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Skipress - SkiPress Canada Vol.22 No.4 - Index

PARK HITS INTERVIEW
BY GRAHAM GEPHART
Jon Olsson
THE RENAISSANCE
MAN OF SPEED
16 THE SPRING SKIING ISSUE 2008
Photo: BeYaYa/Courtesy of Cross Sportswear
One of the best New Schoolers in the world,
Jon Olsson posted yet another banner year in competitions
and fi lming before spending the summer
launching a video blog, training on water ramps and
trampolines in Sweden; surfi ng in Bali, and racing fast
cars across Europe. The 25-year-old Swede trains hard,
and it seems to be paying off so far this year, with
2nd place at Freestyle.ch and 1st place at Icer Air. Graham
Gephart caught up with Olsson on the road…
Ski Press: How did you come up with the idea for the video blog?
Jon Olsson: I wanted to create a way to show the stuff I do in a more
personal way than a three-minute segment in a ski movie. I wanted to
share the life I live in real time instead of showing it eight months after
it happened.
SP: What’s your process for learning new tricks?
JO: I think a lot about what kind of new things I can do. When an
idea pops up in my head, I keep turning and twisting it to decide
whether it is possible. I either try it on snow or on water ramps, and
most of the time it works out perfect the fi rst time, since I have done
it 1,000 times already in my head.
SP: How did the kangaroo fl ip [Olsson’s signature move] develop?
JO: I got the idea in a pool in Brazil when I held my breath and did
it under water. I worked on it in Australia on the water ramps. Back
in Sweden, I got to do it on snow, and once I rode away from the
fi rst one, I knew that I had something completely new.
SP: Any new double fl ips or spins that you’re working on for this
season?
JO: Last year more and more people started copying the kangaroo,
so I started working on some new doubles. In March I managed to
successfully land two: the DJ fl ip 1260, a spin 630 to fl atspin 630,
and the hexo 1080 fl ip, a switch rodeo 540 to underfl ip 540. I know
I’m pushing the limits again. But people imitate fast, and I need to
keep working hard to stay ahead.
SP: Any competition you’re most looking forward to this year?
JO: On the top on my list is my new event, Jon Olsson Supersessions
in Åre, which has a whole new format and features that will push
the riders harder than any other competition.
SP: Do you still enter any downhill races?
JO: I am actually looking at a comeback in ski racing. I can’t help
wonder how good I could have gotten if I had continued on that track.
SP: What’s the coolest thing in your garage?
JO: For winter, the Lamborghini Gallardo with a ski box and studded
tires. For summer, the 1,000-horsepower Ultima GTR.
Jon’s Olsson Rap Sheet
Age: 25
Born: Sweden
Lives: Monaco
Sponsors: Cross clothing, Head,
Oakley, Kombi, POC, Swix,
Tyrolia and Red Bull.
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