Kalle Palander

Kalle Palander, born on 2 May 1977, is a retired Finnish alpine skier who is described as the most successful male Finn ever in the sport. He specialised in the technical disciplines. In 1999 he won the world championship in slalom, and in the 2002-2003 season he won the Alpine skiing World Cup in slalom, while also finishing fourth in the overall World Cup standings that year. He was also successful in giant slalom. Palander became known for his relaxed attitude and for wearing a red toque instead of a helmet when he raced slalom. Away from the slopes he has been married to Riina-Maija Palander since 2007, has children, and in 2011 bought Ontika Manor in Estonia, where he occasionally lives; he has also lived in Monaco and France.