Recently we got tagged in an instagram post of a skater pushing down the most epic looking road ever. That skater was Erik Sander. We managed to grab him for a quick interview before he heads out on an adventure.
SF: Hi Erik, thanks for giving us the time for this interview. Tell us about yourself and what you are up to!
Erik: My name is Erik Sander, 31 years old from Stockholm/Sweden. My academic background is in Biomedicine with a major in Physical Training. So over the last 7 years I’ve had two of my own gyms, one in Stockholm and one in Gothenburg. Alongside the gyms I’ve lectured and educated physical trainers in Nutrition and also worked as a consultant for others gyms teaching the trainers in how to keep the members at the gym to make sure paying members aren’t dying from boredom, which basically is the entire industry’s biggest problem.
But, ironically, I died from boredom working with gyms and decided to try to be an adventurer. For real. And I’ve always loved extreme sports, anything with a board really (I’ve done seasons in Bad Gastein, Vail). I addition to that I love nature/the outdoors and also physical challenges. So first up, past summer, to see if I had what it takes, me and Swedish adventurer Kajsa Silow longboarded 1400km around Iceland.
SF: Iceland! We’ve seen a few people skating Iceland – how was it?
Erik: It was spectacular, what a magical place! Phenomenal nature and surrounding, tough conditions with the landscape/terrain and the weather – such a cool adventure!
So when I got back from Iceland I was thirsty for more, and now I knew that I had what it takes to longboard 50km a day, live in tent, keep all my stuff in a backpack and eat shitty food for long periods of time. And Sweden is a beautiful country with a vast variety of landscape, reaching even above the Arctic Circle, so that is going to be my next adventure. The route I’m doing is more than 5000 km long and I will start the first of May and hopefully finish by the end of August!
SF: So why skateboarding?
Erik: Why not skateboarding? To longboard around a country with all your belongings and a tent in your backpack makes you see your own country in a different and unique way. Longboarding lets me combine the best things in life – extreme sports, the outdoors, physical challenges and adventure!
SF: We couldn’t agree more. What are you looking forward to the most?
Erik: What I look forward to the most is all that stuff that you cannot plan ahead. All the people that I’ll meet along the roads, all the magical places where I’ll put up my tent for the night far away from reality and all the downhills that I’ll suddenly get to enjoy after exhausting uphills!
SF: Tell us about the poles!
Erik: If you’re going to skate for 120 days, with all that extra weight on your back you going to want to make sure to use both upper and lower body. It’s not healthy to longboard for such a long time, and if you can give your legs a rest every now and then it’s golden!
SF: As a seasoned adventurer, do you have any hints or tips you could let others in on?
Erik: My tips for people who want to skate for long periods of time with a backpack is to pack lightly. You don’t need a dozen pairs of underwear, turn them inside out a couple of times and then burn them. Have only one pair of everything you need, to carry extras around is not worth it, your back will thank you later. And when you get back home after a couple of weeks or months you can change your underwear ten times a day if you want!
SF: Where can people find out more about your skate around Sweden?
Erik: If you want to follow my adventure around Sweden (1th of May – late august) follow the instgram page @sandersaventyr or check out sander’s adventures on facebook or go to my website at sandersadventures.se
SF: Thanks Erik – we look forward to following your adventure when it starts!
SkateFurther 