The Flying Finn – Matti Nykänen

A few days ago we received sad news that Matti Nykänen has died, one of the greatest ski jumpers ever. He was extremely popular in the 80s, known for his brave mentality and eccentric behavior. He was an icon and a true hero for many people at that time. I remember when I was a kid, although we didn’t care much about winter sports, when ski jumping was on TV, everybody would be glued to their screens, watching the Flying Finn doing his thing.

The ski jumping on its own is a very dangerous sport, but he took it a few steps further. When you watch him, you get the feeling that he is ready to risk his life, right there, right that moment, just to get the best possible jump. He lived for those historic moments.

In private life, he was not a tiny bit less boring, with constant troubles with alcohol, multiple wives and bar fights. At one point he was even a male stripper in a night club, forced probably by financial troubles he ran into. 

We looked into his chart, trying to decipher where this excessive behavior comes from. He is a Yin Metal Master Element, which shows us that he enjoys being in the center of the show, most Yin Metal people do. It’s a strong Yin Metal, which means he was well built for sports, physical activity and training.

The second most important detail is his Pioneer Talent. This is the part which made him energetic and eccentric. This Pioneer Talent is cooperating with Philosopher, which is another Talent known for eccentric behavior. These two Talents work very well together, making him an independent type of person, somebody who doesn’t like to rely on others or to work for somebody. If he wasn’t a ski jumper, with this chart he could have been a pretty good entrepreneur, as well.

He competed between 1981 and 1991, and during this time he was going through a period of Fire Element, which was exactly what he needed. It made his Metal Element active and boosted his POWER Component and charisma, making him popular worldwide.

In 2016 he entered the Ox period, which clashed his Goat and most likely caused a chain of reactions which led to his premature death. He lived 110%, always on the edge, not sparing a single atom of energy for the future, and unfortunately, life caught on him, way too early. 

Another detail, he had a clash between Rooster and Rabbit, which in his case represents relationship troubles. He had often physical fights with his wife, and few times he even ended up in prison for that. This was definitely his biggest chart weakness.

In any case. he will be remembered, for generations and generations, The Flying Finn, one of the bravest men ever walked this earth. A troubled life, but never boring, just the way he liked it.

A true pioneer, destined for greatness, bored with normal life.

Also published on Medium.