Travel Essentials: Sven Boekhorst
No matter how many times blading pays homage to Sven Boekhorst, it is unlikely that the man ever gets the credit he is truly due. Over the last two decades, Sven has won pretty much every major park competition, collecting trophies and stealing all of Aaron Feinberg‘s prize money, until he eventually decided to end his career as a professional athlete during the 2013 Winterclash edition.
Although he doesn’t compete anymore, Sven has actually grown increasingly busy ever since. In addition to organizing various events like the Mind The Gap series with his own company SB Events, he has worked on a handful of high-profile video sections in unusual locations like churches and army boats, with the help of some close friends who have remained dedicated to the cause over the years.
Along with them, Sven has toured across the Netherlands and all over Europe with his own ramp, thus creating the Cityhopper series and bringing blading to the masses in an exciting new format! As the third opus is just about to be released on November 30th, we caught up with Sven and took a look into his luggage as he was about to board his flight to Shanghai: welcome to Cityhopper World!
What’s your destination this time and how long you’re on the road?
My destination is Shanghai, China for 8 days.
What’s the one item you wish you would (but you don’t) have for your travels?
My own van in China so I wouldn’t have to sit sometimes for 2,5 hours in the back of our Chinese van on the Cityhopper ramp.
Favorite airport?
I always like Schiphol, Amsterdam. I know my way around and can still speak Dutch.
Your trick to beat jet lag?
Best trick is to get as much sleep as possible and try to go with the flow in the country that you’re traveling to.
Any travel tips/suggestions?
I always try to organize everything as good as possible because you know on the road there will always be problems you could not have known. That’s also what makes traveling a lot of fun at the same time. Always try to bring enough cash money, it just feels good to have enough money no matter what happens.
Roll or fold clothes?
Fold.
Travel essentials:
Trousers, T-shirts, socks, shorts
Shoes Cap – Dice something
Map with information about the flight, accommodation, contact person, spots, schedule
Laptop + external hard-disk to have all the files double
Tattoo Cityhopper skate
Rollerblade Twister skates which we use for the 80MM project and to search for spots
Knee, shin, hip, and wrist protection. Needed those to take care of injuries.
Extra set of soulplates, bearings, 8 Hydrogen wheels
Allen key
Bungee cord to get extra speed for some spots
Sunglasses
Tapeline to calculate the height or the distance for some spots
Double USB stick for the car
Iphone, Charger, headphone
Plug box + converter for China
4 different Cityhopper stickers
Round timer for making fun time-lapses with my phone
Tripod and fisheye for my phone
GoPro + handle for extra angles
Identifier from my bank
Passport
Cash money
Wonder what Sven’s life on the road looks like? Take a look: