Words: Miljan Milekić
Norwegian destroyer Kevin Bækkel is on fire! Just a couple of days ago, he released his brand new part for Creature called ‘Higher Power,’ but that’s only scratching the surface. He dropped the new colorway for Emerica, new boards for Creature, and held a massive party for the premiere of his part in Oslo. And that’s just in the last couple of months. We couldn’t catch with him at the premiere, or X Games while we were in Norway, but we just had to have him for an interview. So here it is. Check it out!
So the ‘Higher Power’ part is finally out. Tell me more about it – how long did you work on it, and who’s in the team that worked on it with you?
Kevin: I’ve worked on it for a year and a half. It’s pretty much just been random footage from different trips, and just filming with the homie Martin Strøm at home in Oslo.
Every project like this has its ups and downs. What was the hardest thing to get done, and is there anything you had in mind for this video that you didn’t get to do?
Kevin: There was definitely a lot of battles, yeah. Definitely a bunch of stuff I wanted for this part that didn’t happen, but I saved those for the next one.
How do you approach your videos in terms of spots and tricks? Do you have a trick in mind, and then look for an appropriate spot, or you find spots, and then think about the tricks?
Kevin: I always have a couple of tricks in mind in Oslo, the city I live in. I try to get them, and then go on trips and get more stuff.
What’s your favorite moment in ‘Higher Power,’ and the favorite moment in recording it?
Kevin: Probably rolling away from that taildrop. I broke a couple of boards doing that one and ended up doing it on Milton Martinez’s board.
The aesthetics of the new part follows the aesthetics of your new boards for Creature. I feel like the main motive is heavily influenced by Norwegian death metal, and Norway itself, but what was the idea about it?
Kevin: I just really like black metal and Viking stuff, so I like to mix that in with skating.
‘Higher Power’ vs ‘Lisbon to Porto’ – two totally different projects, that it’s hard to believe there is the same person involved in it. How did the first one came out, and is it fair to say that ‘Higher Power’ is much more “you”?
Kevin: Those are two very different videos. Portugal one is a team edit and filmed over a period of two weeks. With my part, I put way more time into it, and I got to be a part of the editing to make it look how I wanted.
So, we got a chance to see the ‘Higher Power’ premiere at Godthåb in Oslo, which you turned into a really interesting event. I also enjoyed both SvartePeeng and DØNK shows, although I don’t know a single word or Norwegian. Are you happy with how it went down?
Kevin: Yeah, it’s turned out really good. The place was packed, and all the homies were there. Both SvartePeeng and DØNK are really good friends of mine, so yeah, it was hella fun!
At the premiere, we could also see your new Wino G6 Slip-On colorway for Emerica. How did that happen, and are you happy with how it turned out?
Kevin: I’ve been skating for Emerica for many years now and they were down to do a colorway with me. So I got my good friend Hanse to do the artwork, and it turned out great!
A day later, we got a chance to see you at the X Games, and it seemed like things didn’t really go your way. You dropped some of the biggest tricks in the contest, but it looked like you couldn’t pull a complete run. What happened?
Kevin: I was definitely pretty hungover from the night before! But it was fun!
How important and inspiring do you think having an event like that can be for the skateboarding community in the country? Especially for the new kids.
Kevin: Definitely very important. I’m very glad that so many people showed up, and made it a crazy party! Hopefully, the next one is gonna be even better!
So, what’s next for you?
Kevin: Just keep doing what I’m doing pretty much, skate, and travel.
Follow Kevin Bækkel:
Instagram: instagram.com/kevinbaekkel