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Milan Benda was born in 1991 and is from Jeseník, Czech Republic. He is the current World Champion and one of the styliest and funniest dudes in footbag today.

Hey Milan. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Hi, I´m sorry for late, but I was kinda busy.

Describe a typical day in the life of Milan Benda? What do you do? What do you eat? Etc.

Hehe, cool question. I will not write the shit like I wake up or something like that Right now I´m going to school, it takes like half of my day. It´s high school, so there isn’t much homework or something like that for me, than I have a time for footbag! I´m practicing straightly 2 hours 6 times in week… My training has no rules, just hard shred, I´m doing whatever I like, feel good… And than, every second day I go to gym for 1 hour… (girls love it)

Let’s start at the beginning. When and how did you start playing?

It´s a long story, but 5.5 year ago, I’d started to kick with friends at school and when we had holiday. I had to play alone, than I checked the Internet. There I saw my first footbag movie- Shred with Sunil, it was a real massacre for me and that time I knew that I want to be as good as they were.

What was your first dream move / drill? Do you have any dream goals you can’t hit?

Hehe, now I remember, in fact I was watching every day on Flipsider section Massive tricks, that made me crazy, I was too horny, I wanted to do all of the moves from there… like Nemesis, Gauntlet… I was keen on drills much in the beginning, for me were mostly important single tricks.

You came onto the scene a bit out of the blue, and were really good right away. Was it by choice by you to first come to international tournaments when you reached a certain level?

Well, that happened because I was playing let’s say like half a year at home, everyday for 2 hours until I felt that my skill weren’t bad. Due to that everyday shred, I reached a point where I was ready to compete.

How did the Dictators help you in the beginning?

Yes, at first I remember that, I was that kid who tried every move from Vasek´s repertoire. As I said for me single moves were important… so like Honza didn’t give me any advice. Vasek didn’t give me any advice in beginning too, because I didn’t see him much and who wants to give advice, to a young stupid kid But Ales gave me a lot of them, he was like hero for me! He was really patient.

Are there other people who have been important to your footbag progress?

Yes, Steven Lee Goldberg for taking me to first worlds, Dexter for everything, and right now it´s Honza, he understand how the life goes : )

Could you tell a little about how practice? And if it has changed over time – how?

You have to practice hard but not stupidly.
What advice would you give someone learning a trick like far whirl for the first time?

Well it is paradox whirl- I love that old system…
Set it and than immediately, go to whirl- set should be as high as your hips are.

Congratulations on winning the World Champs. To me it was a really close call between you and David. Were you sure you would win?

It´s a long story, but I had mixed feelings, firstly- right after finals I thought I would win it, but than I saw some judges papers and I didn’t feel good, but others of them told me…

Now you are the World Champion. What is your next goal?

Still play footbag on the highest level, win every tournament… and hit more than 300 pts. hundred in shred.

If you could change one thing about footbag what would it be?

I would like to have prize money on tournaments, I think it could kick footbag higher. Not like the junky sport it is right now :/

Could you tell a little about your footbag freestyle philosophy?

I don´t have any…

You have one of my favorite styles. Did that come naturally or is it something you have worked on?

You should work on it, but anyway it is also about your body.

What equipment do you use?

Lavers, Footfighter

One of the things I always do is let the last person, ask the next person interviewed a question – What do you wanna ask the next person?

Ok, my question is: What´s the name of your fucking mother?

You are seen as a big party-guy (which I really like) but do you have a problem with that?

NO, because I don’t party much, I live the sports life. When some party is happening however, I do it the most hard as I can… but no drugs, just alcohol.

Do you have any final comments or shout-outs?

I´m so tired from all interview, so NO.
Thank you for asking man.

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2009 Videos of the Year

As usually, we saw quite a few great videos submitted from every corner of the globe.  If the next generation is in fact on the rise, it can be said that the status quo freestylers and film makers did a great job holding it down for one more year.  Though there were far less video submissions from the top guys, what they did release was quite impressive.  Quality over quantity it would seem!

Best Raw Shred: ‘Pittsburgh Hack’ by David Clavens

The question it seems everyone is wondering is “how much are the top guys playing these days?”  Sure, there wasn’t as much this year from Jim Penske, David Clavens, Vasek Klouda, and Jorden Moir.  But the few video submissions we have seen are still impressive and inspiring.  In one short video, David Clavens showed that whether he is in fact practicing or not, his game is still precise and unyielding.  The technical mastery is undeniable as the Cleaver cranks out one impressive combo after another.  Thus, we are happy to say that the video ‘David In Pittsburgh’ is our top choice for Best Raw Shred Video of 2009.  We wish you a long freestyle footbag career David!

Best Edited: ‘Reindeer Games’ by Jere Vainikka

It really came as no surprise to anyone that Jere Vainikka’s Reindeer Games was an amazing short film.  Long ago Jere impressed with his production abilities; included in this resume is the professional DVD ‘Bringing Out the Shred’.  Though he doesn’t freestyle as much anymore, Jere has a wealth of top footbag players to pull from, this time around utilizing the skills of Juho Marjo, Mikko Lepistö and Pekka Raitio.  The eventual shred is top notch of course, but what takes the award is Vainikka’s masterful shooting and editing of the short film.  Armed with a Sony EX1, the film is crystal clear high definition.  It becomes apparent that Jere and crew carefully mapped out the project; from using multiple locations to enacting a script, the end results are glorious.  Once again Vainikka’s work tells a story, this time with a humorous spin (how did they utilize that squirrel?)  All in all, this professionally shot video takes the cake in terms of production values, and easily wins our award for Best Edited Footbag Video for 2009.  We can’t wait for the next one Jere!

Reindeer Games footbag short film from Camera Man on Vimeo.

2009 Event of the Year

The 2009 World Footbag Championships

Hosted by the FC Footstar Berlin Footbag Club, these guys went all out to produce a memorable and professionally run tournament.  They have garnered nothing but great reviews for their ability to tightly manage the event.  The organizers were able to pull off that tricky balancing act of catering to both the players and to the public during their tournament.  Finals for freestyle were held in front of a massive cheering audience in the middle of a popular music festival in Berlin.  While the competitors performed on stage, the event was Ustreamed across the web.  Attendance was strong and the shred was good throughout the week, leading many players to proclaim the 2009 Worlds as one of the best events they had attended yet.  We are entitled to agree, our own correspondents Jay Boychuk and Nick Landes both gave rave reviews of the event.  For this, we are happy to give this year’s World Footbag Championships the title of 2009 Event of the Year.  Our hats off to the Berlin footbag group; many thanks for continuing this great event with style and professionalism!

Watch Vasek Klouda’s winning performance routine at the 2009 World Footbag Championships

Read Jay Boychuk’s write up on Worlds here;

The 2009 World Footbag Championships 

2009 Moment of the Year

Vasek Klouda’s 166 Contact Run at Worlds

This Vasek clip I like to refer to as ‘The Reminder’.  2008 wasn’t the greatest footbag year for Mr. Klouda, but in 2009, he managed to make the statement that he is still in it and kicking.  Vasek dominated the 2009 Worlds Circle competition with many great runs.  This combo in particular seemed like a walk in the park to him, but to everyone else it was in fact a reminder of the greatness of Klouda.  After 2008, the public was not sure what Vasek’s level of interest was in footbag, or if he was even practicing to any degree.  As many freestylers know, your ability to execute a great routine and your ability bring a high level of circle shred can be two completely different things.  Everyone is aware Vasek can pull out an amazing routine if so inclined, but this year people had wondered if he would be up for the task of the Circle competition.  Just like that he answered, and with this combo the community was reassured that the great Vasek Klouda can still crank it out as he wishes.  Thankfully the epic moment was filmed, and the community is better off for having seen it.  It’s still inspiring to see how effortless it can be for one individual to play freestyle footbag.  There are a few players that can execute such long combos, but fewer yet that can perform them with the ease that Klouda does.  For this and the attention the moment garnered, we are happy to award Moment of the Year for 2009 to Vasek Klouda’s 166 contact run, AKA ‘The Reminder’.

2009 Freestyle Footbag Career Achievement Award

Kenny Shults

Who better to start this award category off with than the man who shaped the game to what it is today?  Without going into the vast laundry list of Mr. Shults’ achievements, we instead choose to sum up some of his ‘greatest hits’ in the sport.  Here are just a few:

-Multiple Time World Footbag Champion (6 times for freestyle), 45 times in all categories
-Over 100 event titles won
-Pioneer of pushing the combo system in freestyle footbag
-Inventor of countless freestyle tricks and fundamental components
-One of the first Big Add Posse Members
-Footbag Hall of Fame Member
-Creator of the Tricks of the Trade instructional videos
-Footbag career spanning more than thirty years

The sport simply would not be where it is without the groundbreaking work of Kenny Shults.  Footbag took a leap forward with his achievements; every freestyle footbag player has elements in their game that can be traced back to Kenny’s advancements.  Much respect to Mr. Shults for being a true athlete and Pioneer.  Kenny is also Fourkast’s choice of Greatest Freestyle Footbag Player of All Time!  It is an honor to award Kenny Shults the Freestyle Footbag Career Achievement Award for 2009.

You can read more about Mr. Shults in this article;

The Top Ten Freestyle Footbag Players of All Time 

Player of the Decade (2000’s)

Vasek Klouda

Like Kenny Shults, Vasek Klouda’s influence on the game of freestyle footbag is undeniable.  There certainly are similarities between the two regarding freestyle advancement.   In both cases, (Kenny in the 1980’s, Klouda in the 2000’s) freestyle footbag was amazingly pushed forward with their accomplishments.  Just as one would conclude Kenny Shults and Peter Irish to be the quintessential players of the 1980’s and 1990’s, there is no doubt that Klouda has earned the title for this era.  Starting in 2000, Vasek’s rise to fame was meteoric; by the time he won his first Worlds title in 2002, he was still only 15 years old.  From there Klouda set an unprecedented run as six time consecutive World Footbag Champion.  Vasek has broken countless freestyle records; his advancement of tripless, fearless, and beastly combinations is legendary.  Vasek has also received the greatest amount of exposure for freestyle footbag since Kenny, having shown up in more than a few commercials, videos, and television performances.  Klouda has been so iconic that many of the newer freestyle players couldn’t imagine a world before him; for almost a solid decade Vasek has simply dominated the game.  For being a source of inspiration to countless freestyle footbag players over the last ten years, Mr. Klouda easily earns the title of Freestyle Player of the Decade.  Many thanks Vasek; you are truly one of the greatest stars freestyle footbag has ever known!

Here are some of Vasek’s greatest hits in video:

2009 Player of the Year

Anssi Sundberg

There were a lot of breakout freestylers this last year, possibly a sign of the changing times in footbag.  One player in particular has had an explosive year in terms of freestyle advancements, exposure, and contributions to the community.  That player is the inspiring Anssi Sundberg.  Heralding from Finland (which is reputed for churning out great players), Mr. Sundberg has been known for a few years as a rising star in footbag.  In 2009, much of his hard work earned the recognition it deserved.  Consistently throughout the past year, the footbag community has been served up with video after video of impressive ‘Anz’ shred.  These videos acted as inspiration to the community, reminiscent of Jorden Moir’s video work in 2005.  As many could only speculate on the status of other top players, Anssi was kind enough to keep the community updated with his progress.  Aside from the continuous shred videos that have been released over the year, the popular Anz’ Trikz instructional videos have acted as inspiration to many players getting into the sport.  Along with this ‘freestyle video soul food’ for the community, Anssi also has worked to promote the sport, and stayed active behind the scenes helping to further the footbag cause.  At Fourkast, we were lucky enough to publish some of his upcoming work, truly a precursor of things to come.  In terms of exposure, Sundberg certainly takes the cake.  As many of the other top freestylers were less prominent in 2009, Anssi was a light that kept the community excited to stay tuned into the forums, footbag.org, youtube, and even Fourkast.  Though Mr. Sundberg had a high profile status this year, there certainly wasn’t any undeserved hype.  This Finnish player has continued to elevate his technical abilities, hitting some of the most impressive moves and combinations this year.  With clarity and confidence, Sundberg represented his country and the sport at the 2009 World Footbag Championships in Berlin, taking sixth in the open singles freestyle division.  Along with two other newer freestyle sensations (Milan Benda and Nick Landes), Anssi was appropriately inducted into the Big Add Posse as well.  It’s been a great year for Mr. Sundberg, and though it seems this quality freestyler is everywhere these days, it’s our belief at Fourkast that he is just getting started.  Expect great things from this young lad in the next year, both in terms of his freestyle game and commitment to promotion.  A shining example of the new school at it’s best; our hats off to Anssi Sundberg, who is now awarded the title of 2009 Player of the Year.  Keep up the great work Anz!

Anssi Sundberg at the 2009 World Footbag Championships

Here are just a few of the many, many videos of Anssi Sundberg from this year.  We have also attached a few articles published earlier this year regarding Mr. Sundberg.

Videos:

Anssi Sundberg Special 2009

Anssi Sundberg Special 2 2009

Anssi Sundberg High Speed

Anssi Sundberg and Nick landes: Night Shred

Anssi Sundberg: Joulukalenteri 2006 6th 

Articles:

Interview With Anssi Sundberg, Jan. 2009

A Newcomers Guide to Footbag by Anssi Sundberg 

Thanks to all of the people in the footbag community for helping to promote the sport.  Much appreciation to the people who contibuted media to this article, as well as the Fourkast staff for their continued dedication.  We are excited to see what 2010 has to offer!

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2010 Videos of the Year:

Best Raw Shred Video: Autumn by David Clavens

Was there even a question? David has been busy this year, not just in footbag, but in life as well (moving to California, starting a new job with Google). Footbag-wise, he has been very productive in 2010. One of his accomplishments is the great end of the year video entitled Autumn, which destroys people’s mindset about the boundaries of technical freestyle footbag. David displays with no ego that he is undoubtedly the greatest technical shredder in the world at the moment, many of his combos are simply amazing in their execution and difficulty. This video inspired a great amount of players in the scene, and we are sure it will become a classic for future generations to look back on. The best thing is that Autumn may be the beginning of a series of freestyle videos released by Mr. Clavens himself. Great stuff!

Autumn by David Clavens 

Best Edited Video: Footbag Fanatics by Juan Miguel

This is a beautiful piece of video editing by a student at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig and Universidad Politecnica de Valencia. Juan’s work in Motion is impressive to say the least, we have never seen anything like it. His use of effects is masterful, if you haven’t seen it we guarantee it will impress. Great stuff Juan, we look forward to your future footbag projects!

Footbag Fanatics 

Also a shout out to Jorden Moir and Jay Boychuk’s Badassery: 100 Moves You’ve Never Seen. It is creatively groundbreaking, and definitely worth multiple viewings. You can learn more about it here;

Badassery Write Up on Modified

Event of the Year

Worlds 2010

It is almost cliché to state that the World Footbag Championships is the event of the year, but it is a well earned cliché. Held in Oakland California by our good friend Mr. Chris Ott (with the help of Steve Goldberg and Eric Wulff, just a few of many contributors), this event was a reminder of what a great scene we have. Case in point, the perceptive minds on the Worlds staff were kind enough to book the event room (a massive expo hall) for a full twenty four hours a day during the event. That means the nice carpeted freestyle area and padded footbag net courts were up and running 24/7, leading people into playing and socializing all day and night. From this there were many great late night stories involving good shred and other. Aside from the late night music, dancing, card playing, video games and never ending footbag (Dylan Fry won the award for last kicker standing, played a few days at 6-7 hours straight), the actually tournament was a great success. Its execution was dead on, props again to the tournament directors for a great job. Within freestyle footbag, there were certainly some competition highlights, including Nick Landes’ Semi Finals Routine, Tina Aerberli’s Winning Routine, David Claven’s Masterful 2nd Place Routine, and of course Milan Benda’s great finals routine (more on that in a moment). There were many impressive performances from this event, these are just a few examples. Another highlight was the induction of Evan Gatesman (now deemed ‘The Silencer’) into the Big Add Posse.  Great work Evan! We hope every Worlds can at least meet the quality of this last year’s event, it was simply a roaring good time. Our hats off to the tournament organizers and the IFPA!

Promoter of the Year

Jan (Honza) Weber

It’s been a great year for our long time friend Honza Weber. For a few years there we weren’t sure what direction Jan was going, meaning he seemed to be at a crossroads in our sport before 2010. Some rumors said he was gradually stepping out, some said secretly training. But in this last year, Honza confirmed that not only is he still on the map as a player, but also has been showing his worth as a tireless promoter of the sport. Honza’s been everywhere this year, from commercials to online video games, high profile demos, and of course great shred videos. He has also performed well at all of the events he attended this year, taking 4th at the World Footbag Championships, 2nd at the European Footbag Championships and 1st in the Czech Footbag Championships. This was good exposure already, but then Honza went the extra mile and really started working to get the word out about our fine sport. More recently, he flew to southern California to team up with Nucleus Footwear to promote and demo at the Tony Hawk Stand Put for Skateparks fund raiser event. It looked like a great time, with some very good exposure. During that same time he also shot the new Shred Sessions online video game, which is a lot of fun. If that wasn’t enough, he also traveled quite a bit doing exhibitions in Europe, North America, and Asia. We have always had a great respect for Mr. Weber’s abilities as a player and organizer, it is good to see him graduate to this next step! Great stuff Honza, your work energizing the community is greatly appreciated!

Here is a quick playlist of Honza’s activity over the last year.

Honza Weber vs. Milan Benda
Tony Hawk Stand Up for Skateparks
Shred Sessions Footbag Video Game
Footbag Live Performance 

Moment of the Year

Milan Benda Worlds Finals Routine

This was an exceptional moment for freestyle footbag in 2010. Milan had been on the rise for a couple of years, placing high in various freestyle events and making a name for himself as a top player in the community. Worlds 2010 marked another milestone for this young player, he would ascend to the thrown of World Champion with an amazingly executed/technically difficult routine. If this wasn’t impressive on it’s own, it can be said the circumstances leading up to the routine lent acclaim to Benda’s victory. Going into finals, he was seeded last and therefore the first to perform in that final pool. To Kenny Shults’ knowledge, no one has ever come back from the last spot in finals to win a Worlds. Milan apparently didn’t get the memo (or more appropriately rejected it), and threw down a jaw dropping masterpiece of a routine. The drop count was zero, the execution and difficulty were very impressive, and the judges and crowd were floored by the performance. A standing ovation went up as Milan sealed his routine, and with that he had thrown down the gauntlet to his fellow finalist competitors. Soon his accomplishment was carved into the history books, not just for the stunning win, but also for the comeback from last spot to seal the victory. It was not only a shinning moment showing what hard work and dedication can accomplish, but also a message to never give up whatever the odds. Our gratitude to Milan Benda, who truly created a classic moment in the history of freestyle footbag, one that will not easily be forgotten.

Milan Benda Worlds 2010 Finals Routine

Player of the Year

David Clavens

In many ways David was in the same boat as Jan Weber. For a few years now people have wondered what the status of this great freestyler would be. In 2004 Clavens first received notice when he won the Intermediate singles division at the World Footbag Championships in Montreal. From there, it was a quick rise to fame; by 2005 David was putting out impressive freestyle videos documenting his advancements. By 2006, he was one of the top players in North America, and became the first US Champion for the new generation. David continued to dominate over the years, but as time went on his focus and interests expanded outside of footbag. School and career were taking hold, and leading up to 2010 David wasn’t seen quite as much. This last year however proved to be something different for the young player. Instead of tapering off, David stepped up his effort to improve his own game. Over the years, many now iconic players have contributed different elements to the scene; whether it was Kenny Shults and Rick Reese bringing invention to the game, or Peter Irish showing the beauty of performance and execution, or Lon Smith’s insanely creative abilities boosting the scene, each top player has offered something unique to the game that is remembered. For David, it is simply his jaw dropping technical combos that have made a clear impression in the community.  Many believe him to be the best circle shredder in the world right now, his display of raw power in his combos are a testament to this.  Clavens brings the thunder like no other since Vasek from days of old, David is quite simply a machine in execution and form. Representing nerves of steel, the Cleaver has shown time and again he cannot be shaken by anything or anyone, in competition or the circle. For performance routines, David had a great year, winning some key events, including the European Footbag Championships, and the final Funtastik Summer Classic. He very narrowly was edged out by Milan Benda at the 2010 World Footbag Championships, where he also threw down a meticulous finals routine. In Circle competition, he is almost undefeated, and is the current World Champion of that event (he also is the current Shred 30 World Champion). Outside of competition, David has taken part in a few good promotional events, including the Tony Hawk Stand Up for Skateparks demo. Wherever and whatever David is doing, all one has to do is watch his freestyle game to understand David’s state in footbag right now, it speaks volumes on its own. Case in point, at the end of the year Clavens released Autumn, almost nine minutes of stunning cutting edge game play. This video quickly inspired the community, and showed what the boundaries of freestyle footbag are right now. It’s our belief here at Fourkast that this video is a marker, and hopefully it will set the new standard that freestylers will reach for. David’s game is inspiring, and along with his overall achievements, great exposure, and dedication to pushing the level of the sport this last year, we are happy to say that David ‘The Cleaver’ Clavens is now Fourkast’s 2010 Player of the Year. Great stuff for sure, whatever the future holds for Mr. Clavens we are happy to have witnessed his fine work this last year!

Freestyle Footbag Career Achievement Award

Lon Smith

Simply put, Lon Smith is a creative genius. No one would argue that, he has had a very long track record of excellence in the game. Beginning in the early 1990′s, Lon was first and foremost a casual kicker, playing in circles and with other ‘hacky sackers’ in his home town of Grass Vally California. After some odd years, Lon began to slowly transition his foundational circle kicking game into freestyle footbag. He soon connected to Toby Robinson and Dave Hillis, two of Grass Valley’s senior players. From there, Lon began to build what can be described as a new natural style of play, almost unseen before that point. Lon mixed his circle kicking roots with new school technicality to create a completely new hybrid style of play. Elements such as Ducks, Dives, and Spins had existed previous to Lon, but it was his ‘outside the box’ execution of these concepts that really put them on the map with the new school. In many ways Lon is the most natural player freestyle footbag has known, and from various interviews he has revealed that his perception of the game is simply different than most players. In this regard Smith is almost an anomaly in our sport. He is incredibly talented despite not having the typical physical build that many top players do (shorter, lighter, low center of balance), and does not think technically as many other top players do. Contrary to these points Lon has stood out from the pack for many years as an innovator and inspiration. Where many players have developed a set rhythm in their game play, Smith constantly changes his style, sometimes during the combo itself.  In this regard it can be said he is formless in his style.  Lon has won a great amount of freestyle tournaments over the years, and though he has never bagged the title of World Champion, he has gained much of the respect that would go with that title. In 2000, Lon was inducted into the Big Add Posse in Vancouver BC. In 2001, most considered him to be the best player in the world. Every few years since then Lon has resurfaced (mainly at Worlds) to show the masses that he has only grown better with time. Much like the wise guru descending from the mountain to impart his knowledge, Lon continues to show wisdom and amazing ability in his game. Just recently at the 2010 World Footbag Championships, Smith once again reminded people that he was still a top tier player in circles and routines. His first round performance routine was an astonishing masterpiece, for which Kenny Shults immediately remarked it to be the best routine he had ever seen. High praise for sure. For this reminder, and all of Lon’s wonderful accomplishments over his long years in freestyle footbag, we are happy to give the award of Freestyle Footbag Achievement to this great innovative player. Hats off to Lon Smith, a true master of footbag and a player for the ages. We look forward to another 20 excellent years from this iconic freestyer!

Lon Smith’s 2010 Dropless Worlds Routine 

Well, that’s it for this year. We look forward to a new and exciting year coming up, there are many great things on the horizon for freestyle footbag. Until next time, see you in the circles!

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