Kasete Skeen skis like a Tongan

Kasete Naufahu Skeen is a British-born Tongan musician who is determined to put Tonga on the map when it comes to Alpine Skiing. As the First Tongan athlete to ever participate in the FIS Alpine World Championship in 2017, Kasete Skeen has had his eyes set on the Olympics from the very beginning. "The dream was always to make it all the way", he tells us.  

But contrary to what we might expect, Kasete did not grow up skiing. It was only as an adult, on a ski holiday in Sweden (Kasete’s partner is Swedish) that he fell in love with the sport. So much so that one night at dinner, he wondered “Maybe I could ski for Tonga?". With his friends’ encouragement, what at first seemed like an extraordinary idea became a life-changing adventure. 

From that point on, Kasete was all in. A self-described "ski geek", he went "from not thinking about skiing at all" to "planning the next holiday to work out what bits of gear to buy". He packed up his London life, quit his job and moved to Austria to commit to his dream full-time.

And despite only starting to train professionally as an adult (when most professional athletes have practised their sports since childhood), Kasete Skeen does have a shot at making Olympic history. His natural gifts and dedication already led him to train with some of the best in the field and make a name for himself. An unfortunate injury while training in New Zealand is the only thing that stopped him from competing in Pyeongchang in 2018. Kasete is now more motivated than ever to compete in Milan in 2026.  

But his motivation to represent Tonga goes beyond a mere love for the discipline. He sees in it a real opportunity to expand and enrich the world of skiing. "How can a Tongan ski? How can I bring Tongan culture into skiing? How can I ski like a Tongan?" Kasete muses. "I'm not here to recreate Austrian skiing." He continues. "Aside from the fact that I couldn't, even if I tried, the world of skiing is richer for having more diversity in it, more points of view, more cultures and embracing that."   

It is rare but not unheard of for a non-traditionally wintery country to send a team to the Winter Olympics. Hollywood even used the actual historical event of the Jamaican Bobsled team for the 1993 comedy (and pop culture phenomenon) Cool Runnings. For Tonga, it was Fuahea Semi who opened the door when he competed as the country's first professional luger during the 2014 Games in Sochi. In 2018, Pita Taufatofua, a taekwondo, cross-country skiing, and canoe athlete, attracted attention as a charismatic flagbearer during Rio's and Pyeongchang's opening ceremonies. Taufatofua and Kasete Naufahu Skeen are today two founding members of the Royal Tonga Ski Federation. 

"Culture is a shared thing", Kasete says, which is why he is glad to share the stage with fellow compatriots. We could argue that sharing new experiences, showing up authentically as one is, and representing one's culture and heritage under an international spotlight such as the Olympic Games is worth more than any medal. In his custom-made competition outfit, adorned with traditional Tongan designs, and his unmistakable hairstyle, Kasete Naufahu Skeen is already answering one of his questions and showing the world that skiing like a Tongan means doing it authentically with style, dedication, and humility.