Kim Boberg is one of the younger “veterans” of the ski industry. At the ripe age of 29, Kimbo Slice is still very much a youthful buck in the regular world. But when it comes to street skiing, he is slowly but surely joining the older crowd. After all, taking slams onto metal and concrete for a decade-plus doesn’t come free of damage. And while his body may be aging, it certainty isn’t doing so at a normal pace. But this continuous strength and resilience is not due to random chance. As is mentioned in his Armada athlete page, Kim has put in hours upon hours of relentless training to be able to perform how he does. In this instance, discipline equals freedom. The freedom to take the shattering slams that can be seen in “BUTTERFLY” and still get back on the horse. The freedom to perform nearly unimaginable stunts and make them look inconceivably easy. And as a product of these triumphs, he has gained the freedom to make money living his desired way of life; working with his friends while sliding around on skis.
This dedication and work ethic did not arise out of nowhere. To understand the craft, you must understand the man. For a comprehensive review of Boberg’s early days, his Armada Family video lays it out beautifully, and is certainly worth a view. But, in short, he hails from a quant Swedish town dubbed Älvdalen, which translates to River Valley. Being right next to the Österdalälven river, there is certainly plenty of water based activities to be found near the city, but frozen water sliding (AKA skiing) is not one of them. The iconic Klappen Resort is the nearest skiing operation, clocking just under an hour’s voyage from River Valley. While one hour isn’t exactly a trek, Kim has been shlepping there since the early days, which must have instilled an early work ethic. Not to mention the constant presence of good ole Swedish metal music also probably helped light the fire inside.
As a skier, Kim could hang up the sticks tomorrow and leave us with an all-time resume. One of his crowing achievements is, hands down, the creation of Kimbo Sessions, a gathering of skiing’s best in the great north at his home resort. With zero competitive energy and nothing but top notch communal skiing, it is one of the reasons Klappen is known across the skiing world today. In a day and age of sponsorships and podium rankings understandably dominating most up-and-coming skiers lives, an event such as Kimbo Sessions is a shining light, bringing back freeskiing’s original flair of individual expression and creativity. And judging by the constant line up of renowned rippers, such as Henrik Harlaut, Jake Mageau, Colby Stevenson and many, many more, it’s easy to see that Kimbo Sessions is well appreciated by the best. But creating such an event is really a nod to Boberg himself, even if it wasn’t intended as such. Instead of looking for something that would only boost his own skills and career, he produced a way for those who have poured their life’s passion into skiing to come together and interact in a way that fosters progression, growth and, by the looks of it, a hell of a good time.
At the end of the day Kim Boberg might not ski like someone from this planet, but he is indeed only human (at least to my knowledge). As such, just like the rest of us, his experiences have molded him into who he is today and what he creates. “BUTTERFLY” is a beautiful example of this, a creation that embodies many of the impressive and admirable qualities that make up Kim. His immaculate work ethic, his determination to trudge back up and drop once again after catching a body on the cement, his own personality expressed through music and dancing and, of course, his jaw-dropping skiing are all showcased in full form. A personal culmination as original and unique as it gets. Kim was not alone on this endeavor, and when it comes to the fantastic editing and shots that “BUTTERFLY” has to offer, the wizards at Multicolored Studios are to thank, and hopefully they will be cranking out more madness in the future.
To wrap it up, it’s important to note how individuality is so inspiring. While it might sound corny, the world we live in can often caters to the masses more than the individual. But, without the individual, the unique mind and style that is Kim Boberg, creations such as “BUTTERFLY” would not exist, which would be an absolute loss. And Kim is not alone, with groups such as The Bunch releasing extremely original works of art, like its new picture, “Is There Time for Matching Socks?” in which the main man Kimbo himself can be spotted. With these original and creative individuals coming to the helm of the world of freeskiing, one would need a pair of shades similar to the ones Boberg dawned in the dancing segments of the flick in order to see the future, because that b*tch is looking bright.
