Håkan Carlqvist was so superior that he stopped for a beer in the middle of the race.
Then Staffan Lindeborg summed up the very best – in a single word.
Håkan Carlqvist may not have been the Swedish athlete who got the most attention, but he was one of the most popular. In the 70’s he broke through enormously in motocross, and his rock-hard personality and winning skull went home in the cabins to say the least.
Just had everything
And it’s easy to see why. Carla had everything extra to offer, and he took every opportunity to give the audience the entertainment he thought it deserved. That was also why he seldom whined, but always rubbed. The audience loved him – and the whole Swedish people as well.
One of Carlqvist’s craziest antics was when he once felt that he was so superior that he could stop the bike at the audience, to receive a beer, sip it – and drive on. The pictures are classic and sum up Carla in the very best way; An entertainer of rank.
A perfect word
And there is no person who is better suited to explain Carlqvist’s crazy antics than Staffan Lindeborg. The legendary SVT profile commented on the feature for his previous channel, and in one word he had to describe exactly what Carla was doing.
– Carlqvist takes his time. His lead is great, and he stops to refuel. And he continues, says Lindeborg in the segment.
Think – talk about perfect, both by Lindeborg and Carlqvist. Håkan Carlqvist died suddenly, and far too young, at the age of 63. He was then hailed by an entire sports country, and everyone seems to agree: There has never been – and probably never will be – an athlete like Carla.
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