Fredrik Evensen
Hailing from Oslo, Norway, Fredrik Evensen has not only made his mark on the international freestyle scene but has burst into the freeriding world as well - blowing everyone away with his riding alongside the world's best freeriders on the 2009 O'Neill Big Mountain Pro.
His filming just gets more impressive year on year - catch him this season in Isenseven's Let's Go get Lost.
Favourite riding spot: I don't go places for fun so much. I've never gone to the same place twice. I liked Breckenridge in Colorado - the jumps are good and I've got friends there.
Favourite riding buddies: Erik Botner (I met him through snowboarding)
Snowboarding since the age of: 10
Fredrik Evensen shredding in Japan
Fredrik Evensen shares his Japan pics and diary
Norwegian snowboarder Fredrik Evensen logs in to start his blog from the depths of Japan .
Check out all his new and pictures on his team page.
First time you saw snow?
When I was born. I've skied since I was three months old. We're born with skies on our feet in Norway.
Snowboarding is...?
For fun - but also work. It's something I use to push myself and show other people what I can do.
How easy was snowboarding for you?
I think it came quite easy to me. I grew up doing gymnastics so maybe that helps. I feel sometimes it still does. Sometimes I pick up stuff faster than others. I guess I am talented, but also quite lazy.
Snowboarding pro - childhood ambition?
No. It just sort of happened. I still haven't decided if it's what I want to do. I love doing it as long as I stay healthy and it pays off. I also need to keep the spirit of it. It feels like it's been more for fun than for work - and that's amazing.
How hard was it to become pro?
I never did anything special. I just met other Norwegian riders who were better than the rest. They had a summer camp up a glacier in Norway. The next week I was in Switzerland with Head. I never really worked hard for it. It just happened. I met Tomas (Harstad) on that trip. He had signed for O'Neill. We hung out a bit then I met Franck the O'Neill team manager - and that was it!
Comps vs. filming?
I don't have the competitive edge I think you need. I always underestimate myself. I feel like in competitions everyone is better than me, but then I go and do well sometimes and win stuff which is cool.
Competitions are not my focus or priority. I guess I prefer video and photo shoots. I need to put more energy into practicing to be able to compete better in competitions.
You have to do some events. Talent just doesn't sell itself in snowboarding. But you need to find a good balance.
Is filming easier?
To get a quality video segment you need to put a lot of work into it. You really need to focus on your jumps.
With video you travel constantly. You have to get lucky with the weather. You hike your ass off. No one wants park jumps any more – it's all the natural stuff. You get up at 4am you hike and hike, then go down and fall - you work your ass off for about 3 seconds of film a day.
If you didn't know how to snowboard?
I would be a student like everyone else.
What will you do when you stop?
After snowboarding I don't know. As of right now I want to work in construction – building or architecture. I guess I don't want to carry a hammer round all the time, so more the other side of it.
Home or away?
They are two different worlds to me. At home I have a girlfriend and a separate group of friends to my snowboarding world. They don't really know what I do. It's nice to have. It keeps me in balance. They ask me maybe one question about my time away then we just hang out. Sometimes they'll give me a call and I'll happen to be in Canada - for them it's weird to understand. Hey don't really care. They're so down to earth.
The best place in the world?
Oslo, my hometown. It's a small city but with a lot going on, and it is the most beautiful city.
Your worst trip?
My first time in the USA. I did one run and then crashed with another rider and ruptured my spleen, ended up in hospital for two weeks and then went home.
Worst injury?
My spleen. It didn't hurt but it wasn't fun. I had to take 3 or 4 months of taking it easy. The most painful was when I broke my heel. That burns and hurts so much.
Your perfect day?
7am wakeup call - I usually wake up at 6, so 7 is ok, a round of golf, food - I am thinking an omelet and pancakes, a round of tennis, dinner and movies - and that wraps it up.
Inspiration?
Gigi Ruff is my inspiration now. He's an artist with what he does. He has a style that I enjoy.
What keeps you from snowboarding?
Summer.
- Japan March 01, 2010
- Niseko, Japan
- March 1, 2010
Hey hey..
Ive been in Japan for 10 days already. gone by so fast.
The first weekend I did a my traditional SlopeStyle contest in Niigata.
Conditions were perfect and I felt really good going into the Semi- Finale.
Unfortunately I went down hard in the first round and had to be removed from the course by the medical staff. After being checked by doctors and resting for a couple hours I felt way better, but I still spent the next 5 days getting massages and trying to stretch my back and next as much as possible.
During those days we traveled from Niigata and up north to the North Island to our destination of Asahikawa. We meet up with the hole Head Team and started shooting the next day. I still took it pretty easy due to some small back pains, but still managed to get a few photos.
Then we got a day of rain and the next day cold temperatures. All the nice powder turned into this super depressing icy layer.
We moved out to Niseko which is closer to the coast hoping that a low pressure system moving in would bring some snow. It sure did and we had a super fun day today. We had to take it easy since some places the snow wasn't that deep and you would hit the hard crusty layer underneath. But we had a super productive day with a lot of fun and some nice photos. Hard to beat that..
Im staying here another 4 days then I go back to Austria and keep on filming for isenseven.. (check out the new 2010 teaser www.isenseven.de)
Later
F.