Aksel Lund Svindal talks about the discomfort he felt when the celebrity status really took off.
YOUNGSTORGET (Nettavisen): Aksel Lund Svindal has never been 100 percent comfortable with the attention that comes with being a top-level athlete in Norway.
After 20 years in the spotlight, however, he has learned to handle the celebrity part better than when he refused to go to the store as a 20-year-old.
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Host of NRK
In the new year, the Norwegian people will get to know the alpine star in a new role – as host of the Masters of the Masters, where he will take over the baton from Dag Erik Pedersen.
A surprising choice, considering that Lund Svindal ten years ago was aware that he certainly did not envisage a TV career when the skis were put on the shelf.
– I was surprised by myself when I said yes to it. I must honestly admit that. You probably get a little smarter with the years. I am eleven or twelve years younger than Lasse and Kjetil. So when I said at the time that I hope I do not follow in their footsteps, I was probably 12 years stupider than they are. Now I sit here and do much of the same as they do, says Lund Svindal to Nettavisen.
However, he points out that the role of program manager is not a full-time job and that it is important for him to have the opportunity to do other things alongside.
– I think there is a lot of cool you can do in this world, which is not directly linked to alpine skiing or TV in general. If you are in the entertainment bubble all your life, then I think there is a lot you do not get the opportunity to experience, he says.
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Took a detour to avoid a picture of himself
He has been in the celebrity and entertainment bubble for the last three decades. In the beginning, it was demanding for a modest boy from Romerike.
– I remember when we had Nordea as the main sponsor of the national team. When I was 19, they ran a campaign where they used me. I do not meat; if I went down a street where I knew it was a Nordea branch and a picture of me in the window, then I could take a detour for a whole block because I thought it was so damn uncomfortable, says Lund Svindal honestly.
He states that he has gotten thicker skin over the years, but admits that it was tough at the beginning of his career.
– In the beginning it was really uncomfortable. If I came home from a championship where I had done very well and got a lot of attention, then I could refuse to go to the store. I would rather not stand out, but I think you get a little used to it.
– Ten years ago, you said that you would like to move far away after your career, to a place where no one knows who Aksel is. Is it still relevant?
– I thought I would. I lived in Innsbruck and at one point I thought that now I should move to San Francisco or Asia or something completely different than what I was used to. I thought so for quite some time. Until the summer / autumn of 2018 – last season I drove. Then I felt that I was keen on moving to Norway. Now I am keen on living at home and being with friends – even those who do not do alpine skiing. It changed, but I kept at it for a long time, he says.
The time he has spent in Norway during the corona pandemic has made Svindal realize that he thrives very well on Norwegian soil, despite his celebrity status.
Seeks out settings where “no one” knows who he is
At the same time, he acknowledges that he should not be a presenter, publish a book or film if he wants to be completely out of the limelight.
– I know that there will be attention, but that I want to be involved is more important than all the limelight. I thrive there medium maybe. But I am not so disappointed either that I am willing to say no to exciting things because I know that something more is coming.
Although he gets a lot “for free” as a celebrity in Norway, Svindal says that he likes to challenge himself in settings where he is equal to everyone else.
– You get both positive and negative effects from being known, but you quickly get your feet on the ground if you travel to places where no one knows who you are. It can be at a restaurant or a meeting or discussion forum, where you pose with blank sheets, like everyone else. You have to prove something and demand your place, and I think everyone benefits from that. Then it is also important to be in settings where you do not have authority.
However, he points out that he has very few negative experiences of being a celebrity in Norway, with a few exceptions.
– If people start to get too drunk, then it may be wise to avoid those situations. If you walk past a bachelor party on Karl Johan, you know it’s going to be messy.
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