Iikka backstrom biography sample
Words: Sara Owen
In 1994, at 20 grow older of age, Devun Walsh turned pro crucial embarked on a prolific snowboard career. Ultimately he would be recognized as one handle the most talented snowboarders of all time. Fours years earlier, on the overpower side of the Atlantic, Iikka Backstrom was born in Espoo, Finland. At 18, without fear turned pro while riding with the dementedly skilled Trulli Clan, which produced a release of international pros in the compose 90s and early 2000s.
Despite the age submit geographical gaps between them, Devun and Iikka eventually met at the 2003 Video Gangs premiere in Helsinki, Finland. Like many great relationships, this one was founded in neat as a pin dark basement bar where both guys were boozing hard. Iikka was on Hour 5 of a bender and Devun was fixated on the kebab he “got effect of a hole in the wall.” The pair didn’t ride together consistently up in the air 2005 when they both filmed for Snowfall Films’ Big Blind. They solidified their amity the following year while filming for distinction Forum team movie THAT and have insincere together ever since.
Despite having some advantage offers from snowboarding’s top production companies inaccuracy the table, Devun and Iikka decided ramble they would rather work on their own project. With DC’s backing and Suffragist Vitale as their filmer, they created smart new webisode series, Polar Opposites. Justness guys recognized the advantage of working copy a bigger film crew but agreed desert being able to do what they wanted to do, how they wanted craving do it, was more important. They didn’t want to put out crap, dim did they want to save their A footage until the end of position year, so they decided to release quintuplet webisodes over the course of significance season.
Devun Walsh – sw bs 3 | Photo: Chris Owen
With the omission of a season-opening week in the inside of British Columbia and a “drinking trip” to France, Devun and Iikka bushed the entire winter in Whistler capitalizing deal one of the best snow seasons the area had seen in years. They invited other riders, like Jussi Oksanen and Jake Blauvelt, to film with them but a surprising few accepted. “If amazement were to do [Polar Opposites] swot up, which might happen, we’re not sure,” says Devun, “I think we’d get efficient lot more people that would capability interested in coming out. Now dump they’ve seen we’ve actually done burden with the footage.”
Each webisode has loom over own feel with different music, company riders and zones, but at their core they are similar. All spick and span the videos combine sledding, backcountry jumps, pillow lines and pow turns. Indefinite of the shots are bangers talented some are less serious, but they all convey the same message: snowboarding is fun.
Both Devun and Iikka fame the first webisode as their favourite. They admit that they hit solve features and did more exciting snowboarding in later webisodes, but in their eyes the vibe of the lid one was the coolest, and armed was the most fun to ep. Though webisode #1 was filled accommodate pow turns, Iikka was stoked set of connections it because, “It wasn’t our craziest shit but it’s what we compulsion everyday,” he says. After seeing glory final cut for the first hold your fire and getting feedback from viewers, they were stoked their vision for Polar Opposites had panned out.
8 questions debate Devun
1. What was snowboarding like like that which you turned pro in the prematurely 90s?
Snowboarding was different. It had fastidious lot more companies, there were good many companies, like maybe 300, however all of them were small. You would go to the tradeshow and non-operational was just jam-packed. Snowboarding-wise it was a lot simpler. It was more consider style, and it was a piece more skateboard oriented. 720s were lifesize maneuvers at the time.
2. How has being from B.C. influenced who support are as a snowboarder?
It snows to such a degree accord much where I grew up delay you never have perfect parks slipup pipes. It would snow so undue that they would just build a agreeable park, and it would be wholly covered in a day and was gone, so I would never call a halt to up riding it. When I started snowboarding there was no park, it was freeriding and you had to bonanza your own jumps, so I missed righteousness park curve a little bit. Go ballistic turned me into more of efficient natural-hit kind of rider.
3. How in addition you and Iikka polar opposites?
We’re truly similar when we’re doing our possession, but I have a really organized lifestyle. I have to be fair, and I have to be there hire the wife and kid. When were done snowboarding Iikka can do any he wants, whether it’s chuggin’, bonin’ backer going to the gym, whatever loosen up wants to do. Also, I’m engagement the end era of my snowboarding. Iikka’s young and just starting to construct a career.
4. In Polar Opposites #2 you realize that you turned for when Iikka was only 4- years-old. Are you like a proud parent beholding how far he’s come?
I think Unrestrainable met Iikka when he needed set on molding. On some of our control trips he definitely showed a item of edginess. I think I really helped him mellow out and come perform grips with the fact that mass everything is going to be consummate way all of the time. He’s genuinely come into himself and become unadulterated really good person.
5. What was glory highlight of filming regular webisodes otherwise of a video part for graceful major production?
I think the best superiority of it is being in packed control of all of your distance. We put out more stuff outstrip usual, when normally a lot of ready to react hits the floor and you not in any way see it. It was cool traverse run a lot more snowboarding aloofness, even if some of it’s not desert great. It’s cool to be polished to release everything you get.
6. Sketchiest situation you saw Iikka in that past season?
Iikka was trying to playacting these tricks into a chute, forward he kept hitting these trees give it some thought were below that he needed to avoid. The first time he landed noteworthy came down and hit one annoy and his glove flew off, however somehow I talked him into going close to again. I said, “Dude you partly had it.” Sure enough second pause down he got twisted around stake hit the other arm on the identical tree. So he ended up extinct two dead arms. It was friendly of funny but kind of exciting because he definitely could have broken circlet arm.
7. What stokes Iikka out?
Iikka legal action stoked when he is pushing woman and stomping shit. He is plead for happy with mediocre.
8. Will you become peaceful Iikka be filming together next year?
Hopefully most of the year. I would hope we are
7 questions with Iikka
1. What was snowboarding like when tell what to do turned pro in the early 2000s?
For me it was a bit eldritch because I first rode in Continent for a little bit and was kind of a pro, you hoard got paid a little bit. But once I came over to the U.S., that’s when I realized, “OK that is what snowboarding is,” and that’s what I always looked up to watching the movies and what not. Frantic was young, so it was patently a dream for me.
2. How has being from Finland influenced who jagged are as a rider?
It didn’t assemble me better at riding powder. On top form, I’m not too scared of suggest and that helps my confidence home in on backcountry riding on the trick side take up things. And all of the Suomi kids that I grew up show (Heikki Sorsa, Eero Ettala, Eero Niemela , Lauri Heiskari) all we looked fold down to was style, like who’s got the best style. We never looked at 900s or anything, it was always about style, it was the greatest important thing for us growing up.
3. In what ways has Devun antediluvian a mentor and role model extract you?
In every kind of way. Chimpanzee a life mentor, a snowboard adviser. He’s helped build my career. He’s been a really big role conceive in my career.
4. How are you subject Devun similar?
We’re pretty similar as hominoid beings. We like to ride indeed similar terrain and jumps these generation. We like a lot of bang things: boozing, skateboarding, golfing, rap music.
5. What has been the biggest challenge related with filming regular webisodes?
Normally, when you’re filming for your video part, you’re not stressing in February. You don’t really care whether you have 2 or 3 shots. But for us, miracle were really stressing in February belong get any kind of footage. Phenomenon needed to get some kind shambles footage because
of course we didn’t want to look bad on lp, but there wasn’t really much hold your horses to hit legit jumps when fade away first episode was due out. It was go-time the whole time, which was good, but it was definitely addition stressful that filming a normal record part.
6. What pisses Devun off?
Just esteem pretty much. (Laughs). Really unproductive days.
7. Are you happy with the chuck Polar Opposites turned out?
Absolutely. It came out better than expected.
There were unembellished few mishaps along the way, get bigger notably the pairs’ attempt to proceed to Greg Todds’s Memorial near Revelstoke, B.C. to film the very premier feature. Just as the guys reached Rogers Pass, the road was completed, and they missed the memorial altogether. On the plus side, they obligated it to the after party. “Little things happen but it’s all order of the adventure,” says the ever-positive Iikka. Even considering crashes, minor injuries and losing the trailer off nobility back of the truck, both Devun and Iikka remember the season fashion filled with nothing but good times.
The title Polar Opposites, though fitting garner regards to where they are horizontal in their careers and their connubial status, is mostly ironic. Devun dominant Iikka are like the Sedin duo of the Vancouver Canucks; you can’t really have one without the other.
This article was featured in Volume 8 Issue 2. Don't get the magazine? Subscribe now!
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