We went to Västerås...
We went to Västerås to ask the raggare what they think of Dick Johnson's pomade.
Friday evening in Västerås, Central Sweden. But this isn’t just any weekend in the Swedish version of Lahti. We're at Västerås Summer Meet, one of the world's largest car gatherings. This weekend, the city hosts around 15,000 American classic cars and an even larger number of raggare.
Read the article “A Weekend in Västerås” here!
In honor of Dick Johnson's 10th anniversary, we came here to ask the experts of slicked-back hairstyles about Pomade Inepuisable, our first product from 2014. And we've had just enough beer for Swedish to roll off the tongue effortlessly!
“It smells f***ing great!”
At ten in the evening, there is a crowd at Lögarängen’s parking lot as the classic cars roll by and rock music blares. Dennis and Leo, along with their friends, have come to Västerås from Mora in a 1960 Chevrolet Parkwood station wagon.
Tonight’s program reportedly includes cruising, drinking alcohol, and listening to music. A bubble machine is also being set up for action.
Dick Johnson’s pomade was a welcome addition to the gentlemen’s evening festivities.
– Of course, I’ll try it. I'll do a quick slickback right away, Leo says.
– I’m an all-natural man, Dennis initially ponders.
Leo deftly rubs the pomade between his hands and smooths his hair back neatly. The final touch is styled rockabilly-style with a Dick Johnson comb. This is probably as close as you can get to being a rock god.
– It smells absolutely f***ing great!
After perfecting the slickback, Jailhouse Rock starts playing. Inspired by Leo's style, Dennis also decides to slick back his hair neatly.
– Works great!
Soon, Kenneth from southern Sweden arrives in his turquoise Cadillac. Homemade booze is offered from the trunk, and the wild night quickly turns into a blur.
“Holds well despite the rain!”
I pry open my bleary eyes as dawn breaks about twenty kilometers away from the city. A morning shower washes away the sins of the night, and my camera still works despite the kebab sauce spilled on it.
After several hours of cruising and a few more beers, the hangover from the moonshine starts to ease as I arrive at the Hammarbyrampen gas station around midnight. This is one of the raggare hangouts during Summer Meet, and despite the night's rain, the atmosphere is lively.
Since I cheated my way through basic and advanced Swedish classes, my interviews have remained superficial so far. That’s why I need to find some Finns.
That's not difficult, as Västerås also attracts a good number of Finnish raggare every summer.
One of the car enthusiasts spending the evening at the gas station is Toni from Pirkanmaa. The group of friends came in a 1965 Ford Country Squire.
– Is that Dick pomade oil-based?
Not at all. Still, we made it strong-holding but also easy to wash out.
Toni also praised the scent of the Dick pomade, and despite the rain, decided to fix his hair.
– I could really use a mirror for this!
Nevertheless, the stylish slickback comes together effortlessly.
We Finns often think of our neighbors as soft when they consider 4.5% beer to be starköl and anything stronger than 3.5% has to be bought from Systembolaget.
Still, homemade booze seems to be in every car trunk at least in Västerås. I had planned to find six different people to test the pomade, but the moonshine foiled my plans. Nevertheless, we had a great time.
Maybe better luck next time!