How did you spend the holidays? Did you have any regular contact with your team-mates and did you guys exchange any presents?

SK.allen: I was home with my family at Christmas as I always do, and I was celebrating the new year with my girlfriend sophie back home in Degerfors!

I did not exchange any presents with the team but we had some contact at least, wishing each other Merry Christmas and so on.

What did father Christmas bring you? Are you a generous man at Christmas or do you keep the presents small and simple?

SK.allen: I ordered some stuff for my mom to buy me what I didn't already have but nothing specific. I'm quite generous I think, I love to give away presents but not too expensive stuff!

For a guy who travels the world the whole year round, is Christmas a much needed rest, or a bit of an anti-climax?

SK.allen: Yeah a much needed rest I think, I love christmas. I'm just chilling at my computer a lot listening to Christmas music. Last year I was not home often so it felt really good being able to chill at home this year!

Why do you spend your time at the computer during christmas too?

SK.allen: Haha I do not know, I like to be at the computer. I'm playing christmas radio music and playing other games besides CS with friends like DotA and stuff, it is just cosy I think.

You travelled a lot last year especially in October and November, how do you guys keep yourselves motivated during the long hours travelling?

SK.allen: We enjoy being away together with the team and we have loads of fun so it's really fun most of the time being away for a long time with the team. We bought ourselves a Nintendo DS each in the beginning of the one month world travel so we played a lot of Mario Kart I can tell you!

Of course it is not just fun being away that long though you miss home, girlfriend and friends. But that is a price you must pay in Counter-Strike!

Who's the best in Mario Kart then? You?

SK.allen:Yeah I'm the best of the best, I'm always winning but the other do not like the way I win at it. I place myself last until the last lap, then you get an imba item that you can use to get first most of the time, that is the only way I can win, haha!

Do you ever get tired of the travelling?

SK.allen: At the end of last year I was pretty tired of travelling but then we had been gone for such a long time. It is not that often we're gone for that long but yes sometimes it does get tiring.

Is there any special moment you remember when you're not at home, like RobbaN's train adventure?

Hmm, when I'm not home or at events I'm mostly in Stockholm with my girlfriend. I'm not doing any adventures like RobbaN.

Looking back over the past few events, if you had to relive a certain moment what would it be and why?

SK.allen: If I had to relive a certain moment I would say it must be the victory at DreamHack Winter, it felt so good! Winning the last event of the year where all good teams were attending. No doubt, DreamHack Winter!

Which team would you most like to beat this year and why?

SK.allen: It is either mousesports or mTw because we lose against them a lot, right now I must say mousesports though because we have already beaten mTw lately.

You went on a PR trip to South Africa last year, are there any other countries you would like to visit this year and why?

SK.allen: Yeah we had loads of fun there, it was like a vacation. I would like to go to Korea for some event because I've never been there before. Also Thailand has always been a dream location to go to for a long vacation, we'll see if there is time for that but I doubt it!

Did you save any money up for Thailand then? Would you want to go there with friends or maybe only with your girlfriend?

SK.allen: Yeah I could afford it but doubt I'll get the chance to be away for a couple of months though. Of course I would like to go with Sophie, I would not be able to be away from her for that long anyways!

Last year Counter-Strike got a slight update changing a few parts of the game that had been used for quite some time, mainly the 'bunny hop'. Did you affect you at all? How did you feel about this update?

SK.allen: Haha I have not even thought about that change, I don't think about it at all. It is always so loud at most events anyway so I don't think it makes such a big difference.

A few years ago SK had dropped out of all online competitions due to it being too much. What do you think about it today playing the EPS, the EM, ENC and more together with events and shootouts, does it sometimes get too much or is it helping to stay in shape?

SK.allen: I think its good with online matches to keeps ourselves in shape. If you're just practising all the time it gets kind of boring and you lose the match routine. So I think its great with some online events as well.

Your girlfriend is also a professional CS player, do you ever talk about CS stuff in your spare time?

SK.allen: I've got to say it happens sometimes, but not that often I would say. We have other things to talk about!

Looking forward to this year, what personal goal of your own would you like to beat by this time next year?

SK.allen: I want to become #1 at G7 ranking again and stay there for the whole year and earning some more money would not be such a bad thing either. Will be a great year for CS 1.6 i think.

Previous eSKlusives

eSKlusive: Tommy "toMpa" Andersson (SK Gaming DotA player)
eSKlusive: June "Lyn" Park (SK Gaming Warcraft3 player)

[photos courtesy of Nya wermlands tidningen, Readmore.de and Fragbite]