We move into 2004. Interactive TV programs such as “Mess TV” roll across the TV screen at all hours of the day and night. Part of the idea was that viewers should be able to communicate with the presenters. Gatebil was inspired and created a makeshift studio, headed by Glenn Rodney Skog (Geir Schau), where an “interactive Gatebil TV” was conducted. The studio itself was filmed in Asker, while the intro was filmed in the hallways of NRK at Marienlyst. Here there was both live chat and submitted images from viewers. How this technology worked on DVD back in 2004 is a well-hidden secret – but it was fun! Jan Øyvind Ruud, Stian Pedern Pedersen, Kjell Aaen (NBF), are among the guests in the somewhat chaotic studio. Topics discussed? Just nonsense.
2004. Where are we in history? The American Mars rover Spirit lands on Mars. The cargo ship MS “Rocknes” capsizes in Vatlestraumen. The Mozilla Firebird browser changes its name to Firefox. NOKAS robbery: Norsk Kontantservice in Stavanger is robbed (the robbery is described as the largest and most brutal robbery in Norwegian history) and a police officer is shot and killed. The world’s first privately-financed spacecraft, SpaceShipOne, carries out its first launch. Edvard Munch’s paintings The Scream and Madonna are stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo by armed robbers. George W. Bush is re-elected president for the period 2005-2009. World of Warcraft is released in North America. Princess Ingrid Alexandra is born and Ronald Reagan dies.
Gatebil is now in the middle of a period where the internet is really taking off. People can even download cool ringtones on their mobile phones(!). Formats like VHS are losing their footing. So this was the first movie to be released only on the modern “DVD” format. The soundtrack is taken up a notch, with contributions from WigWam and Warlocks, among others. Advanced 3D effects are also used, by the standards of the time. A lot of emphasis was also placed on the bonus material. Gatebil’s photographers traveled around the country, filming in various garages. Even abroad, at Swedish Jocke “Qvarnis” Qvarnström and his grimy Porsche as well as the Essen Motorshow.
What has hitherto been referred to as a “meeting” suddenly falls under the category of “festival” – and has also grown in size. So big, in fact, that Gatebil can claim to be “one of Norway’s biggest festivals”, if you count visitors over the weekend as a whole.
At the meetings, the driving is just as wild as before, if not even a notch worse. Perhaps the biggest difference is that many of the cars used are among the most ferocious in their category – worldwide. Cars such as Leif Nilsen’s Audi S1, GT40 and SportQuattro, Qvarni’s BMW M5 and Porsche, “Keiko” 3000 GT, Stian Hefsengen’s WRC Escort, Lasse Richvoldsen’s RS200, KRB Trading’s UR Quattro, Ruud Racing’s BMW E30 M3, Joel’s Granada, Bassan’s Gr. A Escort, Pederns Supra and M3, VS Motors M5, Kenneth Moen drifter, Dahlback Golfen, Vaa’s Supra, “Ulven” and a long list of other great cars and drivers. “OOOOOFFFFFFYYFFFAAAEEEnn!” Can be heard in the background as Stian Hafsengen pulls off the victory – with a power demonstration of a glacier – with his then still fresh WRC Escort.
Join us on a journey, 21 years back in time. Whether you attended Gatebil or weren’t born, there’s a lot of cool stuff here! Set aside some time for an important part of Gatebil’s history: