let's face reality...NORWAY IS PRETTY DAMN AMAZING!
I have met a number Norwegians.
They are super friendly...seriously stoked on skateboarding and just seem happy to be here.
What is the secret? Please....tell us what's really going on up there in the land of the Vikings
I have a number of Norwegian subscribers...and I know I raised this topic before..but I raise it again because some may have missed it...
It is a little known fact that Norway is the only country on earth that has ever declared skateboarding and the possession of skateboards to be a criminal offence. Between 1977 and 1989 it was illegal to import, possess or ride a skateboard. The reasoning behind this, according to the Norwegian Government, is that the Ministry of Transport and Communications, along with the Ministry of Environment believed that skateboarding was a reckless pursuit which endangered not only the skaters themselves but also the elderly who walked the streets. This reckoning resulted in one of Norway's most obscure laws being passed, a total ban on skateboarding and associated paraphernalia. The Oslo Games serves as a tribute to those skaters who flouted the law and kept skating alive in Norway in the face of great hostility and under threat of criminal prosecution.
The history of Norwegian skating is unique. While bureaucrats used legislation and the police used heavy handed techniques in their efforts to eliminate skateboarding in Norway a small group of approximately 40 skaters used their ingenuity and passion to keep it alive. During the 12 years of prohibition these skaters travelled to Sweden, The U.S and Britain to get their inspiration and returned to Norway with new skills and ideas. Secret spots were discovered around Norway where they could hone their skills away from the watchful eye of the police.
One such discovery was Slemmestad Pipe, a tight, steel pipe which was popular in 77⁄78 and played a significant role in establishing the Norwegian skate scene. Skaters from all over Oslo would meet at Slemmestad, inspired by punk rock and American skate mags a culture developed and vert was skated for the first time in Norway. In the summer of 78, as the skating was becoming serious and Lars Petter Lunder (LP) made his way to 11 o'clock and did Norway's first gay twist with his board strapped to his feet the police raided the spot and ordered factory workers to weld a steel bar across the pipe.
LP was the most successful skater of his generation. His talent on a vert ramp was so undeniable that most of us who grew up in the 80's were sure he would become a big time pro. In 1980 in Sweden he skated a demo alongside old school legends Stacy Peralta and Allan Gelfand impressing the crowd with his aggressive style. It was at this event that Jason d'Ancona told Stacy about the prohibition of skating in Norway. Peralta later wrote about this in an article for Action Now, much to the enthusiasm of all Norwegian skaters.
As skating under prohibition became a way of life for most Norwegian skaters many ramps were built in secret. These undercover operations were frequently raided by police and boards were confiscated. Extreme measures were put in place by the skaters to evade the law including painting ramps in camouflage colors and placing barbed wire strategically around the ramp to ensure their get away before being detained by police.
As skaters thought of ever more ingenious ways to keep their culture alive a young arts student, Anders Wittusen, turned his hand to the production and sale of illegal skateboards. His brand, True Art Of Norway and Utopia, produced 80% of all boards used in Norway. In the late 70's his boards were simply copies of Dog Town boards but he later experimented with his own designs which have since become iconic in the Norwegian scene. Inspired by the art of Andy Warhol, they were even exported to Denmark and England, with his caricature of the Norwegian Crown Princess, the "Colonel Sonja" model, being the most recognizable and popular of his designs. Jason d'Ancona "The father of Norwegian skating" once said that Anders Wittusen was responsible for keeping skating alive throughout the prohibition.
Then finally after 12 years of prohibition the Norwegian Government over turned its decision to criminalize skateboarding. In 1989 the ban was lifted and met with an industry boom which was so immense that cheap skateboards could be purchased in almost every store and even at petrol stations.
That summer Neil Blender and Craig Johnson were the first pros to visit Norway and were treated as rock stars. The old schoolers embarked on national demo tours and inspired kids around Norway to pick up a board and just skate. The rest, as they say, is history. 21 years after the ban was lifted the Oslo Games will be the first ever professional international skateboarding contest to be held in Norway; it's been a long time coming but we can assure you it will be worth the wait.
Re: let's face reality...NORWAY IS PRETTY DAMN AMAZING!
Quote:
Originally Posted by skategeezer
I heard today there are 400,000 Canadians of NORWEGIAN descent...surely some are longboarders!
Same is to say about the upper midwest (MN, ND, SD, WI, IA) in the US. You're either of German or Norwegian descent here. I know thats a pretty big generalization but its darn close to that!
...and I'm German.
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let's face reality...NORWAY IS PRETTY DAMN AMAZING!
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