clubs, elevated by the double wings of the manulua.

On his right shoulder, he wears his nation, the six-sided star with the red-cross. He carries his kingdom with him giving him strength while inciting fear (sharks teeth) in his opponents.

His left arm carries support from his family in the form of three wolves heads on three daggers representing his family's bravery and courage.

On his chest is the legendary sailing canoe of the Tu’i Tonga.

On his legs is the Fata’o Tu’i Tonga, strong, bold legs; providing speed, agility, and balance.

The spearheads down the length of his body strike fear and deliver courage and strength all while providing symmetry to the design.

Newcomer

Born in London to a Tongan father and English mother Kasete a relative newcomer to the sport of skiing, is undergoing a remarkable transformation from unfit holiday skier to lean racing machine. Only four months ago following a successful crowdfunding campaign he left his home in Notting Hill to move to the Alps and dedicate himself to achieving his dream.

Kasete is now based in Pampeago, Italy where he is known as "Il Tomba di Tonga" and where he lives and trains with his coach and former Italian national team trainer Hermann Aigner.

He quit smoking and drinking, undertaking a regimented exercise and nutritional plan shedding 30kg in the process and transforming himself into an athlete. He told Matangi Tonga he will compete in six more races in Europe and plans to compete in New Zealand this winter, then back to Tonga for a visit before Pyeongchang 2018.