Thor Aackerlund

Thor Bjorn Thorlei Aackerlund (born January 4, 1977) is a competitive video gamer.

As a child, he started playing computer games while waiting for a new school year to begin after having missed one due to his mother being hospitalised after a fire.[4] He couldn't afford a Nintendo Entertainment System, so he bought a Game Boy but didn't have the money for any extra games, which put him on the path of playing Tetris as it was included for free.[4] He was one of the winners of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships, for which he was bestowed a Mario trophy.[1][2][3] Soon after the competition, Camerica, a producer of unlicensed Nintendo Entertainment System games, signed a deal with Aackerlund to make him the official spokesman for their games.[2] Aackerlund then became the poster child for the game, featured in commercials and fairs.[5] As a child, he felt pressured to play as the prize money and endorsements were financially important for his family.[4] At the time, he was known as the only player to claim to have reached level 30 in Tetris.[5] Aackerlund soon disappeared from the scene, but remained known as perhaps the most well-known name in Tetris.[6]

He is a featured player in the 2011 documentary film Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters, which covers his second effort in competitive video gaming at the 2010 Classic Tetris World Championship.