Niels Kristensen was born in Brørup, Denmark, but he lives in Freiburg, Switzerland. He regularly buys Kukuxumusu sweatshirts and T-shirts because for him the brand is, “real cool, real cute and real good quality” compared with other brands like Adidas or Nike. What Niels really enjoys is the singular Kukuxumusu humor, and its positive outlook on life. He loves running and he is a big fan of his own sister, Lisbeth Kristensen, who has been a world champion in triathlon. And, besides, he is the customer number 1 of Kukuxumusu, with around 50 orders in our Online Shop. Here is Niels.

What was the first ever Kukuxumusu item you got?
A T-shirt with a drawing of various Basque rural sports. It was given to me by my classmates from the University of Deusto on the 6^th of June, 2001 during my Erasmus year there. In actual fact, it was a birthday present. And I still use it.

Your stay as an Erasmus student was in Bilbao. What remains from that period of your life?
The odd word in Basque, such as “agur”and “aupa”. Besides, it was a fantastic period in my life, with those marvelous beaches along the Basque coast, and the fiestas, The Guggenheim, the cool people and the mountains too. I also enjoyed the Basque cooking and, of course, the cities like Bilbao, San Sebastian and Vitoria. I did a lot of cycling when I was there and the Basque landscape still has a soft spot in my heart. I continue to return there whenever I get the chance as the culture and history of that region interests me a lot.

Ever since then you have been a faithful follower of the Kukuxumusu trademark: What is it that you like about the brand?
I often buy their stuff because I would never go and buy a Nike T-shirt or an Adidas one when I can get Kukuxumusu – something much cuter, funnier and of first-class quality. Above all, what I like is the Kukuxumusu humor – sarcastic and biting at times, but with a true wit – and I also like the style of drawings and the bright colors.

Well, I guess you have a pretty good collection of Kukuxumusu stuff. Does the Kukuxumusu humor go down well in Switzerland?
Sure it does, the people usually get a laugh from it and the quality of the drawings is admired – something which has surprised me at times, ‘cause the Swiss are not exactly famed for their sense of humor.

What is the latest Kukuxumusu thing that you have bought?
Just a few days ago I ordered four sweatshirts from the latest collection. I really dig two of them, ‘Breaking Bull’ and ‘Bullfather’.

Drawing Breaking Bull

Of all the drawings that you can remember what is your number one favorite and why?
I guess it has to be the one of the bull holding the ears of the matador in its hands! On one occasion, when I was in Seville I went to a bullfight and I thought it was a horrible spectacle. The bulls were half-drugged and it was a real carnage. That drawing makes me laugh and it deals with a theme that matters to me and for that reason I guess I especially like it.

You speak and understand Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English, Spanish, German and French… how have you managed to learn so many languages?
Well, I am Danish, so both Swedish and Norwegian are pretty easy for me as they are similar to Danish. English, I learnt from watching a lot of TV and I have also read quite a lot of literature in English. German, I know, because I was born in a place just a one-hour drive from the German frontier and I have also watched a lot of German TV and read books in that language too. It was also a compulsory subject for us at high school.

And your Spanish? You speak it almost like a mother-tongue speaker…
I did a Spanish course at the University of Odense in Denmark and I also had my Erasmus year in Bilbao, in the University of Deusto. I also did a training program with the Spanish Triathlon Federation over a period of five months in Madrid, and since 2007 I have been working with some Spanish customers.

Well well, I suppose you are now going to say that your knowledge of French came to you in your sleep…
French I know thanks to the fact that my wife is Swiss-French, and I have done an intensive course in that language. But I really know the language because I always speak to her and to her family in French.

Being skilled in so many languages, what do you do to earn a living?
My diploma says “Specialist in partners service”. Since February of last year I have been working in Neuchatel, Switzerland for Autodesk, a company that produces software for engineers and architects who are working in the construction sector, but also for special- effects movies such as “Gravity” and “Ironman 3”, just to name a couple of them. I work with the distributors such as Techdata España, and others in the Nordic countries, as well as with Germans, French and English ones. I process purchase orders and I sort out problems that the buyers might have.

What does Kukuxumusu mean to you?
It has a very positive outlook on life and it can also even know how to communicate when things are not going well. Besides, it’s a way of making an impact on one’s friends, acquaintances and on people in general.

Niels digs…

A city/a place: Bilbao and the beaches along the Basque coast.
Favorite animal: Dog.
A movie: “La isla mínima”.
A character from the cinema: Tom Hardy.
A song: “Nearly forgot my broken heart”, from Chris Cornell.
A word: Wonderful.
A historic personality: Hans Christian Andersen.
A Sportsperson: my own sister, Lisbeth Kristensen (triathlon champion of EM (2006) and VM long-distance (2001).
A Kukuxumusu character: The wolf.
Enjoys: Running and listening to music.