We have been working for a long time to obtain an interview with the legend Torstein Wik, or as many know him better as, Torstein TrickWik. We will return to the nickname.
That we should now be able to do exactly that in the middle of a busy tournament he is commentating on says a lot about the capacity and commitment this man has for snooker and the sport of billiards in general. We were lucky enough to spend a Sunday morning.
We had set aside two hours. We used three. It was because the "journalist" had to throw in the towel. We could have kept the conversation going all day. Because here there was no shortage of knowledge, stories, commitment and willingness to tell stories. A fantastic interview subject.
For over 20 years now he has been the voice of snooker as we know it through television. The soft whispering voice, which still manages to engage. Hour after hour of new phrases, foreign words and engagement, he takes us along with the sound of the balls clinking on the green felt, safely into port in these long snooker matches.
The undersigned has been a fan of snooker as a TV sport for many years. What's not better on a Sunday, after a somewhat tough Saturday, to find your resting heart rate while watching snooker. The voice that comments helps make this the perfect relaxation. That's how it started the first times anyway. Now I watch snooker on other days too. But the voice is still just as crucial to the broadcasts.
We have tried to portray the journey we had. Although this is one of those moments that really has to be experienced. It turns out that commenting is only part of being human. This is a man who has really fought for the sport of billiards to be what it is today.
Torstein "Trickwik" Wik –
The man who never stopped being curious about what was possible
We are allowed to enter the venue to find a place where we can sit alone. The premises belong to the club Torstein is a member of. A beautiful and elaborate place at Stoppball Nidaros. A club that had just organized Norway's largest NM tournament.
When we sit down and start recording, we notice it right away. We're there right away.
There's something about the way he sits.
Leaning slightly forward. Hands calmly clasped together. His gaze sharp, but never stressed. When he talks about snooker, his fingers and hands move almost imperceptibly, as if they are still holding a cue. As if he feels the weight of it in the palm of his hand.
Torstein Trickwik Wik has spent more time around a pool table than most. It's not noticeable in the form of big words or self-importance. It's noticeable in the details. In the pauses between sentences. In the way he describes an impact – not just what happens, but what it feels like.
“There’s a moment where everything goes silent,” he says. “You can barely hear the audience anymore. It’s just you, the bullets, and the decision you’re about to make.”.
He smiles a little when he says it. Not dramatically. Just recognizing.
For him, this has never been just a game.
A relationship, not a hobby
We wondered where it all started. The commitment cannot remain hidden for long. He tells of a long journey within the billiards sport. Where running lounges and gaming venues was a part of him almost from the start. We understand that we are dealing with an important person when it comes to how the billiards sport in Norway now looks. He has been at the forefront of much of what has happened in the last 30 years in Norwegian billiards sport.
Some people have hobbies. Torstein got into a relationship.
It began with fascination. The almost childlike wonderment of how a white ball could control everything. How millimeters at the point of impact could change the entire position on the table. How physics, psychology and precision could merge in a single impact.
“I never finished it,” he says. “I always thought, ‘Okay, but what if I do it a little differently next time?’”
It wasn't the pursuit of applause that drove him. It was the pursuit of understanding. Of control.
He describes the pool table as honest. Almost brutally honest.
– The table doesn't lie. If you make a mistake, you'll get the answer right away.
There's something in his eyes when he says that. A respect. Maybe even a kind of gratitude.
Where "Trickwik" originated
The nickname didn't come from a microphone. It came from the floor, from the environment, from those who were standing close by.
He started playing with boundaries early on. Not frivolously, not randomly – but purposefully. He was curious about how far control could be stretched.
Bullets via multiple wins. Spins that made people shake their heads. Shots that looked like improvisation, but were actually worked out down to the smallest detail.
– People often think it's luck, he says, laughing a little. – It's not. There's quite a bit of work behind it.
When a trick shot is perfect, there's something almost theatrical about it. The balls move as if in a choreography. The audience holds their breath for half a second too long.
– That feeling… when you know this is on the edge of what's possible, but you've figured it out – it's hard to beat.
That's when the name started to take hold.
"Trickwick."
First said with a twinkle in the eye. Then with respect.
We ask if we can see some examples of his tricks. But unfortunately they don't have a snooker table in the venue now, and get a reference to an old video. We take a look and of course we are impressed. The video from YouTube can be found here!
The Competitive Man
Behind his creativity lies the competitive nature. It's easy to be dazzled by trick shots and showmanship, but his foundation has always been the sporting aspect.
He trained. He competed. He felt the nerves. The disappointments. The days when nothing feels right, and the days when everything feels easy.
“You learn the most from the losses,” he says quietly. “That's where you have to go inside yourself.”.
The Norwegian billiards community was smaller, more vulnerable at the time. A lot had to be built from scratch. Structure, seriousness, recruitment.
He was part of that work. Not because it made headlines, but because it had to be done.
– If we didn't take it seriously ourselves, we couldn't expect others to either. It was probably during this period that billiards went from being a typical pub sport to the competitive sport we know today.
There's something down-to-earth about the way he says it. As if it was never really a choice.
The voice many know
For the general public, it may be the voice they think of first.
Calm. Analytical. Committed, but never overdone.
As a commentator, he has been present through dramatic World Cup nights, long finals and moments where everything is decided on one hand.
– It's strange, he says, – because even though you're sitting in a commentary box, you feel it in your body.
He knows what it feels like to stand there himself. How your hand can feel a little heavier when the match is on the line. How your mind can start to race.
– The mental aspect is huge. People see the technique. But it's the head that decides.
When he comments, it's not just about describing what the player is doing. He wants to explain why.
– If you understand the election, you understand the drama.
He can be quiet when a decisive shot is about to be taken. Let the moment live. He knows that snooker doesn't need noise to be exciting.
Body language around the table
When he himself stands at the table, there is something almost meditative about his movements. He walks around the position with calm steps. Aims. Gets up again. Checks the angle once more.
There's no rush there. Don't panic.
“You have to give yourself time to make the right choice,” he says.
The cue rests steadily in the hand. The gaze alternates between the object ball and the pocket. There is a rhythm to it. A rhythm that only comes from thousands of repetitions.
And then – the impact.
Clean. Effortless. As if there was never any doubt.
A cultural carrier
Over the years, he has become more than just a player and commentator. He has become a reference.
Younger players have sought advice. Not necessarily because he shouts the loudest, but because he's been there. Because he's made the mistakes himself. Because he knows what's required.
“You have to build the foundation first,” he says. “The creative comes after the control.”.
It's a sentence that says a lot about him.
He loves the spectacular. But he respects the basics even more.
A life with chalk on the fingers
It's easy to romanticize a long life in sports. But for Torstein, it's not about romance. It's about presence.
About hours alone at the table. About the silence in the room late at night. About the sound of bullets hitting each other again and again.
“There's something special about it,” he says. “That sound almost gets into your body.”.
He laughs when he realizes how nerdy it might sound.
But that's precisely what has driven him: the fascination. The curiosity. The joy of understanding a little more today than yesterday.
We have a feeling this applies to many other things in life as well. This is clearly a man who reflects on most things.
More than a nickname
"Trickwik" may sound like a showman. But behind the name stands a person who has spent much of his life elevating a sport that has often had to fight for space and respect.
He has been in the community when it was small. He has been there when interest has grown. He has contributed both in front of the camera and quietly behind the scenes.
“I still feel the same fascination,” he says finally. “That’s perhaps the most important thing.”.
He sits back a little in his chair. Calm.
– There is always something more to learn.
And perhaps that's exactly what sums up Torstein "Trickwik" Wik best.
Not just the trick shots.
Not just the commentary voice.
Not just the merits.
But the persistent curiosity. The quiet dedication. And the love for a game that still, after all these years, makes him lean forward a little in his chair – as if the next shot is always the most important.
Eurosport, dissemination and the "secret" sport
It is still impossible to talk about the voice without talking about the channel that has brought the sport to the forefront. Because if it weren't for Eurosport, snooker would practically be a secret sport in Norway.
A sport almost completely absent from newspapers, on Norwegian TV screens and in the news. Never front page news. Rarely mentioned. Completely silent.
However, the ratings tell a different story.
Snooker is as popular as tennis and the Tour de France. In terms of viewership, it rivals the biggest rights packages. And year after year, the channel has renewed its deals. Not necessarily because all the decision-makers have always understood the sport – but because the numbers have been too good to ignore.
– There have been a few people who have really stood by it, he says. – Who have had it on the agenda. Who have explained the rules over and over again. Created engagement. Saved new viewers and took care of the old ones.
Decade after decade.
Today, many follow the broadcasts via HBO Max, but the foundation was built by a channel that defied the odds and allowed the green blanket to find a place in Norwegian living rooms.
And at the heart of this is communication.
As the son of a principal, there is perhaps something pedagogical in his backbone. He never explains to impress. He explains so that people will understand. So that they will know why a choice is being made – not just see it being made.
It's communication as craft. Calm. Precise. Patient.
About the clubs, recruitment and achievements
When he talks about "running lounges," it's an oversimplification. What he has actually built and led are sports clubs with billiards as their core. Environments where structure, training, and development have been at the center.
Over the years, he has not only been part of the development of Norwegian billiards - he has been a driving force in it.
He has recruited and inspired a large number of Norwegian and European champions. More than most people in the country can point to. At the same time, he has achieved both himself.
That says something about the range.
From your own competitive everyday life – to raising the next generation.
A journey that never needed to end
The interview could go on forever. Just scaling it down to what we ended up with here was a struggle. Because this man is simply an institution in the world of billiards. We hope you still got the impression that the man behind the voice of snooker is something more than just a commentator.
Think about it the next time you sit down to enjoy a broadcast. This man has lived his entire life in this sport. No wonder he oozes dedication and wisdom. Because what this man doesn't know about snooker and billiards isn't worth knowing.
We politely thank you for your time, and look forward to hearing from you on the next broadcast.
