Jim Penske is the current US champion and got second at the last world championships. He recently released a video that you can buy for only 5$. The video is over 10 minutes long and is definitely worth the money. You buy the dvd by paying 5$ to genzu at footbag dot org using paypal. And then they will provide you with a download link to a high quality version of the video. Soon you will also be able to buy a dvd here. The video has alot of locations and very subtle but nice editing. Penske's shred is as always off the hook but there isn't really anything groundbreaking in the video. The music is very varied which can be seen as both a good and a bad thing. I think the first track works best but I am also a bit of a hiphop enthusiast. The tracklist is:
The video is edited and filmed by Zeb Jackson who is fast becoming one of my favorite video makers in the footbag community. He is also working on a longer DVD project with Lon Smith, Jim Penske and Jorden Moir. The video is called 3kings. You can see a trailer for that video here.
Lise Thygesen is a freestyle footbagplayer, firespinner, big city girl and an ex shred30 world champion from Copenhagen, Denmark currently located in Africa.
Lise shredding in beautiful Copenhagen
Hey Lise Describe a typical day in the life of Lise Thygesen?
Wake up > Beat myself up for oversleeping (and missing school) > Do nerdy stuff on my computer > Footbag > Work > More nerding or hanging out with people and having adult fun > Go to sleep late –Rpt.
Why and how did you start to play footbag?
I was always fascinated by odd skills. The human body is capable of learning so many interesting things. It never ceases to surprise me and I love that. Years back I spent lots of time hacky-sacking. Me and my hacky friends thought we were really something, inventing tricks and all..! haha. When I was finally introduced to footbag it really blew my mind. All of sudden I was seeing things I couldn’t even comprehend, and it looked so spectacular and awesome! After attending my first tournament in Frankfurt 2003 I decided to start practicing and try to learn some of those crazy skills. Have been pretty much addicted since then.
You have been to tournaments all over Europe for quite some years now. What is the best tournament you have ever attended?
There have been so many awesome tournament experiences through the years. It’s hard to pick out a best one, but maybe Worlds 2006 in Frankfurt. That one seems to really stand out in my memory as a thoroughly fantastic week. I have a feeling Worlds in Prague this summer will be epic too.
You are known as a player with a fantastic style but what do you self like about your game?
I like to try and focus on how my game looks to non-footbaggers. This sometimes makes it a fun and interesting thing to watch, which I like. Other than that I like the ducking and diving stuff..! But to be honest I’m not a huge fan of my style. There are lots of guys out there that are way more pleasant to watch.
What do you dislike about your style?
Slurryness. Sloppyness. Out-of-balance-ness.. Makes me cringe.... almost! haha
What position does footbag have in your life right now?
I guess you could say that footbag is a pretty big part of my life. I still tend to try and make other things in my life revolve round it, although my excitement for the sport is not quite the same as it used to be. I’ve stopped spending all my money on tournaments and I guess also picked up my old party-lifestyle a bit. That being said I’m not sure I can think of a cooler sport and I still play pretty often. I really like all the people I get to hang out and play with and feel very fortunate to have met so many incredible individuals through this sport. You guys! You’re all stars.
What position do you think it will take in the future?
Hmm.. Part of what got me so excited about footbag was the fact that I could surprise myself skill wise. But I’m starting to feel that my limits have been reached, and have been thinking a lot about finding some other activity to get me excited and motivated to work hard. Could be fun… I don’t imagine I’d completely stop footbag just yet, but maybe just tone it down to a ‘secondary sport’ with focus on the social and sunny experiences.
I hear you are in Africa right now. Why is that?
Various reasons. Main one being that my dad moved here half a year ago and I wanted to come visit. I lost my heart to Africa when I was very young, having lived most of my childhood here. Also, the rest of my family is spread out all over the world and I didn’t feel like being the last one left in cold, wet and windy Denmark. I can do my school stuff from here, thanks to the www. And it seems I can do bigger tricks too!
What are your plans for this summer?
Roskilde Festival. I’ve attended this music festival since 1996 and it has always been my favourite week of the year. Also going to Portugal on a family holiday which I look very much forward to. I really like this country and I really love my family. Then of course Worlds in Prague. No need to say how cool this will be. Might have to do some work in between to afford these plans… The rest of the time I plan to be enjoying Dopenhagen, just cruisin’ and chillin’ wearing sun glasses and big smiles.
Any chance of you winning back your world shred30 champion title from Tina this year?
Sure. If Tina and the other girls all get sick or break their legs, I should have a fair chance. :D
Why do you think there are more male than female footbag players?
Girls like to chit-chat and go shopping. And send text messages and dress like they’re on MTV. And not sweat in public. Haha.. No, I really don’t know the answer to that question. I have many theories though, but I’ll spare you from my blabber.
Do you feel like a female in a male world when attending footbag session or tournaments?
Yes, sometimes. But I don’t mind too much. I like hanging out with guys.
Okay, before we end this interview - a question from Matt Cross: "Will you marry me?"
Of course.
Thanks a bunch for taking the time to do this Lise. Do you have any shout outs?
Mads and Mads for encouraging and supporting me ever since the first day we met, and doing so much for the sport in our little country. (which is a lot!) Also my sister Anne for always being there. When I first started getting obsessed with this sport, she put up with so much talk, viewing of random videos and all sorts of other nerdyness from me. I’m sure she didn’t find it half as interesting as I did, but was just being the good sister that she is. I love her. Today she plays footbag too and I feel really lucky to be able to share the passion with one of the most important people in my life.
Matt Cross is a twenty something year old shredder, stitcher, mc, beatboxer, guitarist, singer and an all out awesome guy. We here bring a short interview with him.
Matt MCing at the NYFA Freestyle Symposium, November 07.
Hey Matt! To start out with I want you to describe yourself with lets say 5 words.
"arguably not worth the effort" I'm a bit of a strange person, and I don't really get along with most people, so it's difficult for me to make friends most of the time. However, when it comes to the people with whom I truly connect, it's totally worth the fact that it's difficult for me.
If I visited you in SUNY Fredonia, NY what would we do?
Well, first we would have a session, because there are lots of great indoor and outdoor spots to play footbag in Fredonia, and people here seem to think freestyle is pretty cool. The soccer players like to check it out and ask questions, sometimes people will sit and play guitar while Jeff Hastings and I do some kicking. Then, we would probably chill out at my house and watch Feet on Fire (which should be coming in the mail ANY DAY NOW!) and drink some delicious local beers from Ellicottville Brewing Company... you're 21, right?
Feet on Fire is looking dope I should order that aswell. I'm not 21 yet but "sshh" nobody needs to know that. You have been playing footbag for around 10 years - How do you feel the footbag scene has changed?
I think there are a lot more younger players, and I think the younger players get a lot more respect than they used to because they are often so much more advanced than the older players these days. When I got on the freestyle scene, the VERY best players were in their early / mid 20s. Now, the best players are in their mid-late teens.
Also, there is this whole online revolution. people around the world have access to videos of the very best players for free via youtube and footbag.org, and this has really pushed the sport forward in a technical sense. It also has a way of spreading the sport and bringing it closer together at the same time. I love the internet.
I think the heart of the scene remains the same, though. It's still a tiny, friendly, close-knit sport, and I'm glad that's the case.
Word! What do you think will happen in the near future for footbag?
I don't see any earth-shaking events on the horizon. I think the technicality will continue to advance, and the sport will continue to get newer, younger players. I think more respect and more exposure will come steadily, but I don't think the sport is absolutely going to blow up all of a sudden.
You haven't been playing much lately what do you think the future of footbag has for Matt Cross? What will your role be?
I think the future of footbag has lots of friends, lots of videos, lots of tournaments, and lots of stitching for me. You're right, I haven't played much lately, although I can still throw on my lavers and hit a few new moves when I play. So, we'll see what happens with my game when the spring rolls around. I need to improve my nutrition dramatically, that is for sure. I've quit tobacco recently, so that will help a lot with endurance.
I've never been an all-star player, but I look forward to playing and having fun and enjoying all that footbag is, for a long while to come. I hope my role as someone who is good at talking about footbag (in the informative sense and in the "master of ceremonies" sense) continues to grow. I hope the same for my roles as a scene leader, tournament organizer / helper-outer, stitcher, and player, although I see the "player" role advancing the most slowly.
The summer season is coming nearer and as we all know this is the best time to be a footbagger. What are your plans for this summer?
My plan for the summer is to get an internship in the Buffalo, NY area with an arts / entertainment promotion foundation. This would be GREAT for me as a footbagger, because the Buffalo hacky sack scene is probably the strongest in NY. It may be the kicking hotspot of the northeast US right now, actually. During the spring and summer, there are two VERY well attended hacky-sack sessions in Buffalo. at one of them, there can be between fifty and one hundred kickers every week, and there is a free live rock concert.
Soon, I will know if I plan to go to Worlds or not. I really hope I do. If I'm going to do any big footbag event this summer, that is most likely going to be it.
I hope you make it to Prague! You have been stitching and selling footbags for a good time now. Why did you start with that?
I'll do anything to get some attention from Pengpeng. Just kidding, I really started because it seemed doable, and I had access to good teachers, and I desired to be able to make my own bags and get respect and money from my friends and peers when I got good enough to sell them.
How do you feel about it now?
I love my bags. They play just like I want them to, and some players that I really respect and admire have been buying them because they also like how they play. That means a lot to me, and makes me feel really good inside.
The only other person I have planned to interview so far is Lise Thygesen. I know you met her and later visited her in 2005. If you could ask her one question what would that be?
"will you marry me?"
Haha, I will ask her that for you. Thanks for the interview Matt. Do you have any shout outs?
Yeah, I'd like to give a shout out to my friend President George Bush. What up dog!!!
This blog is about footbag, an underground sport originating from North America. If you wanna learn more about footbag follow some of my links. This blog will consist of interviews, write-ups, reviews, videos and footbag related thoughts and observations. Contact me on asm @ footbag.org
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