Ingemar Backman
Encyclopedia
Ingemar Backman is a professional snowboarder famous for setting the world record highest air out of a quarter-pipe (8.5 metres) in Riksgränsen
, Sweden in 1996. He participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics
. The record has since been broken by Finn Heikki Sorsa who made a 9.3 metres high air at The Arctic Challenge
event held in Oslo in 2001 and then again by Norwegian Terje Haakonsen who made a 9.8 metres high air at The Arctic Challenge in Oslo in 2007.
After going to snowboard high school in Malung
, Sweden, he became the first snowboard superstar emerging out of Sweden although he was soon followed by riders such as Johan Olofsson
. He has lived in San Diego, U.S.
as well as Piteå
, Sweden but currently resides in Skellefteå
, Sweden.
Besides snowboarding, Backman is the co-founder of the clothing brand WeSC
and runs the snowboard company Allian.
Lately, Backman has taken a break from snowboarding and instead devoted himself to poker
. In his second international tournament, an EPT
event held in Baden
, Austria
in 2005, he finished in fifth place. He is currently sponsored by the internet poker site Martinspoker.
Riksgränsen
Riksgränsen, The National Border in Swedish, is a ski-resort in Kiruna Municipality, Lappland, Sweden, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. The skiing season is from February to June...
, Sweden in 1996. He participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
. The record has since been broken by Finn Heikki Sorsa who made a 9.3 metres high air at The Arctic Challenge
The Arctic Challenge
The Arctic Challenge is a snowboarding contest arranged for and by the riders themselves. It was started by Norwegian professional snowboarders Daniel Franck and Terje Haakonsen. The contest was established as an alternative to the former competitions that had become streamlined and run by...
event held in Oslo in 2001 and then again by Norwegian Terje Haakonsen who made a 9.8 metres high air at The Arctic Challenge in Oslo in 2007.
After going to snowboard high school in Malung
Malung
Malung is a locality and the seat of Malung-Sälen Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,146 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:Malung is home to Malungs Folkhögskola, a few kilometers outside downtown. Specialized courses include folk music, dance, mountaineering and health.-External links:*...
, Sweden, he became the first snowboard superstar emerging out of Sweden although he was soon followed by riders such as Johan Olofsson
Johan Olofsson
Johan Olofsson is a snowboarder from Gällivare, Sweden, known for being one of the first riders to take freestyle tricks more commonly performed in man-made terrain parks into the big mountain freeriding environments of Alaska...
. He has lived in San Diego, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well as Piteå
Piteå
Piteå is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The town has 22,650 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 41,000 in 2008.- Geography :...
, Sweden but currently resides in Skellefteå
Skellefteå
-Industry:*Boliden AB, a big mining and smelting company*Alimak*Natural User Interface Technologies AB - NUITEQ, a promising emerging technology start-up company-Sports:*Skellefteå AIK, an ice hockey team in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien....
, Sweden.
Besides snowboarding, Backman is the co-founder of the clothing brand WeSC
WESC
WeSC , or We as it is casually known, is a Swedish clothing brand, based mainly on skateboarding influences and style. Founded in 1999, it has quickly become one of Sweden's most popular brands, within Sweden as well as internationally...
and runs the snowboard company Allian.
Lately, Backman has taken a break from snowboarding and instead devoted himself to poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
. In his second international tournament, an EPT
European Poker Tour
The Pokerstars European Poker Tour is a series of poker tournaments similar to those in the World Poker Tour , created by John Duthie, winner of the inaugural Poker Million tournament. It began in 2004 as part of the worldwide explosion in Texas Hold 'em popularity...
event held in Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 2005, he finished in fifth place. He is currently sponsored by the internet poker site Martinspoker.