Danish skater Rune Glifberg is one of just four athletes to compete at every X Games (along with skaters Bob Burnquist and Andy Macdonald and BMXer Dennis McCoy). It took 14 years, though, for the Great Dane to finally score XG gold, doing so in Skateboard SuperPark.
But while Glifberg didn't strike gold until '08, he already had eight medals (two silver and six bronze) from Vert and Vert Doubles. He describes adding gold as "a nice achievement in my career."
Another recent achievement he's proud of is his new sponsorship deal with Converse shoes. He says Converse has been involved in skating "longer than I have," and he's proud to have a new pro model skate shoe dropping in 2010.
Glifberg won his X Games gold skating with a fractured right shoulder (humerus), which he broke during Vert practice earlier in the week. While he still has stiffness in the shoulder, it's his pelvis that bothers him now. He pulled muscles and ligaments in December, reinjured it in February and is now recovering from his latest slam in early May.
Now 34 years old, Rune doesn't train; his main objective is to have fun skating, whether it's street or transition. Glifberg was the No. 1 ranked bowl skater in the World Cup Skateboard rankings in 2007 and No. 2 in 2008.
Outside of skating, Glifberg's passion is BMWs. He has a stable of three in the U.S., plus a Mercedes family wagon. He drives his BMW M5 on a daily basis and has an M3 in pieces in his garage. The M3 is destined to be a race carhe is currently welding a cage for it. He already spends time racing on local tracks with Bucky Lasek, and he plans to take his M3 on road courses as he builds up his skills, with an eventual goal to enter organized races.
Glifberg has lived in the United States since 1995 but until recently split his time between the U.S. and Denmark. He owns a home with his girlfriend, Tesnelda Frellesvig, in Southern California, and they have two daughters, Alfa (8 in August) and Tallulah (5). In the past the girls have gone to school in Denmark, but Alfa starts first grade in the United States in the fall. New for 2009, the family is living full-time in Southern California and will travel to Denmark just a few times a year to visit family.