Sunday, December 11, 2011

Switch Triple 180 Railflip To Cross Foot and some more stationary stuff



The Switch Triple 180 Railflip To Cross Foot is a trick I learned in the early 1980's. In 1986 it was published as a Trick Tip in an English skateboard and BMX magazine. It was shot at Farnborough in England during a contest. I was in England in 1986 for 3 months, staying at legendary freestyler Shane Rouse's place, in Sandhurst. When I went to England I was a bit burned out on freestyle, but when I got there I got motivated again and skated at Southbanks almost everyday.



Tuesday, November 29, 2011

How to always feel like a winner

Getting the 1st place trophy at the World Championships 2012 from my very longtime friend Per Welinder.


I have been competing for about 30 years. I have won several Swedish Championships, Swedish Cups, European Championships and a European Cup, a few pro contests and in 2000 I tied for 1st with Kevin Harris in the World Championships in San Fransisco (a small contest that did not have a status until on site when the organisers saw who were competing...) I also have had five second places in the World Championships, and a few third places.

I have been thinking sometimes that it would be fun to once get a World Championships title that is not a tie and that the contest is rather big. Not important to get, but fun. Let me explain a bit more: For me a contest is an opportunity to test my mind-body coordination during the very special circumstances a contest is, with probably a different surface I usually practice on, maybe a different area size, maybe time zone differences, a different climate, friends watching and judges checking every detail and scoring. It is also an opportunity to try my very best and see if I can get into the zone, a peak experience, feeling bliss and relaxation when skating. If I get into the zone, that makes me feel like a winner from within, it does not matter where I place as I feel I have done my best and had fun. I could place last and feel like a winner.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Rampljuset 2011

Last year me and my BMX collegue was on the kids talentshow Rampljuset. We were first a bit hesitant as the stage was only to be 5 x 5 meters, but eventually we agreed to do it. This year they asked us again, but this time to separate the two of us so we would compete against each other. We were once again a bit hesitant, but as the show was so fun and they took so well care of us, we did it again. Here is my first round, that was filmed in may 2011.


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

World Championships 2011, how it all got started

No. No way! I tried to get out of it, I really tried not to organize the World Championships. I have organized contests before and know how much work it takes. No way! But sometimes no is not an option...



Me and Kevin Harris was booked for a demo in Malmö 2010 at the Ultra Bowl. I had done a demo there in 2009 and they liked it and asked if I could get Rodney Mullen there for 2010 to do a demo. I tried to pull some strings, but knew it was hopeless, Rodney simply don't do demos any longer. So I suggested Kevin Harris, another true freestyle legend, and they loved the idea, so they flew him over. Kevin has been a friend of mine for many years, and this was the first time he visited me. Before we went down to Malmö we did some sightseeing in my area, and when we were in Stockholm and skated this concrete area at Medborgarplatsen he told me this is the best place ever to skate freestyle, both the location and the surface, and told me to hold a contest here, to host the World Championships in Sweden 2011. I said "No way"… but he promised to back me up, to help me. And suddenly the rumor spread that I was organizing the World Championships and everyone told me the World Championships should be in Sweden 2011.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The Coca-Cola trick

I got asked to do a show and "questions & answers" at a conference last Tuesday at Arlanda Airport, Stockholm. Not the usual kind of shows I do, but it indeed sounded fun so I agreed to do it. It was also a "questions & answers", to motivate and inspire those attending the conference.

As I like to be on stage I looked forward to this, and with my new unexpexcted World Championships title the organizers were thrilled.

I was told the floor looked like asphalt and when I got to the conference center it indeed looked black. But it was slick marble, so slick it was even hard to walk on. I stepped on my board, did a walkover to feel the floor and my board slipped and I landed on my back. Embarrasing... I knew by now this was going to be a challenge.

I asked the organizers of the conference if we could put a thin layer of Coca-Cola to make it less slippery. They called in the cleaning guy that did not really understand what we were talking about. Mopping the floor with Coca-Cola was unheard to him. I could do this myself, but they seemed to have made up their mind the cleaning guy would do it. So I went and did my 20 minute of warming up with Hatha Yoga and Dynamic stretching and then was ready to warm up on the floor.

This Coca-Cola trick is also something some dancers do when the floor is slippery. And now the floor was much better. But after awhile I got into some problems... my soles got sticky and it was hard to even get up on the rail, as my feet got stuck to the griptape...

I cleaned my shoes and did my show and it went fine. Only one miss in my routine. Then up on the stage for "questions & answers" and "motivation talk". It was great fun!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Paderborn 2011

Roadtrip and camping! That was the plan for Paderborn this year. Me, Bastian, Felix, Juan and Walti headed down to Paderborn via Denmark and a ferry ride. It was lots if fun, especially to hear Felix and Juan trying to speak Danish.

Our plan was to stop in Malmö and stay at a hotel over the night. But when we got closer to the date of arrival, we decided to go nonstop, and take needed breaks on the way, stretching our legs, and the drivers could sleep in turns. We did take quite a few breaks, Juan needed to make sure he had enough candy, and he and Felix enjoyed some nighttime skate sessions. We stopped a few hours in Hamburg and did some sightseeing.

Me, Robin and Sebastian with trophies. Paderborn always use these cool homemade trophies.

Weather forecast promised rain on Sunday and unfortunately they were right. We skated Friday evening at the skatepark, and also Saturday but the session ahd to be cut off due to rain. It rained all night and Sunday morning I thought the contests would not happen. The Germans talked about skating in a tent, but I could not imagine how a tent would work when the ground was already wet. But they set up the tent and managed to sweep off the wet from the ground. We then had a super fun jam session in the tent. It was too small but we all adapted pretty good. Then the weather cleared up and we could skate on the regular area.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Tony Hawk Grand Jam in Sweden

The first time I met Tony Hawk was at the Swedish Summer Camp in 1985. Already then he was one of the best skateboarders in the world. But noone would had beleived back then that a skateboarder would be one of the most famous athletes in the USA. But that is what some surveys say; that Tony today is one of the most known. Truly amazing!

Being the announcer and doing a demo at the Tony Hawk Grand Jam in Linköping, Sweden.

After the Summer Camp (where we one rainy day played basketball and I hurt Tony's foot, and who knows, I could had stopped his career right then...) we met at various contest in the 1980's and early 1990 when contests usually consisted of all different skateboarding disciplines.

Back in 1750

If it wasn't for the electric lamp, this photo could like I was travelling back in time, to 1750. It is actually during a break from a movie I recently shot called Svartmunkarnas Krönika - Codex Dei. An adventure set in 1750, where I have one of the lead roles. It was lots of running and jumping as I was being chased. Enjoyed every second!

If they had computers back in 1750 it could have looked like this.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Filming for something new

There is nothing like filming a skateboard part. Unfortunately I don't do that too often. Most of the clips of me are from various contests, demos and shows. But last Saturday I went to Stockholm and met up with a filmmaker and we were filming the whole day at various locations.

Juan Mark Emmoth was our location manager and he found some cool spots for us. I decided not to do my regular routines, but rather play around a little.

The footage will be edited in June and when finished I will post it here.

Lillis at work. Photo by Juan.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Making the switch to a modern shaped double kick

In the beginning there were neither single deck nor double deck, none of them existed as skateboards were flat.

As skateboard equipment progressed some skaters started to put on wooden blocks on the rear side of the board, and thus the kicktail was invented.

In 1979 I saw my first double kicked board, it was a freestyle deck from Bad Company. Per Holknekt also made his homemade double kicked freestyle decks and he called them Ellips.

I am back on a modern shaped double kick and there is no going back.

My first true freestyle board was a single deck board from Bad Company, and when I started to focus more on freestyle in 1980 or 1981 I had Per Holknekt make me custom made boards within his line of boards called Micro Concave. Yes, concave. Back then not only there were already double kicked freestyle boards but also with concave. These Micro Concave boards had a slight concave and therefore the self explanatory name.

Friday, March 18, 2011

In memory of my friend Bob Staton

I still remember that day in 2001 so clearly. I was working with the International Network for Flatland freestyle Skateboarding (INFFS). I am sure everyone remembers INFFS, Flatline and Flatline Online. I was amazed how it progressed. I started to fax and mail out info. Then came the internet and I learned how to make web pages. And one day I receive an email with a logotype saying WFSA (World Freestyle Skateboard Association). It was from someone called Bob. I was like "Why and who is this kid trying to start an association like that?" He can't have any experience... And I knew there were freestylers out there called Bob and I thought it might be one of them, but I knew too little about them. I thought: "this is no good", so I replied and asked questions and came with ideas, trying to be very kind and thoughtful. I think the plan was that the kid had to understand that you can't just start an association like that but better help me out with the INFFS. I also emailed Dan Gesmer who helped me a lot with the INFFS. He also came with ideas and suggestions. Bob didn't have much plans for WFSA, he was merely putting an idea or having a vision. But suddenly without even knowing it, through the exchange of ideas, Bob, me and Dan had founded the WFSA... It came natural. 

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Video from Cirkus Spektakulär

In Januari I was part of a show/circus at a motorbike show. I was part of an ensemble consisting of BMX, MC-stunt, freestyle motocross, parkour and a live band playing. One day rehearsal and 4 days of shows. One day we did 5 shows and it took a lot of planning from my side to make sure I would last all 5 shows. 

Monday, February 7, 2011

Aj Kohn visiting Sweden

Last week Aj Kohn visited Sweden. He works for PSK8 with the Tip Technology and was here for business.

We met up for lunch and then headed to the Stockholm skatepark Fryshuset. And a few days later Aj stayed two nights at my place and we did some sightseeing and went skating at my little training facility, that unfortunately had a very slippery floor due to some other events that had been hold there a few days before. It bugged me a little as I wanted Aj to experience my place when it is at its best so we both would have as fun as possbile. But Aj adapted very well, and seemed to have fun on the slippery wooden floor.