Here at BrickNerd, we covered the second season of LEGO Masters US quite extensively with behind-the-scenes reports from our very own Maria Straatsma. But LEGO Masters is a global show, and we have a global, nerdy audience. I had the chance to work with the new version in Norway, so join me as I share some of the behind-the-scenes of the most northern LEGO Masters show ever!

The most popular family TV show—or even reality TV show—is coming to Norway! After the success of the show in many countries across the world, “LEGO Masters Norway” is coming to TV screens in Norway premiering on Friday, October 15th on TV 2. We will enjoy watching 16 contestants divided into eight teams in an epic brick battle. With many incredible challenges and all done under the strict eye of this year’s judge, only one team will be crowned the first Norwegian “LEGO Masters” and take home 500.000 Norwegian Crowns!

I’ll share more about the show soon, but let’s start by meeting the contestants and getting to know some AFOLs from Norway.

Øyvind & Ole Jakob

Name: Øyvind Vikse Bjelland
Age: 21
Comes from: Sveio
Lives in: Sveio
Profession: Certified electrician, but is currently pursuing further education

Name: Ole Jakob Vikse Bjelland
Age: 21
Comes from: Sveio
Lives in: Sveio
Profession: Certified electrician, but is currently pursuing further education

What is your relationship with LEGO bricks?

Øyvind: I spent a lot of time with LEGO bricks as a child, both alone and with friends. When I build today, I often reminisce about that time. Nostalgia is a big factor when it comes to why building with LEGO bricks still means a lot to me.

Ole Jakob: I became interested in LEGO at a young age. LEGO bricks have always been a good form of therapy. I have primarily used bricks to visualize ideas that challenge my creative qualities.

What is your relationship?

Ole Jakob: As twins, we look the same, but we are very different as persons. Øyvind is often perceived as the “logical person” and I am considered the “creative person”. It means that Øyvind usually spends more time on construction, functionality and logical solutions when we create. I spend more time on the visuals, accuracy to the reference and colour contrasts. You will enjoy a perfect combination of building models that work well, but at the same time look good!

Jørgen & Rune

Name: Jørgen Berg Pedersen
Age: 42
Comes from: Oslo
Lives in: Oslo
Profession: Content producer

Name: Rune Jansson Gabrielsen
Age: 40
Comes from: Oslo
Lives in: Oslo
Profession: 3D artist

What is your relationship with LEGO bricks?

Jørgen: I played a lot with LEGO bricks as a child and had a comeback as a 31-year-old when I came across the yearning of my childhood dreams: a LEGO Millennium Falcon from Star Wars. Then one set became two, two became ten, and with ten sets came out 40 episodes of the LEGO Star Wars Nynorsk Social Realism/SoMe miniseries #Hverdagswars. Today, I enjoy storytelling with my builds, look at what others are building and follow LEGO news.

Rune: I have been a playful person all my life. That’s why LEGO bricks were a natural part of much of my childhood. I loved building my own things but have never been particularly fond of building according to instructions. I had a long “dark age” where LEGO bricks weren’t in focus. But, after I became a father, LEGO bricks sprang to be the most important toy in our house once again. I was maybe less skilled with LEGO bricks than many other contestants, but it was absolutely crazy fun to be allowed to devote so much time to just creating with LEGO bricks along with so many other great people.

What is your relationship?

Jørgen: Our girlfriends are childhood friends, so we are “friends-in-law”. We met 15 years ago and matched well. Whether it is drawing, painting, writing, filming, photographing, animating and building, we both like to create things. We both love sci-fi, adventure, fantasy and silly humor, and have a pretty playful attitude to life. In the show, I have a bit of a nerdy approach while Rune is a little more energetic with a lot of raw energy and a creative mind.

Anna & Erman

Name: Anna Hui Opsahl
Age: 22
Comes from: Nittedal
Lives in: Valdres
Profession: Student

Name: Erman Bora Atabay
Age: 39
Comes from: Turkey (childhood), then Oslo
Lives in: Oslo
Profession: Nightlife industry

What is your relationship with LEGO bricks?

Anna: LEGO building is a great hobby I spend a lot of time doing. I like to build things that move using motors, pneumatics and mechanics.

Erman: I grew up with LEGO bricks. Today I build a lot of my own designs. I'm not very talented with drawing, shape or colour—and that is why the format of LEGO bricks is perfect for me to be creative.

What is your relationship?

Erman: Anna and I did not know each other when we auditioned. We are a team because we found out during the audition that we have some common traits and interests. And it ended up being a great thing. I think of it as being headhunted and then developing into a strong team.

Anna: We complement each other: I am the one with more of a technical mind and Erman is the one who has more imagination. A perfect fit!

Bård & Reier

Name: Bård Nome
Age: 54
Comes from: Rælingen
Lives in: Sandefjord
Profession: General MD

Name: Reier Pytte
Age: 53
Comes from: Hvittingfoss
Lives in: Hamar
Profession: Works with IT

What is your relationship with LEGO bricks?

Reier: LEGO building is my hobby—I needed to do something other than data and computer files, so it was natural to bring out what I spent a lot of time playing with as a child. My favourites are probably all LEGO models that have functions, electronic or mechanical. When I create, I spend more time on my own creations than on bought sets.

Bård: I played a lot with LEGO bricks as a child, often with my big brother, but also alone and with friends. I had a “dark age” from around the age of 14 until the age of 30. However, as I was still following the development, there was a bit of occasional “drooling” in toy stores and looking at the LEGO catalogues. When I became a father, I started collecting LEGO sets, as well as building my own creations. My favourite themes are buildings, trains and landscapes. I have my own LEGO room with between 500,000 and 1,000,000 bricks. I collect some LEGO themes such as Architecture, Modular Buildings and Ideas sets.

What's your relationship?

Bård: We are both members of Brikkelauget, the Norwegian LEGO user group for adult LEGO enthusiasts. We met at exhibitions and trips organized by Brikkelauget. I asked Reier to join me at LEGO Masters because I thought that we would make a good team with good qualities in terms of creativity and building technique, and I was right. In addition, there is no big age difference.

Kjetil & Johanne

Name: Kjetil Bergerud Larssen
Age: 35
Comes from: Askim
Lives in: Oslo
Profession: Communications manager

Name: Johanne Bruun Edvardsen
Age: 26
Comes from: Oslo
Lives in: Nesodden
Profession: Service design student

What is your relationship with LEGO bricks?

Kjetil: I grew up with LEGO bricks. I dreamed away in the beautiful world it represents—where everything is possible and the creativity never stops. For me, building with LEGO bricks is play, relaxation and fun for young and old.

Johanne: I got back to LEGO building five years ago when I wished for a set for Christmas. Now building with LEGO bricks is a sanctuary where I can relax from the world and get creative. I love the little miniature universe—because the possibilities for creating something fun are endless!

What is your relationship?

Kjetil: Johanne and I have known each other for quite a few years now, from the church's youth group. It is “super-random” that we are participating together—Johanne was eager to sign up and applied for a partner via Instagram stories, then I got a nudge from my wife about it and it was such a crazy thing that I could not say no. Then all of a sudden, we were building LEGO models in the studio, imagine that! We both have many ideas and are good at storytelling, but not so good at building and getting to what we envisioned (laughing). When I am stressed, I get silent and more focused while Johanne gets chatty… So that’s a pretty good combination!

Merete & Lasse

Name: Merete Nilssen
Age: 48 years
Comes from: Sande in Vestfold
Lives in: Ridabu, Hamar
Occupation: General manager of Utsikten kindergarten, Ottestad

Name: Lasse Nymoen
Age: 45
Comes from: Lindeberg in Sørum municipality (now Lillestrøm)
Lives in: Løvenstad in Rælingen
Profession: IT operations in Posten

What is your relationship with LEGO bricks?

Lasse: I played a lot with LEGO bricks during my childhood. After a short period of the “dark age” I rediscovered bricks again when I went to an exhibition and saw there were other adults who still built LEGO models! I build mostly within the Technic system, both MOCs and sets. For me, building with LEGO bricks is a way to relax and disconnect from the busy and fast world we live in. The most fun is at exhibitions, where you can meet like-minded people and hopefully inspire children (and adults) to create and never forget the joy of building with LEGO bricks.

Merete: Creating with LEGO bricks is my form of relaxation in a hectic everyday life. I spend time building sets and MOCs. Meeting other LEGO enthusiasts at exhibitions, both at home and abroad, provides a great source of inspiration and joy to me.

What is your relationship?

Merete: Lasse and I met at an event of Brikkelauget’s several years ago. We participated in a common display and I learned a lot from him about LEGO Technic system. The last big project we were involved in is the Captain Sabertooth project for Kristiansand Zoo which was displayed at LEGO World in Copenhagen in 2019.

Ebbe & Joakim

Name: Ebbe Wang
Age: 15
Comes from: Oslo / Vålerenga
Lives in: Oslo / Vålerenga
Profession: High school student

Name: Joakim Wang
Age: 50
Comes from: Oslo / Vålerenga
Lives in: Oslo / Vålerenga
Profession: Event producer

What is your relationship with LEGO bricks?

Joakim: I remember playing with LEGO bricks since I was very little and it was always a favourite toy when I was a child. And one of my favourite activities as an adult. In our LEGO family, it is a social activity we often do together. I love solving the “puzzles” and challenges that appear when building my own creations.

Ebbe: I have practically been born with LEGO bricks in my hands and I am not prepared to let them go! That is a big reason why I am who I am today. Playing and building with LEGO bricks is a part of my daily routine.

What is your relationship?

Joakim: We are family—father and son. We have been building together since Ebbe was a little boy. That is a great advantage since we know each other so well. We complement each other and that makes building quick, efficient and fun. We love building LEGO together and do it as often as we can.

Are & Grzegorz

Name: Are Odland
Age: 32
Comes from: Sauda
Lives in: Sauda
Occupation: Certified electrician

Name: Grzegorz Górczynski
Age: 37
Comes from: Ustka in Poland
Lives in: Etne (West Norway)
Occupation: Car mechanic / Industrial mechanic

What is your relationship with LEGO?

Are: LEGO bricks are amazing! A toy that has absolutely no limits in creativity. We can build anything! How amazing is that?

Grzegorz: My adventure with LEGO bricks began in 1988 when I was four and it was always important as I was growing up. Bricks were always around me and as I was getting older I started to work on my collection of sets. That passion translated to my children, so now we can all enjoy playing and building whatever we like. And you know what? I love building with LEGO bricks!

What is your relationship?

Grzegorz: We met less than a year ago, but we feel more like brothers. We have very different personalities, but we set the same goals for ourselves, and we use our differences and turn them into strengths. Grzegorz is better at building, while Are has an eye for aesthetics. Together we are dynamite!

Erik & Erik

Name: Erik “Brikkemaster” Legernes
Comes from: Bricktown
Lives in: Brickopolis
Profession: Judge in LEGO Masters and Creative Director at the LEGO Group

Name: Erik “Knusemaster” Solbakken
Comes from: Brickcity
Lives in: Brickopolis
Profession: TV host

What is your relationship with LEGO bricks?

Brikkemaster: Doesn’t my name give it away?

Knusemaster: LEGO bricks?

What's your relationship?

B&K: It’s complicated.

That’s your cast for LEGO Masters Norway 2021! So, don’t forget to put the date in the calendar—15th October, Friday, on TV 2—and let your imagination run wild. You will enjoy the amazing world of LEGO models made by some of the most talented LEGO builders in Norway!

Will you watch LEGO Masters Norway? And what do the Erik and Erik mean by “it’s complicated”? Let us know in the comments below.

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