– Sometimes the roads are a bit bad, says Vedå when news meets him on bumpy western country roads outside his home island of Osterøy. At the front of the board, he has a travel companion: a blue duck, which makes it easy to recognize him on the road. On Wednesday, Vedå set out on a arduous and ambitious journey. He will roll from Oslo to Bergen on a skateboard in just 20 days. – The best thing about this trip is that you see so much beauty. This is extremely nice and fun, says the 20-year-old. On Wednesday, the journey started from the center of Bergen. In total, he will roll 46 miles. Collecting money Last year he warmed up by riding a skateboard from Voss to Bergen. Then he collected money for the Cancer Society. On this trip, one of the purposes is to collect money for another aid organisation: – I do it because it’s great fun. But I also collect money for Mental health youth, he says. He receives daily updates from the association on how much money has been collected. On the first day, his followers donated around NOK 8,000. – I have a good friend who has struggled with anxiety. When I have been close to her, I see that she has tried to reach out for help. But she didn’t get help for a very long time, he says. – People have to honk and wave when they see me, says Samuel Vedå. Photo: Alrik Velsvik / news He hopes Mental Health Youth can contribute to reducing the waiting time for mental health care. But Vedå does not only do charity work on the trip. He also has talent in marketing and business. On the trip, he will also promote his own online shop for skateboards. Vedå shares her journey with her 80,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok. He has previously told Bygdanytt that he expects the trip will give him 24 million viewers on TikTok. Has trained Vedå has been planning the trip for six months. He has been skating for several hours a few times a week to train. – Yesterday I skated four miles, but I didn’t get too tired. I have tried to prepare myself. It would have been crazy if a chafing wound sabotaged the city. Vedå has ditched the classic flat skate shoes in favor of a pair of sneakers with good cushioning. He still expects to be tired. – My psyche is in place, but I’m afraid of putting too much wear and tear on my body, he says. – A bit of a bad role model The helmet is included, but is rarely on the head, he admits. – I’m not that good on the protection front. I have my helmet with me, but I’m a bit of a bad role model on that front. I’m not too happy to use it. The goal is to arrive in Oslo on September 5. – Plans as little as possible He has not nailed down the route, and tries to take the more local roads to Oslo. – I must admit that I try to plan as little as possible. I think it’s fun with a challenge. I’ve already made a few mistakes, he says. On Thursday, he reached the finish line in Norheimsund.
ttn-69
Samuel (20) rides a skateboard from Bergen to Oslo – news Vestland
