Interview with Norway’s Ludvig Søgnen Jensen at NENSA Rollerski Tour 2018

Interviews

BLOGS

MOST POPLULAR

Interview with Norway’s Ludvig Søgnen Jensen at NENSA Rollerski Tour 2018

by Noah Simms

August 31, 2018 (Lake Placid, NY) – SkiTrax caught up with top Norwegian roller skier, Ludvig Søgnen Jensen, the world’s fastest cross-country skier in the new discipline of Super Sprint racing, following the NENSA Rollerski Tour Celebrity Deathmatch – Jensen vs Newell in Lake Placid, NY, on August 8. Read more about the Celebrity Deathmatch here and the new Bag Balm NENSA Rollerski series launch here.

Celebrity Deathmatch © Reese Brown

Was this your first visit to the USA?
Ludvig Søgnen Jensen: No, I’ve been in the states before. I have been in NYC a couple times on vacation, and Washington DC to visit a friend. But this is the first time I got to go outside of that concrete jungle, and spend some time in the “real USA”. It’s been nice to go to some new places and explore New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts.

Ludvig Søgnen Jensen (l) and Andy Newell [P] Reese Brown

Ludvig Søgnen Jensen (l) and Andy Newell © Reese Brown

What about Canada – ever been?
LSJ: Never been, but would love to go though.

Pls give us a brief history of yourself.
LSJ: I’m a 29-year-old skier and student at The Norwegian School of Sports Science. I grew up in Oslo and started skiing at the local track when I was about three years old (and maybe with my family even before). I did all distances growing up, but desided to become a sprinter. In 2013 I got a wild-card for the Super Sprint at the Bislet stadium in Oslo and won the race. I beat [Petter] Northug, [Federico] Pellegrino, [Andy] Newell and other big names in that race. Then I got the opportunity to represent Team Jobzone, a private sprint team in Norway, and traveled around Europe to compete in the Super Sprint distances (100m in winter, and normally 200m rollerski in summer). I haven’t lost one 100m Super Sprint on snow since 2013.

© courtesy of LSJ

How big is rollerskiing vs XC skiing in Norway?
LSJ: XC skiing is bigger, it’s the most popular sport in Norway. But lots of skiers use rollers to train for the winter season. Now we have the FIS Rollerski World Cup, and other big events like the Blink Skifestival, Alliansloppet and Toppidrettsveka which attracts the media, top skiers (including the USA and Canada) and spectators. Canada’s Alex Harvey was recently 2nd and 5th at Toppidrettsveka 2018.

© courtesy of LSJ

Tell us about any special training you do?
LSJ: I do a lot of sprinting, both winter and summer. I rest longer in between reps and sets compared to distance racers, and I lift more weights in the gym. A normal sprint session is about 15-20 sprints with about 3-5 min rest in between.

Ludvig Søgnen Jensen with Manager Steffen Aabel © courtesy of LSJ

What motivated you to concentrate or excel in roller-skiing?
LSJ: I focus even more on the winter season, but I do both. The reason is that there is not so many Super Sprint events (100-200m), so I like to be able to compete. And in the summer I get to work on stuff for the winter.

Newell and Jensen behind U16 100m super sprint winners Will Koch (l) and Quin Massey-Bireman [P] Reese Brown

Newell and Jensen behind U16 100m super sprint winners Will Koch (l) and Quin Massey-Bireman © Reese Brown

What were your impressions of the roller-skiing scene in the USA?
LSJ: I like to look at rollerski and xc skiers as the same group, and I was definitely impressed with how many good young skiers there are in the States. I was at the USA U16 National camp in Lake Placid, and got to sprint with the girls and it was a lot of fun. Hopefully (and I believe) you’ll have a new Kikkan [Randall] or Jessie [Diggins] coming up soon.

How was the Celebrity Deathmatch against Andy Newell ?
LSJ: That was so much fun. I’ve always looked up to Newell as one of the best skiers in the world, and I used to watch film clips of him when I was younger. He has been a huge inspiration. He beat me in the agility race, and I got the win in the 100m, as expected.

We saw some skills / training videos that were impressive – is it similar in Norway?
LSJ: The agility course was so “cool”. We don’t have that in Norway, but I might bring the idea with me. I think it’s a good way for the kids (and pros) to train and practice the basic stuff – and it was a lot of fun at the same time. It was amazing to see how Newell and some of the younger boys and girls, went down that track.

What’s the biggest race you’ve competed in?
LSJ: I’ve been doing a lot of Super Sprints in the last few years. The one in Oslo in 2013 was pretty cool. It was live on TV with 10,000 spectators and a lot of world-class skiers. I also did a competiton in Östersund, Sweden last year that was pretty big. I’ve been competing in countries such as Sweden, Korea, Italy, France, Germany, Estonia, Finland and others, and I hope to do a competition in USA in this winter.

Do you get nervous before big competitions… and how do you handle it?
LSJ: I do during the days before. But come race-day I get my nerves in order and just think about doing the right thing. I focus my thoughts on the technical stuff, and about beating the other guys.

What’s coming up on your schedule?
LSJ: I am going to Sweden for an upcoming rollerski competition called the Alliansloppet – it’s the world’s largest, and is pretty cool. And then there’s a World Cup race in Italy in September, before I leave for a couple of training camps. The winter season kicks off around November 1st, so I’ve got to be ready.

Any other comments to add?
LSJ: Been such a great time in the US. I’ve got to thank NENSA, and Justin Beckwith for inviting me. I have had so much fun, and it has been cool to meet all those young skiers. I really wish the best for the US Ski Team. Hope to be back soon, and maybe for a Super Sprint on snow. That vould be awesome! Follow me on Instagram if you want to see what I am up to @Luddeyo.

Thanks for your time and all the best this coming season.
LSJ: Thanks

Interviews, News Comments (0)