Bio
2007-2005
2004
2003-2001
2000-1998
1997-1992
1991-1987

1997 loads of low budget demos around Finland. Even in the Junior World Championships of Snowboarding at Ruka, northeastern Finland, where the vert ramp was set up on a frozen lake. It was still freezing cold, dry -7*C in March. I met Justin from Brighton, England. He invited me to UK in order to tour around GB in June ’97 with the rest of his team riders. Dope clothing company was the name of the joint. The “Solar-povered tour” opened my ears for English. A couple of weeks later I joined a random Finnish posse to drive around and see a few euro pro events during July. We witnessed some of the best times in the history of contest skating.

1996 Moving out from my parents’ house to live on my own. Doing odd jobs at the building-sites for living, and dreaming about being a pro skater. My sponsor-me-tape convinced the Vans agent of Finland to give me free shoes. The 1st skate shop in my hometown opened up and the scene started evolving. My schoolmate, Samuli organized a vert demo in the centre of Tampere. It was a part of big festival called: Tammerfest, which goes on for about a week in every blessed July. As a result of the Finnish championships, Swedish pro vert skater Mathias hooked me up with a demo in Stockholm and later in December, he even got me on a road trip to the European championships in fabulous Amsterdam, Holland.

1995 February 21st, my 11 months of service were finally over. The conditions while the 330d serving time were very far from the freedom, we are used to in the western way of life. Nevertheless, because of the harsh Finnish weather and the peripheral location the army camp.
Most importantly, I had got my passport back and I was willing to SKATE after a few years disorientation. The Kaukajärvi ramp was soon repaired and all new flip-grab variations were soon landed. The precious 540 came around on 4 wheels on October 22nd.

1994 Graduating with “Laudatur” (A Honors) overall grades from Classical Gymnasium (High school) of Tampere. I started the mandatory military service in April voluntarily, a year, in advance.

1993 No comments

1992 Paradoxically, the nice vert ramp we had gotten less than a year earlier, was skated seldom. Street skating was the vibe. No more free Vision stuff. The vert ramp was soon in bad shape. There was no one skate with, and I wasn’t even interested to. There was more to see in a young man’s world. Prescription glasses completed my anti-skating behavior.