After finishing his sport career, the most successful ski jumper in the world has tried a few professions. Matti Nykänen tried his wings as a singer for the first time in the early 1990s. People liked his singing so much that his first album "Yllätysten yö" (the night of surprises) even sold gold. The singing ski jumper interested people even in Germany where he also was performing.
Matti’s recordings were humorous pop-rock and the song people maybe remember best is "V-tyyli" (V style) which also touches on his ski jumping career. During the biggest “Matti fever” he made his second album "Samurai", produced by Studio Kaktus in Jyväskylä. For example the song "Yy kaa koo nee - vauhti kovenee" (one two three four – the speed is increasing) which describes Matti’s action-packed lifestyle can be found on the album. In the summer of 2002 he returned to the studio to record the single "Elämä on laiffii" (Living is life). The title of the song was a familiar slogan already from the label of the cider with his name Matti.
Matti Nykänen & Samurai Band tour clubs and restaurants and excite audiences everywhere with an extremely action-packed show full of energy. Besides great music, the show includes smoke, light and sweat and leaves nobody cold! At the gigs you can hear Matti’s own songs as well as cover songs. Feel free to sing along!
THE NEW SINGLE ”EHKÄ OTIN, EHKÄ EN” (MAYBE I HAD (A DRINK), MAYBE I DIDN’T” was played much on the radio.
The new album was released on 1 March 2006

Albums:

Yllätysten yö (Edel in 1991)
Samurai (Kaktus records in 1992)
Ehkä otin, ehkä en (Edel in 2006)
Samurai Band:
Jussi Niemi - guitar, vocals
Samu Nummela - basso, vocals
Jani Juvonen – drums

MATTI’S CAREER AS A SKI JUMPER

Matti started to train ski jumping seriously already at the age of 12. During some winters he made even 2000 training jumps.
-1973 First jump.
-1976 First jump from the P60 hill in Laajavuori (Jyväskylä).
-1978 First jump from the P90 hill in Laajavuori.
-1979 First jump from the big hill in Lahti at the age of 15.

1980
30 March 1980 Matti won Finnish championship in the big hill of Ruka at the age of 17. Matti, the ski jumping comet, jumped already then to headlines.

1981
Matti rose to the top of the world by winning the junior world championship.

1982
In February Matti won the world championship of the big hill in foggy Oslo. "I didn’t see anything."

1984
At the Sarajevo Olympics Matti was only 20 years old but won an overwhelming victory. He made a new hill record of 116 meters in the big hill and with his second jump secured the most overwhelming victory in Olympics history (by 17,5 points).

1985
Matti made again ski jumping history, he jumped the new world record of 191 meters in the ski flying hill of Planica.

1987
Matti was sent again home from the Four Hills Tour in January 1987 due to obstinate behaviour and excessive use of alcohol.

1988
On 23 February 1988 Matti made a new hill record of 118,5 meters with his first jump in the normal hill of Calgary and lead the competition. His second jump of 107 meters was then just to secure the victory. Next day Matti jumped the longest jumps (115,5 and 114,5 meters) and secured victory for the Finnish team. Matti Nykänen was the most successful sportsman at the Winter Olympics of Calgary with his 3 gold medals.

1990
Matti jumped silver in the world championships. He is the best ski jumper in the world.

Olympics:

1984 gold in big hill, silver in normal hill
1988 gold in normal hill, gold in big hill, gold with team

World championships:
1982 gold in big hill, bronze with team
1983 ski flying bronze
1984 gold with team
1985 bronze in big hill, gold with team and gold in ski flying
1986 ski flying bronze
1987 silver in normal hill and gold with team
1988 ski flying bronze
1989 bronze in big hill and gold with team
1990 ski flying silver

46 victories in the world cup and 4 times overall winner of the world cup