Can your dad switch back five? Swedish Lib Ripper Måns Hedberg’s can! Måns is a top to bottom freestyle warrior who’s chased his shred dreams around the world, recently he’s been finding joy back at his home resort Kläppen while reconnecting with his dad through snowboarding. The apple did not fall far from the tree because Poppa Mats rips! Check out an interview + vid proof of this ripping multi-generational duo below!
Mats launching Måns on a Skate Banana.
Poppa Mats with the Skate Banana
Remember this Mats tail grab, there’s going to be a quiz later…
Poppa Mats mean lein Skate Banana spin
Interview with Poppa Mats
Let’s start with the basics…
My name is Mats Frisk, I’m 56 years young and the dad of Måns. I live in Bollnäs, Hälsingland in the middle of Sweden. Snowboarding has quite big role in my life at least in the winter when we are spending quite some time in our mountain cabin.
Can you tell us a bit about Måns’s journey in the world of snowboarding?
It has been a great time seeing Måns growing as a snowboarder and getting better and better. When he was 1 4 years old he started beating me in competitions from time to time. He was traveling with Sweden’s national team for about 10 years and It wasn’t often we could celebrate his birthday at home during this time because he was on different continents most of the time.
What role did you have within this journey?
We were snowboarding a lot together when he was at home but mostly for fun.
What’s the most embarrassing thing Måns did as a kid?
When he was younger, he hated the lift queue and he often just went through and yelled at me to come along.
What do you miss from those times and what do you not miss at all?
I miss when we were snowboarding whenever and wherever we could. In snowboard parks or in the backcountry – he was my best board buddy and still is. I don’t miss all his injuries from that time – it’s been the worst. Especially when he broke his neck, he was at the hospital in Innsbruck for two weeks. So I took the flight down there and picked him up home.
Can you share a standout moment or achievement from Mans’s active career that you’re particularly proud of?
Actually, his whole career but also when he did his first double backflip. Then when stomped his first double 10 and later the first triple. There have been so many things during that time.
What was the most scary moment for you?
For sure when he broke his neck at nine knights and when he crashed in slopestyle at the Olympics less than one year after that heavy injury. And also when he got stuck in an avalanche.
How is it today? You guys still spend time on your boards together?
Absolutely, as often as we can! We still love boarding together both in snowboard parks and off-piste. You never get too old for this.
Could you share an amusing or memorable anecdote from your snowboarding experiences with your son?
We had a trailer in Ramundberget many years ago and there we have spent tons of days going off-piste. And the times at our home mountain Bollebacken when we used to build big jumps by ourselves. Of course I was steering the snowcat. Best times ever!
If you could trade places with your son for a day, what’s the first thing you would do?
Give his parents a big hug.
Interview With Måns Hedberg
Let’s start with the basics…
My name is Måns Hedberg I’m 29 years old and kicking it in Hälsingland, Sweden.
Snowboarding has always been a huge part of my life, nowadays I’m shredding a lot with my father instead of traveling the world with the homies.
Måns Hedberg
Ok who’s got the better tail grab? Måns or Mats?
Måns wrecking terrain on the…
Måns blasting on the T.Rice Pro
Can you tell us a bit about your journey in the world of snowboarding?
My first year at the snowboard academy we started to travel. We always went to Norway Folgefonna during the summer and Saas Fee, Switzerland in autumn. That was the kickstart of my snowboard career. Then we started traveling more and more. At one point we weren’t home for more than a couple of weeks during a whole year. We traveled a lot to USA, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and whole Europe of course. With all the homies and sponsors.
What role did your dad have for you on this journey?
A big one of course, he always supported me to the max because he knew how much I loved it. He was meeting up with me and the homies on different places to snowboard with us. He was always so stoked shredding different places across the globe.
What’s the most embarrassing thing your father has done during that time?
Dancing on the table at the après-ski club HAHA – but that was only good times.
What do you miss from the times of your competitive snowboarding and what don’t you miss at all?
What I miss the most is the whole vibe, we always had a such a good time together. Enjoying life and everything was so easy.
Can you share a standout moment or achievement from snowboarding so far?
Nothing specific. The best moments are still when you are getting that perfect switch backside 540 in pow!
What was the most scary moment for you?
When I was laying in the helicopter on the way to Innsbruck hospital and I couldn’t feel my hands, couldn’t move my fingers. That was when I broke my neck at Nine Nights in Italy. Had to spend 2 weeks at the hospital and then 11 months later I was back and sent it at the Olympics in South Korea.
How is it today? You guys still spend time on your boards together?
We’re riding more together now then 5 years ago and that’s so good.
Now we’re more out on the snowmobiles hitting pow.
Could you share an amusing or memorable anecdote from your snowboarding experiences with your dad?
Hahaha were back at Kläppen spring session and my dad was hitting the big jump +30meters with his legendary toe edge frontside 540.
If you could trade places with your dad for a day, what’s the first thing you would do?
Take his motorcycle and go out ripping.