Lodge Guest, René Sascha Johannsen

Name: René Sascha Johannsen

Current: Job / school: Film Director – mostly documentary and music videos.

Where are you from? Small town – Sønderborg

Where do you currently live? Los Angeles and New York

What nationality do you feel the most?
I think the internet has brought us non-extremist / non-religious people together as citizens of the world. I don ́t care about a lot of Danish culture like the food and the politics these days but I feel very Danish when it come to original Danish values and when we do well internationally because of the free mental spirit a lot of us still grow up with.
Family status: Wife and part time dog.
Age: 38
Sponsors: No but Misha is always nice with the price at Circuscircus and Albert gave me a t-shirt the other day…
Years of skateboarding: pushing 30
Board size: Around 8.5
Wheel size: Around 54
Trucks: After 30 years on board these are the kind of facts I still forget. When I shot “Monte Carlo loves the middle East” I for once didn ́t bring my board. We had some time off and I was so itchy to go skateboarding and cruise the streets of Tel Aviv that I bought a brand new set up. Too late though I figured that the trucks where way wider than what I normally ride but I ended up liking them and that ́s what I ́ve been riding since… So don ́t know but something that fits an 8.5…

I change set up every: Deck about ones a month
Current Board trend: Que?

Please state your type of terrain on your board in hours, days and years or other

Street: Most
(Skatepark) Flow Street: When Social
Miniramp: As often as possible – My friend in NYC has one in his backyard – The OCD ramp. So much fun and fortunately I don ́t loose that as fast as the pop and street skills…
Long board: I have a bike…
Vert: Tried for a sec – too sketchy. I live out the pipe dream on a snowboard.
Bowl: Not so much
Freestyle: Go Rodney…

Please tell us about your daily DAY by the hours, (or tell us about your longest day the last week’s) we want to know how your day is looking like

My daily schedule changes a lot depending on what I ́m working on. Sometimes I ́ll travel and film on a project for weeks. Like I have just been in a tour bus with Lukas Graham for 2 weeks this summer across the US. I also filmed all the Monte Carlo travel programs. But when I ́m home in NYC it could look like this on an average good day…

09.00

First round of emails is done from bed. We get up cook breakfast, plan the day take a shower.

10.00

Answer second round of e-mails. I start editing or writing or whatever.

11.00

…editing or writing or whatever.

12.00

…editing or writing or whatever.

13.00

…editing or writing or whatever. More e-mails and something totally unforeseen will come up so all plans change OR Josh will txt me about going skateboarding later. He will suggest 3.15PM I will suggest 5PM (We will end up agreeing on 4.15 and then he will be late and we go at 5PM)

14.00

Go out for lunch with the wifey. Talk shit

15.00

…editing or writing or whatever.

15.00

…editing or writing or whatever.

16.00

…editing or writing or whatever. Get a coffee or tea (Oolong ginseng tea is the latest drug of preference)

17.00

I’ll have a last second Skype call and be late. Jump on my bike and ride to a park (Cooper or Scholes or LES) to meet Josh and Jeremy. (If Aaron is in town we ́ll go street skatingsomewhere in Brooklyn) They ́ll be late too so all good. I’ll spent half an hour getting warm and then have about 30 min ́s of effective skateboarding. Skate for 30 more – stretch for 10…

18.00

Eat a snack. Go to Josh ́s place and skate his ramp.

19.00

Josh has a full studio at his house with drums and everything. We ́ll jam for an hour.

20.00

Wrap it up. change sweaty clothes.

21.00

Meet with woman, friends or neighbours and eat either at home or out. Talk shit.

22.00

Finish eating have a drink.

23.00

On a good day there ́ll be live music at either “Union Pool” or “Baby ́s All right”.

24.00

Music! Talk more loud shit.

01.00

Hit the sack.

02.00

Zzz….

How are you doing ?

Everything is relative… I ́m in LA where fall means you can surf in 30 degrees and I have money enough to pay the rent and eat organic – I feel in control of my destiny – On the other hand my dad in law just died, so taking care of his remains is a bit of a handful. Part of life. Gotta do what you gotta do…

How is your body at the moment, (injuries, knees, back, and so)?
Feeling pretty strong and healthy. I have had time to take care of myself lately so thats great.

When did you start to skate and why? What tricked you into this?
I think it was some mix of Back to the Future or Police Academy around the late 80 ́s. The freedom of no teachers and no rules, just pure creativity, speed and people with common minds. There wasn ́t much to skate in Sønderborg so travelling and meeting new people was obligatory from the beginning.

Do you think you made the right choice (instead of playing football FX?)?
I ́m a self taught filmmaker and drummer too. I believe that the DIY / trial and error way of learning comes from my early experience with skateboarding. So for me it has been a very right path and plus the fact “I suck at anything with balls” (no, not gay). (Am I writing too much here Kringla? – Well why write if you don ́t say anything right?)

Please comment your feelings, memories (if you are that old) & know how about Skateboarding in the

80s – Watching VHS ́es at the local library – The Search for Animal Chin, Public Domain etc. Wow, Ray Barbee! How do you do that impossible? Argh I wish I was taller and could pop higher. NATAS!

90s – Frankie Hill! When I was 15 I skated Powell Skatezone in Santa Barbara – that was huge! -New Deal! Pressure flips – WTF?!? Plan B!!! Pat Duffy and Dannie Way! Late shovits! Dan rail around Denmark and meet the Ålborg boys for the first time – Edelbo, Carsten Rask and Bommie. Our indoor space in Sønderborg is shut down. Skating Åbenrå a lot with Crafty, Syberg and Elmer. Wintertime: Touring Denmark every weekend in Thomas Elmers car to go skateboarding in Århus, Ålborg or Herning. Eastern Exposure. Then Spike Jonzes Girl Videos! Eric Koston and Guy Marianos part skating to Herbie Hancock. Etnies Shoes… I finish gymnasium and start travelling. After a season of snowboarding my skateboarding sucks! I loose control and it seems pointless. I snowboard in New Zealand and refined my love for skateboarding because I now have time to skateboard every day. I learn new tricks again and nollie flip a 7 step stair and nose slide handrails etc. Come home to DK, move to Copenhagen. Fælledparken…

2010+ Its so diverse and so much to say I don ́t know where to start. I like that you can pick and choose what you like more. Its all less streamlined and available. Not like in the 80 ́s where it was a struggle to get anything and you always felt behind. Now its all about what choice you make because everything is available… Choose wisely!

Do you feel skateboarding is in a good way?

Anybody can make whatever they want of skateboarding these days. So many styles and trends to be insured by. There are finally so many skateparks so if you want to be the jock that go do a whole routine everyday at the same time and eventually make it to the Olympics, if you want to fight your way out of the slums of Rio, if you want to live in the country side and build your own spot and only skate that or if you want to rep only Jarmers Plads and skate it with the same crew…or skate with your other old buddies once a week after the kids are put to bed… Its all good…but then also shit somewhere with the big corporations, energy drinks etc. BUT THEN CHOOSE DIFFERENTLY! Every krone/Dollar you spent is a political statement so think before you put your money in the wrong hands!

Where do you stand & please comment with skateboarding in the Olympics?

I honestly don ́t give a fuck no more. Had it happened when I was a kid I would probably have been super excited about it. Maybe that would have made my dad respect it more?
Now not so much. I believe a lot of the kind of skateboarders who will compete I don ́t care about (Even though I like Luan Oliviera who is probably gonna compete). I think for sure though that it ́ll give a lot of common people a wrong idea of what skateboarding ALSO is these days, but then again who am I to say what skateboarding is now. For me its so much more than a sport but to others it is and thats fine I guess. As long as there ́s room for it all… (Yup, long talk..)

Where do you stand in terms of politics?

Go Bernie – Fuck Greedy assholes. Sustainability first – Money later. Me Casa es su casa but don t shit on my floor. Its easier to Destroy than to Create – don ́t choose the easy way..

I’ve been on a mission lately in (with)
Always on many missions: On a daily mission to beat the traffic in LA, to avoid car radio commercials, eat less sugar, find better snacks, to read the ocean better so I can be a better surfer, to find people my age in LA to skate with and so much more…

Dream session would be,

15 years ago with better pop, more energy and good people around.

Lately I have been working on,
(skateboarding) – Getting my 3flip (and a lot of other tricks) back and not stacking too hard. (Work) Just finished the next Lukas Graham music video (You ́re not there) and writing a proposal for a feature length documentary on the Lukas Graham madness that has been unfolding over the last 4 years.

When I was little I would like to,
Be a drummer, sponsored skateboarder and less shy.

When I chill, I chill with,

Depends where I am but I have long walks and talks with my friend Nabil and Adam.

When I’m home I like to,

Read, Write, hang with the woman, cook and watch films and series.

I normally call my homies for,

Work, to hang out, skate, go to concerts and play music.

Your homies are,

The people I miss when I ́m away…

Bookstores and open random photo books and art museums to get inspired.

FS air Parken, Denmark Photo: Tuala Hjarnø,

FAVORITES

Wine: Natural wines are interesting. Not sure I get them yet…

Liquor: I fucking love rum – Old Fashioned in a good rum (like Plantation from Barbados) is to cry for and I ́ve been getting a little in to Mezcal lately. Barking dog has a sick drink called Mexican 8Ball. Tell ́em that passion fruit better be real!

Lunch: I ́m often out somewhere, so whatever available – Maybe a salat with meat (Tender Greens) or preferably organic Thai if possible (LOVE Wok on Vesterbro and Christianshavn) Dinner: I like home cooking so good organic ingredients – lots of veggies, maybe fish or piece of meat. I often go Thai, so ginger, chili, garlic, cilantro etc…

Late-night snack: GoMacro and Kind Bars are the shit…

Resturant: Copenhagen: Hanzo by Madklubben – NYC: Rye and Marlows – Los Angeles: This Sushi Place called Sushi Ike that doesn ́t look like anything from the outside but is the bomb. The Fried Octopus is an aphrodisiac!!!

SKATE

Skateboarders: Andrew Allen, The Supreme boys (yup!), Geoff Rowley, Donovan Piscopo, Brandon Westgate skates like a man, Oski, Jason Dill, and Dylan Rieder (RIP).

Skatepark: Tribeca and LES…Maybe just a good old fly out somewhere…

Skate spot: Anywhere with sun and friends… I ́m too old to fall around on my own. Never too old to cruise down the streets in any big city though.

Skate film / clip: Anything Bill Strobeck films. I also love Jason Dills part in DVS ́s Skate More and all the Emerica B-sides. Raw and real!

Your fave Tricks: Been getting back into Ollie impossibles lately and big no complies. The day I can ́t do my nollie flip any longer, then that ́s probably it…

Film:

Wow, where to start… Kids is the all time favourite, so lots by Larry Clark. Anything with Gaspar Noé and Spike Jonze, Michael Noer is killing it, Why haven ́t more people watched Peaky Blinders? Zach Galifianakis is too funny…maybe because he looks like young Henrik Edelbo..? No?

Music: All the time and sooo much of it. Could be DEATH GRIPS while biking, Benal ( ́s got something cooking) while driving, Bill Withers while drinking wine and Kings of Leon when drinking beer…also cause thats some of the only rock Trice (my girl) likes. I saw Clap your hands say yeah not too long ago – so dope! If you ́re in New york look up “Reverent Vince and the lovechoir”! …but Ssssh!

Book: Reading the NOFX ́s biography ́ish kinda tales right now: Hepatitis Bathtub – Super entertaining!

Cities: Been to Tokyo twice for work – really want to go again and hang – so dope!

Writers: Nic Pizzolatto (Wrote True Detective ) I also admire Harmony Korine for writing Kids at such an early age. Quentin Tarantino kills it every time and has the best dialogue. Tobias Lindholm is good too…
Actors: Benicio Del Torro, Juliette Lewis, Bill Murray and Harvey Keitel. Tom Hardy in Peaky Blinders – WOW!!!

Skaters: mentioned before…but I should also mention I have a big Ray Barbee rag doll tattoo on my ribs.

Homeboys: The Ol Boys Monday session crew in Copenhagen: Fo ́man, Tuala, Nugs, Jacob and Edelbo, Giz, Mark, Milkl and Tobias when they get out. This summer I had some really good sessions with Enevoldsen at “Den Røehj”.

Random’s: Consider how wild Spike Jonze is!

Technology

Camera: Any, Always…
Phone: Hooked on Apple – Wish they weren ́t such bastards! APP: Instabitch

Car: I own an old Volvo 544 in DK – just blew up a Volvo 444 in my latest Lukas Graham video. That broke my heart a little even though it was my idea… I need to get one here in LA. Zzzz… Uber! Maybe motorcycle soon…
Bike: Simple and fast reliable quality. One heavy gear and coaster break. Cykelmageren keep what they promise – I like that.

When was the time you really lost big time?
I lost my dad in law a few weeks ago. Seeing Trice so sad is tough.

When I travel, I always bring,

My Camera because I mainly travel for work. This means a super heavy carry-on which often brings trouble… Also Ipad to read

Best travel advice I can give is,
Drink lots of water, always get advice from locals – preferably skateboarders. Get lost and TALK TO STRANGERS!

Best life advice I can give is,

When you ́re down there ́s only one way (up). Your mind only grows wiser with age – its your body that grows older so treat it good. I figured this out late but try to keep up now…

When was the last time you really won big time?

When Black Dog (Music video agency in LA) called this spring and wanted to represent me.

Best travel memory you want to share?

I ́ve been twice to Maui, Hawaii. Good surf – good food – nice people – nice climate!

When I do not skateboard I,

Work too much. Hang with my girl and friends. Go out and listen to live music. Try to get smarter, motivated and fix what is broken or unfinished.

My fitness program is,

Very unstable because I ́m always in new places so the most steady I have is an app that takes you through a routine. I hate to admit that but its just necessary to keep shit balanced. At home I have two gym rings hanging from the ceiling. Sometimes while editing I ́ll get up and do a few routines. Like they ́re good for a lot of back, shoulder and arm exercises. Just before I turned 30 I started having lower back problems. Probably from sitting down editing too much. I started doing yoga to stretch 20 years of skate sessions… That helped and has helped me ever since. I don ́t do it enough but I plan on doing that the rest of my life but supplemented with other activities. Its just means to an end and I want to be boarding many more years…

Shit like this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2016/09/14/bayer-and- monsanto-merge-in-mega-deal-aimed-at-domi-worlds-food-supply/

When I get old I want to, Have a porch.

I would NEVER, Say never…

Do you care about your health?

Your body is just a shell for your mind.If you like living and you don ́t start caring by age, then you ́re not thinking straight…

I would like to see more of, The people I miss.

That one time where I was in jail because of,

The two weeks I spent in North Korea shooting The Red Chapek felt like a prison. They took our phone and passport at the border, there was no wifi and we where constantly guarded 24/7. Everything we did was sketchy and until we sat on a plane back to DK I didn ́t know if we where gonna make it out alive…

I should do more of,

Yoga, calling my mum, reading, snowboarding and surfing.

My future looks like, it will be just around the corner…

Stop making stupid people famous…Kring this is too big a question man…

The hobby I have, no one knows about is, Hmm…

I will never get rid of, My tattoos I guess…

Everybody should own a, Solarpanel. (No I ́m not a dirty hippie – this is common fucking sense…)

Any regrets in life so far? Naah…nothing major.

I currently follow (social media, instagram twitter, Facebook) Visually interesting people and too many skateboarders.

Anything else,

I ́ve been writing too much already Kringla – I wonder if anybody is still reading by now?

Random story’s you want to share?

Well I have one I’m not too proud of but pretty funny fact…
I directed the Lukas Graham 7 Years music video and we where filming some of it at Christiania. I got a hold of Dannie Carlsen to do the fs five-0 you see in the beginning above Lukas lying in the bottom of the concrete corner. It was a wet day in November and Dannie didn ́t even have his own board with him. So he did a few fs kick turns right under the coping and it looked ok and all good but a grind would be better of course. So the last time he tried he got stuck in the grind. I was standing right in front of Lukas to catch the board if anything went wrong…and then when it did, I missed the board and it slid down and hit Lukas in his head. Blood started pissing out and we still needed a few shots that day. Albert came out from the shop with a t-shirt to stop the blood from running. Fortunately Lukas was really cool about it and took it as a trooper. I fell super shitty about it but we got what we needed for the video. I ́ve heard a lot of shit for that ever since…

Thanks to: (In skateboarding) Jacob from Vertical Sports for hooking me up back when I needed it and to help me start my first business, All the boys for being there when ever I come home to DK, My NYC skate crew, Thomas Kring of course for the things he has done for Danish skateboarding… The list goes on and I’m afraid I’ll forget people so stopping here. I’m just generally grateful so thank you all…