Taking tech and technique to the slopes
In pursuit of excellence on the slopes, Kelvin Fu is constantly challenging himself to adapt style and technique to a different snow - just as in investing
SKIING has been a lifelong passion of mine, a sport in which I can achieve a total escape from day-to-day living and enjoy a tranquil sense of freedom.
Ski technology, which has become available to the average ski enthusiast over recent years, is proof that innovation leaves no market untouched. I have been an eager and early adopter of ski tech in my pursuit of excellence on the slopes, in the same way that I rely on technology to inform my investment decisions in the investment world.
Carv, for example, is the first wearable ski tech inspired by Olympic technology that goes into the ski boot and gives real-time feedback to the skier, improving your technique with digital audio coaching. It has advanced motion and pressure distribution sensors, as well as analytics that even top skiers find useful and allows one to accelerate the learning curve. I was one of Carv’s early adopters and have never looked back.
Overall, my mindset when it comes to skiing is to leverage technology to enhance my learning and speed up the process of performing at a higher level. This is similar to how I approach other aspects of my personal and professional life.
Having spent nearly two decades skiing in different parts of the world, I’ve been struck by the impact of climate change and global warming on the natural world.
From Niseko Village, a ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan, to Deer Valley and Alta, two beautiful alpine ski resorts in the Wasatch Mountain range outside Salt Lake City in the United States, it’s clear that the quality of snow has been impacted. Even in Shymbulak located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, located 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) above sea level, it’s apparent that these destinations of extraordinary natural beauty and sporting legends are facing new climate-related challenges.
Operators tell me seasons are getting shorter and I see the change with my own eyes. This is all very sobering, and I wonder if the next generation will be able to enjoy the same sense of adventure, freedom, and awe at the natural world during their ski trips decades from now that I did during mine. If the world is able to come together to tackle climate change, I’m confident there will be great skiing for generations to come.
Basketball is the sport I grew up playing and to this day still play around once a week, usually at indoor courts including at my alma mater (Raffles Institution). As my favourite team sport, I was proud to be captain of my high school basketball team for many years, which helped me build leadership skills and experience early on the highs and lows of winning and losing tournaments. These competitive experiences built my resilience to adversity over the years. My favourite basketball player is Allen Iverson from the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tennis is a sport I picked up during Covid to fill the void of not being able to travel for skiing. I now have a regular schedule where I play tennis once or twice a week at both clubs and my condo facilities. As more of an individual sport, it is still very mentally demanding, similar to skiing, and so very different from a team game like basketball. My favourite player is Rafael Nadal.
The third sport I enjoy outside of skiing is golf, which again like tennis I picked up during the pandemic and similarly now play once or twice a week at various courses across Singapore. My favourite players are Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth.
Prior to the Covid pandemic, I would make a point of going skiing a few times a year. It helped me to not only challenge myself in a new area (sports and the great outdoors), but also to find new perspectives and inspiration in my professional life.
In skiing, there are different types of snow, from more icy textures in parts of the US to more fine, powdery stuff in destinations like Japan. This may seem a small difference but it requires you to adapt your style and technique to the varying environment.
In my work and leadership, I try to find similar analogies: the need to constantly adapt, learn, and pay attention to your changing environment. Every industry is undergoing rapid changes, especially post-pandemic, and I tell myself that I must be prepared for a different snow texture (ie in the private equity world).
Fortunately, I am someone who loves a challenge and always take on business challenges head-on in the same way that I do out on the slopes. On my bucket list for this year is to get out to the Alps, one of the world’s most celebrated skiing destinations, which I have yet to try. Here’s to hoping I can find new inspiration for our climate tech investments and impact investing thesis in the chilly heart of Europe.
Kelvin Fu, 38, is managing partner, Gunung Capital
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