Archive for March, 2009:
Volcom Stone’s 3rd annual TXOTX contest
March 31st, 2009 / No Comments » / by Jonathan Young
The third edition of the annual TXOTX mini ramp contest in Durango, Spain will be taking place this coming may 2nd, 2009 with well-known VERTICAL mini ramp out of Switzerland. As always sponsored by Volcom Stone, skaters will be battling it out for 8000 Euros in prize money. It’s pure madness every year so get there if you can!
Pedro Barros talks with Europeskate
March 29th, 2009 / 22 Comments » / by Jonathan Young
With the majority of skateboarders around the world not having access to vert ramps or even skateparks in their home towns, it’s quite obvious for me that the number of new top vert skaters is going to be a lot less than what we see happening in the street with incredibly talented skaters popping up everywhere.
Some calls have been heard lately that vert skating is fading out, all of the pros are getting older and barely any new blood is showing us that a new generation is coming. Well, that isn’t all true and there still are quite a few talented vert skaters out there. One of them has been showing his skills worldwide and at the young age of 14, he can already put his talent to the test against the top amateurs and pros skaters anywhere.
Who are we talking about? Pedro Barros. Just watching him skate makes me grin because he’s already well on his way to being one of THE top skaters in the next years to come. And what is even better: he took the time to send a bunch of pictures and answer are interview questions. Read up about what Pedro has to say and if you can see him live, do it!
To get this interview started, tell us who you are, where do you come from, which teams you skate for.
Pedro Barros, I come from Rio Tavares, it is a suburb of Florianopolis – an island in the south of Brazil. People know it as a Rio Tavares Mother Fucker R.T.M.F. I ride for Drop Dead, Volcom, Red Bull, Vans, Indy, Evoke, Type-S, Khiro and R.T.M.F.
When did you get started with skateboarding?
Actually since I know myself as a person I have been skateboarding. My dad said that I skate since I was one year old, but I can’t remember.
You belong to the new generation of top (vert) skaters that are pushing the limits. How does it feel to be one of those skaters other skaters look up to at such a young age?
I don’t like much of the idea to be target as a vert skater because I do skate much more bowls then vert, but I love vert too and I love to be in contests with all the guys I know around the world. About the feeling of being a top pro, for me it doesn’t matter if I am the top or not, it’s only good because you get invited to go to some contests in America.
Where do you like to have skate sessions? Any special spots/parks/ramps in the world which you really like?
Rio Tavares Mother Fucker is my favorite ever. I have the Hi Adventure Bowl where I skate, my back yard vert ramp and the new bowl all in the same area. I love to skate with friends anywhere. In California I like the Combi Pool, Chickens pool, Runs Pool and Bobs house. In Brazil I like also the vert in the Roca bowl and Swell.
Which skaters do you like to session with? Do you have any skaters you think are just great?
My local boys here are who I skate with most of the time. Rodolfo Ramos, Wagner Ramos, Leo Kakinho, Mureta, Mad, Kosake and others. Besides these guys normally when I travel I love to be skating with Lincoln Ueda, Nilton Neves, Bob Burnquist, Danny Way, Jimmy (california local guy), Jordan Price – there are many that it’s hard to remember all of them. Jake Phelps (Thrasher Magazine) is fun to be around, he always makes me do something different.
How did you get started with riding the Mega-Ramps? Can you describe the feeling you get riding down the big ramp, jumping the space between the ramps and then blasting out on the big halfpipe? It must be mad!
Bob is the Guy. He showed me the way to do it, he permitted me to do it. I’m glad because it is the most scary shit of my life!!!! I always think that I can die on that shit, but when I finish the session I feel great! (Europeskate comment: Good to hear that the skaters that actually have the guts to skate this monster of a ramp are impressed by it as well!!)
So what is your favorite trick (any terrain)? And are you working on learning something new?
540s are my favorite, but I want to do them all. Every trick is sick.
Do you feel any pressure skating at such at high level, traveling and skating for sponsors?
Not at all. For me it is all like playing a game. It is always fun. My dad is the one getting more pressure, he is the one dealing with the sponsors and the traveling shit. All I do is have fun.
As so many videos are out there and many being released, will we be seeing you in any new videos coming out soon?
I don’t know. I do a lot of things here in Brazil, but out there in America where the most videos are, I didn’t have time yet to be on one of these.
Do you have any favorite skate video parts that you like to watch?
Any think with Runnie (Rune Glifberg) and Bob is crazy to watch.
Tell us how a typical day in the life of Pedro Barros looks like!
hehhehehehhee, surf in the morning, school in the afternoon, skate after skate and be around my friends and family every single day.
What are your plans for the rest of 2009?
Pro Tec Pool Party, Europe, Maloof Money Cup, X Games and some of these big contests that we have here in Brazil.
That’s a wrap. Big big thank you to Pedro Barros and his dad Andre for this interview. Keep it up Pedro, it’s just great to see so much talent and style on a board. All the best for the future and we really hope to meet up some time soon in Europe!
Back To The Wallenberg contest returns
March 28th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Jonathan Young
Thrasher Magazine and ZERO Skateboards are joining forces on Saturday, May 30th 2009 from noon till 1pm only to bring together the top ollie/stair/trick master at the Wallenber High School in San Francisco, California to battle it out for $10,000 dollars cash. No hands, no grabs and – so nicely put- no crybabies. And the first lady skater to jump the Big Four gets a grand as well – not a bad hourly pay rate is it? Check the video out to get an idea of the madness that will be taking place!
The Santa Clarita skatepark opens!
March 28th, 2009 / 2 Comments » / by Jonathan Young
Just last Thursday while I was looking through new sites on the Net for some of the latest in skateboard stories, I came across a video introducing the builders behind the brand new Santa Clarita skate park in California. Talk about perfect timing – the 40,000 square foot park just opened yesterday and just before the official opening Shuriken Shannon, JT Aultz, Marius Syvanen, P Kid, Mike Fitz, Aaron Snyder, and Mike Franklin got special treatment and were allowed in for a VIP session.
This park looks like a lot of fun!
Ueber Skateboards get a new website!
March 27th, 2009 / 1 Comment » / by Jonathan Young
Nothing goes done better than giving the local skate teams and companies some support for all of the hard work and time they put into supporting the local skate scene. My homies over at Ueber Skateboards here in Hamburg, Germany have finally found some time in their busy schedule to put together a website to let anybody check out the gear and the team they have riding for them.
I’ve seen most of them skate before and they have got the skills but just in case you need more “proof”, Mack Mckelton rides for them as well!
- Ueber Skateboards website or
- Ueber Skateboards blog
Jereme Rogers rapping…??
March 27th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Jonathan Young
Well, I never really was personally into rap so I am not going to voice too much opinion on this album but after finding out that Jereme Rogers has hooked up with another dude calling himself “Detroit” and actually put out a rap album, I had to listen in and read the many comments letf on the Club Mumble site (click here for all of the comments and to be able to listen in yourself…).
Let me just put it this way – it sounds to me a bit like a white guy trying to sing like a softie version of Snoop Doggy Dog but hey, if you like it then enjoy!
Antiz Skateboards France Tour 2009
March 27th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Jonathan Young
Get ready for one rad skateboard team to start touring northern France in April starting April 2nd 2009! For all of the dates just read the flyer below or head over to the Antiz Skateboards website…
Guy Mariano Epicly Laterd Part 3
March 26th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Jonathan Young
The Guy Mariano / Epicly Later’d series keeps on trucking with the third episode below which is showing parts of the most warped family vacation ever! Enjoy the video!
Wangl Tangl 2009 doubles footage
March 26th, 2009 / No Comments » / by Jonathan Young
Thanks to the Twitterverse (it can be useful sometimes when people aren’t telling us that they are parking their car right now…) and Sidewalk Skateboard Magazine I just found some video footage from the recent Wangl Tangl 2009 mini ramp contest in Austria with the doubles contest. Check out some of the crazy action right here…Chris Pfanner and Danger David, Ben Nordberg and Danny Wainwright, Jurgen Howarth and Phil Zwijsen, Andy Scott and Manhead and more!
More Skateboarding >>
Blackout Team Battle April 4th 2009
March 26th, 2009 / 2 Comments » / by Jonathan Young
This news just came into the Europeskate HQ today – Switzerland is putting itself back on the skateboard contest map as Blackout Magazine has put together a contest for Saturday, April 4th 2009 in the brand new Freestyle Park in Zurich, Switzerland.
Lots of different contest formats will be taking place during this day: “team of 3″ classic street contest, highest wallride, best trick, most creative trick and the hardest ollie will be thrown in there to make the entire day even more fun. The Blackout Magazine team stress the fact that this is the first and the last contest taking place in this great looking park so if you can get there, make sure you do.
- Click here to get the the 360 degree view of this mad looking indoor skate park!
August 27, 2010: Ricardo Batista
August 22, 2010: Jonas Wedelstädt
August 21, 2010: bill Danforth
