– Do you feel a bit like a rock star? I asked Tommy Ingebrigtsen. There was Tuesday during the world championships in Trondheim, but we were not even close to the Granasen hill, where the competition takes place. We sat on the backstage of the small Pub Fru Lundgreen in the city center. Tommy took me here and planted me at a table with a dozen or so empty beer cans. And around a dozen or so more ready for the rest of the evening. – NO. “Rockman” is probably a more appropriate word – the Norwegian laughed.
Today he is primarily a musician, although I know him mainly as a former ski jumper. Ingebrigtsen became famous for the successes of 1995, when he first became the junior world champion in Galivare, France, and a few weeks later he did the same at the Senior World Championships in Thunder Bay, in addition on a large hill. He became a great sensation of the world of jumping and the hope of the Norwegians. In the following years he was in the lead, he won medals of great events, but he never ruled jumps as during those several days. Although he was remembered so well that today it is not difficult to get to know his characteristic mustache and beard.
Ingebrigtsen was nervous on the stage than 30 years ago on the hill
We talked to Tommy just after the concert of his band, The Flying Norsmen, but this evening was not limited to the world of music. Before Ingebrigtsen and the other band members went out on the stage, there were a lot of conversations and memories in the pub. The whole event was also devoted to Tommy-Skoczek. A large part of the competition with Thunder Bay with a commentary of the legendary journalist Arne Scheie was displayed behind the instruments set up on a tiny stage. Then, gathered in the club, they could even take part in the Quiz of knowledge about Tommy, his career jumper and team. He lodged them when they answered the displayed questions on the phones. Only later did he take his guitar, classic Gibson Les Paul, and stood behind the microphone.
When the second jump of the leader after the first series of Ingebrigtsen was displayed, there was such a turmoil at the club as if we were watching the broadcast from Granasen. As if he was jumping now at the World Cup in Trondheim. After landing, the turmoil turned into ovations for the world champion. And Ingebrigtsen, standing among friends and families with a glass of beer in one hand, raised the other high up and clenched his fist. As hard as then in Canada.
– I'm not sure if this is not the first time I see this recording. I probably watched the jump after 1995, but I don't start this competition every evening when I sit on the couch. It was nice to remember what it all looked like – Tommy later told me later. And he immediately added: – This evening was my second Thunder Bay. I was stressed even more than there. I not only played for the first time, but also sang live on stage. Until now, others have done it, we also have a lot of instrumental songs, so there was additional pressure. It came out cool, but I was nervous.
First, he “parody” his old team and appeared in the mask. Now he sings and plays theremina
One could ask: What were you nervous? Because for Ingebrigtsen this concert was a kind of great family, friends and old friends. Conversation on the backstage every now and then someone interrupted us. But it didn't bother, just added charm agowhat happened. It was felt that almost everyone with everyone in this room knew each other. And, most importantly, everyone knows Ingebrigtsen. – Do you see this queue to the bar? Everyone who stands there is a former bass player of this band – one of Tommy's friends talked and laughed. It is known that he exaggerated, but at the same time he gave the image of the interior of the pub well and the one who filled the pub.
The Flying Norsemen in the past was a tribute band presenting the songs of another band in which Ingebrigtsen – Arabs in Aspic once played. Ingebrigtsen claims that it was a kind of “parodying” these pieces. He even played in the mask then, but now he doesn't use it anymore. He also quickly understood that it is better to produce your own music. And this is how an album was created, from which the material sounded on Tuesday in Trondheim. – However, this is not the beginning of doing it all seriously. Creating The Flying Norsmen is a nice hobby, but only a hobby. We play several concerts a year and it will be enough. We play with music, we do it for our friends and ourselves. This is my natural environment – explained Ingebrigtsen. This is his passion since the child who was started by dad. He played in a slightly larger band, went on routes, and in Fru Lundgreen he appeared even more often than now.
The syndrome plays a hybrid of progressive rock, with elements of blues, metal and electronics. Heavy riffs and solos on guitars are connected primarily with the sounds from Theremin – something that looks like a box with a small, protruding antenna, at which the hands are operated, so that the instrument makes sounds resembling howl, moans or interference of radio waves. It was during the concert – next to the vocals and guitar – in Ingebrigtsen.
Tommy still lives with jumps. He trains Norwegian talent and worries about injuries
Interestingly, one of the first coaches of Marius Lindvik played on the drums in The Flying Norsmen. And among the audience in the club on Tuesday was even the father of the new world champion. Ingebrigtsen chanted the name of the jumper in front of one of the songs. – He impressed me, I'm damn proud. I watched his gold from the TV, but I will be on a large hill – assured Tommy. And he noticed that he was the last Norwegian world champion from a large object. He calculated that 30 years have passed, and admitted that he wanted it to change in Trondheim on Saturday in his eyes.
– I still love jumps, I follow them day after day. I live them and love to watch them. Sure, they are completely different than in my time. I don't like everything about them, recently I feel sorry for the waves of injured players from Norway. And I think you should think if the current bindings are completely safe, because they seem to have a significant impact on the fact that many end with broken knees. The equipment affects the fact that it is probably easier to jump today. Several players were really good in my period. Always three at the highest level. And now? 30 jumpers can win because it has well -fit, stable equipment. It got completely different – said Ingebrigtsen.
It also remains close to the jumps in a different way: it helps in training Norwegian junior, hope for local jumps, Alvin Le. The 16-year-old is quite popular in the environment of discipline thanks to distant jumps from training thrown into social media. – I am partly his trainer, we work. This year a little less, but before I looked after him for three years. He is a talented and talented young jumper. He has a chance to break into the lead in the future if he develops properly. I am glad that I can help him, I am always excited when I go with him on a hill – Tommy described.
“Małysz was insurmountable. He jumped in another league”
I also asked Ingebrigtsen about this famous 1995 and what he remembers from Thunder Bay. – That I was damn strong. I won the Junior World Championships and I had no problem to translate the form to the senior World Championships. It may be unusual, in fact, but I really jumped very well for several weeks. And in Canada, almost all jumps were perfect. Maybe except for one of the teams and the other series on the normal hill. I had a lot of confidence. I was basically convinced that I would win on a large hill. I didn't think much about what was going on around. I woke up, went to the hill, then went upstairs, jumped and landed far. Simple, but it worked like that – said Norwegian.
He did not repeat such successes as 30 years ago in his career. But apart from gold from a large hill in Thunder Bay, he won the silver and bronze of the world championships in Val di Fiemme, two gold medals in the team at the World Championships in Planica and Bad Mitterndorf Flight Championships, as well as Olympic bronze from Turin in the team. And especially it is silver from the normal hill in Predazzo from the World Championships in 2003 can remember well Polish Fans. Because Ingebrigtsen only lost to Małysz. And basically he was crushed by a huge 16-point advantage. – I looked at his jumps and said: Well, I won't do anything about it. He was insurmountable, he jumped in another league. That's why I focused on myself and it turned out to be good. I gave good jumps to get silver, I was in good shape – he recalled.
Ingebrigtsen ended his career in 2007, but two years earlier he took part in one of the best, if not the best ski flight competition in history. The competition of March 20, 2005 became legendary. Ingebrigtsen, who was considered a great aviator and in the years 1999-2000 he was a world record holder for a moment (219.5 meters achieved in Planica), first he leveled the record in them when he landed on the 231st meter. Then he flew five meters away, but he fell.
– It was crazy. Many players jumped with a very offensive technique and approach. And many were at a great level – he pointed out. When I asked what was happening before the competition, he immediately smiled. In the same competition, Bjoern Einar Romoeren set a world record – 239 meters, and Janne Ahonen collapsed, although he flew a meter away. Years later, it turned out that Finn jumped after he drank a lot the previous night. – Well, nothing special happened with us. We relaxed, ha, ha! And that others liked to drink more? It happens – says Tommy Ingebrigtsen with a grain of salt. And laughing, he takes a sip of beer.
Ingebrigtsen left Zakopane with a Polish image on the cover. Now he will return to the off stage?
Ingebrigtsen treats jumping and playing in a team as his hobby, and has been working in a company that supports Norwegian staff, Nammo for 14 years. Another bond in some way connecting him with the world of jumping.
There is also another line between him and Poland. And basically between The Flying Norsemen and our country. This is Julia, who designs his covers through her paintings. She created the one for a new album, but she also mentions that she cooperated with Ingebrigtsen while he was a jumper. – Once after the competition he took the painted picture from Zakopane, because it was to be used for the needs of one cover – she cited Shelfwhich moved to Norway because of the band and boyfriend who plays with Ingebrigtsen.
She also revealed that The Flying Norsmen would gladly play a single concert in Poland. They even thought to try to interest in the history of Artur Rojek's band, which creates the Off Festival in the Three Ponds Valley in Katowice. That's why who knows: maybe Ingebrigtsen will return to Poland after years of jumping to show people his other face? It would be a unique buckle.