“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
▲ Hugo Dubief – FS Flip
Ernest Hemingway (1899 - 1961)
ROOTS
During last decades, skateboarding popularity has raised drastically among others due to the creation of social media and the arrival of corporate shoes company. Now, skateboarding is at the Olympic Games, Supreme is a billion-dollar streetwear brand and fashion houses are making Pro model skate shoes. On the other side, that popularity allowed the construction of decent concrete skateparks, developments of association that are now been considered seriously by politics. Skateboarders that have done shitty jobs forever are able to become certified instructors, teach what they love and earn decent money. There is not only one good direction for skateboarding to take in the future, but that direction can’t be chosen without knowing where we come from. Nowadays kids are drowned by meaningless videos on their endless feeds that consume their minds without any benefit. Rather than that, with the helps of the older skateboarders, internet could be that place where they can discover the history of this beautiful subculture and the story of people who contributed. It is crazy to imagine that you can watch Video Days just by one click, while at the released in the early 90’s, people waited months or years before being able to watch it. This history is why skateboarding is such a meaningful subculture and young skateboarders from the internet generation should know about it, in order to find the right path for skateboarding future.
Every time we talk after the session about Poland, your motherland, you always say that you will never come back there, why? I try to expand my area of​ freedom and be in a place where I can constantly develop my skills. I moved out from home when I was 16 and since then I am switching places every few years to not stuck in “comfort zone�.
What made you decide to come to live in Vietnam? I've always wanted to live in a place where the sun is shining and I can wear flip-flops at work. Like any self-respecting skateboarder, I don't like snow.
How would Poland?
you
compare
skate
culture
in
Saigon
from
There are not many government funds to build skate parks in Vietnam, therefore street spots are the only option. Even some flat ground can be a place to skate. Maybe that's why the flip game is much stronger than the ledge one, especially in Saigon, where it's hard to find a decent long ledge. The seasons of the year greatly affect skate hours. Saigon has tropical savanna climate with 2 seasons and high humidity, while Poland has half a year with low temperature. Unfortunately, in both countries, skateboarding is still treated as a leisure activity rather than profession. Hopefully this will change in the near future.
Growing up in skateboarding?
Poland,
how
did
you
find
out
about
It was 2002 and I was 12 when new student Adam showed up in my class. He was very different from all nerdy kids in my school, influential and rebel for his age. He was definitely a big influence on me. He was skating to school, wearing a weed t-shirt over hoodie and baggy jeans with lanyard hanging out of his back pocket. We were playing THPS, skating after school and bombing trains in the evenings. I am skating to this day and my current work is the result of that time. Skateboarding and graffiti, then painting on canvas and now furniture and fashion design. In general, school systems teach you the right attitude, expected life path, but not necessary how to be an individual. Skateboarding is completely opposite to that. It’s all about personal input and individual approach. That’s why finding that creative output in skateboarding was so appealing to me and still is.
Is there any memories from the beginning where you knew you found your passion? I remember that I was obsessively looking around through the prism of spots and day dreaming about new tricks.
At that time, who were you looking up to? Any skate videos that you can re-watch in loop? The biggest influence on my skateboarding had my older colleagues from Szczecin, especially Eryk Gaj with speed and power. My very first skate video was dubbed, black and white VHS cassette of 411VM - Best of Volume 3 (1996). I watched that in 2002, 8 years after the premiere. I barely noticed any trick due to the poor quality of the cassette but I was still mind blowing. I liked the combination of music and skateboarding, especially the “Switchstance section” to the song by Al Green - let's stay together. The next videos were Adio One Step Beyond (2002) and Habitat - Mosaic (2003) rewatched in loops.
Nowadays, is there any brands or skateboarders that catch your attention? What do you think about the evolution of skateboarding and its growing popularity with the Olympics games and skateboarders having millions of followers on social media? If, I had to name one company, it would be Quasi, as a devoted follower of Alien Workshop vibe. However, today I am more interested in individual riders than brands. Some of my favorite right now are Heitor Da Silva, Bobby De Keyzer, Miles Silvas, Brad Cromer, Lucas Puig and Brasil skate scene in general. Skateboarding at the Olympics is a natural evolution. Instagram, there is no way to stop it. Skateboarders want to build a career and they made money. I don't see anything wrong with it, if that's not the only purpose of doing it. The only thing that miss is full video format that is irretrievably pushed out in favor of daily GRAM scrolling. I think a good example of a well-balanced and oriented skateboarder is Miles Silvas who has an almost athletic approach to skateboarding yet he is not a contest skater.
Do you think to moving to a new place affect your skateboarding style and the way you are looking at it? Definitely, the more you travel, the more versatile you are.
You still keep creative process in your work as a furniture designer. You will soon quit your job to focus on your own brand, can you tell us more about that? For many years, I have designing things for others. work for myself, and design even if it means earning less
humbly gained experience Nowadays, I would like to things that I stand for, money.
I remember that you want to move to America, what drives you to choose that destination? This idea came to me when I was a kid, after watching Jason Dill's day in life in 411 #61 (2004). At that time, Dill was living in NY and I was super hyped on him. There wasn't much skateboarding, but there was Dill's vibe and his perception of skateboarding as an individual expression of himself. Right now, America seems to be a good place to grow my business but also to progress in skateboarding. We will see what the time brings.
Any plans for the near future? I’d also like to skate more around whole Asia, but these plans are delayed due to Corona crisis.
Thanks to take the time for the interview, is there anything you would like to add? Stay healthy and skate as much as you can, time flies. Thank You for having me!
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Can you tell us about your mother town in Russia and how did you pick up a skateboard there? My hometown is Polyarnye Zori (it means Polar Dawns in Russian)located 88 km above the Arctic Circle, pretty close to Finland and Norway. That’s my favourite place on Earth, the most beautiful city I know. I am lucky to be born there, pure wild nature but not so far from Saint-Petersburg which is the second-largest city in Russia. The first skateboard was brought there by my older brother’s classmate. 3 others guys of my age and I started skating thanks to him.
How is the skate scene in Russia? Nothing good. Not sure I can say «It slowly progress», rather than stagnation. There’s no money in the industry. The crisis is not only economic, but also artistic. There wasn’t any interesting projects last years. The best things happen with money from European brands, but the support from abroad is pretty rare. At this time, very few people can bring money to skateboard industry in Russia but unfortunately those who can, support the acrobats of the insta-trap generation. Really independent guys can’t reach their full potential. Many people are under the influence of big corporate brands and sport commitees like the Olympic. Those guys want quick results without much effort and dedication. Many have already given up, or maybe they never really wanted a skate life? I think skateboarding is about complete independence and autonomy but we cannot achieve autonomy now. No way.
Who are the local dudes you look up to? The one and only Gosha Konyshev.
He has already done everything you can imagine and already achieved almost everything… Including frustration and depression I guess. I don’t believe in anyone else and don’t look up to anyone else but I love a few more guys who are living the life.
At one point you were sponsored by a local skate brand and you tried to become a professional skateboarder. But finally you step off and seems you took a totally different life style, what happened? First of all, I didn’t quit, they kicked me out, ahah! Gosha got me sponsored by Absurd Skateboards but after few years it was over. It inevitably had to happen for me to be able to find myself and to open my own brand. But Absurd showed me all the magic of skateboarding. I was lucky I came at the right time. We had international trips, everything was paid… But you’re right, that was a very different life style: only skateboarding and big city life. But at the end, we only had trips in Russia because of the economic crisis. During a skate trip to Caucasian Mineral Waters region, my life changed. We skated all day every day until one evening, my local friend, Andrey Kuznetcov, invited me to climb Beshtau mountain. I miss one day skating and it was like my second birthday. Can’t say I saw something I hadn’t seen before, I just returned to nature. We all see it but very few people know how much we need it. Moscow is not Russia and Russia is not Moscow. Russia is poor and beautiful, Russia is all about authenticity. My dream is to show a different Russia, not only perfect marble skateboarding. Absurd taught me that too but sadly, Absurd is based in Moscow. Everything is based in Moscow. But I don’t believe in this city. I believe in the South and good weather. Like in USA, best skateboarders are based in California, not in the capital. Of course, I am dreaming about New York too. I can imagine it’s crazy, pretty wild place… But to live in New York? Or in Moscow? No, thanks.
Your skate brand is called Critically Endangered. What message are you trying to give through your brand? Are you also in charge of the graphics? Some are really amazing. Thank you! And thanks to all the artists who worked with CR. Critically Endangered is a message. Couple years ago, after the Caucasian trip, I only followed wildlife photographers, climbers, national parks workers and other people who are trying to save nature. And also people who live in their own homes and grow their own food. I started to travel more to the wild places than to the cities even for skating. I studied geography and biodiversity a lot more than I watched skate-videos. The idea of «Critically Endangered» came at this time and came from animals conservation status. Yes, animals life is important, ecosystems depend on it. And from nature to skateboarding, I feel the same. Modern skateboarding has become a zoo or a circus, and this is also an «Extinction in the wild». And here I mean than human can degrade to the point of no return. It’s actually extinction. Society, skateboard community or animal world - it’s all the same. The only difference is that animals are not «destroying» themselves. We «destroy» both - them and ourselves. This is the message.
I found out on Instagram that you have an account called “In search of Miraculous” to show film photos of your travel. How did you start shooting and why did you choose films? My friend who invited me to climb Beshtau mountain, during that Absurd trip, also gave me a Samsung Vega 77i at that time. Beshtau is an isolated five-domed igneous mountain (volcano) near Pyatigorsk which is pretty amazing to shoot. So everything started with this trip. Miracles. In search of… Haha! I’m glad I received this gift, because this point-and-shoot Samsung didn’t prevent me from finding out that the film has its own magic.
Any place that was the most memorable? Yes, Chara sands. One of the Northernmost desert. But much larger than the other two. Located in Zabaykalsky Krai region (The Transbaikal krai), in the east of Baikal lake. The wildest place I’ve been. In May, during nights the temperature is 6 degrees below zero. But it was necessary to be on time to cross wide rivers on the ice and be back before it melted. What is the most memorable? So, you stand knee-deep in water in an extremely blue crack of a lake that has completely frozen for a long time, and you see sand and dead trees through the ice holes‌ Forgot to say that the desert is between two mountains: the ancient Udokan, an eroded mountain and the young Kodar, with sharp peaks. I also have been to Kamchatka, country of active volcanoes. No lava haha but very beautiful and amazing.
As a skateboarder from my generation, you start skateboarding just before the boom of social media. How do you think it affects skateboard culture? All the bad things I said before are the result of social media, especially the rush to success. But on the other hand, we have access to unlimited inspiration, we can choose who to look up to and who not.
I met you in Vietnam, where you stayed couple of months. Why you decide to travel in South East Asia? I didn’t decide to go there. My first trip to China in 2012 was amazing and I also met Alex there. Seven years later, we decided to start Critically Endangered. Last year, we came for 12-15 months to provide brand development. We knew that we could save money, skate and travel.
In Russia, it’s almost impossible. But after our arrival, Covid appeared. So Vietnam was our only chance to shoot a tour video and see the world before a blurry future in Russia.
Which is your favourite city? Đà Lạt forever.
Now you are back to Russia, how is the life there? What's your plan for the future? I want to progress slowly, hope to at least stagnate haha! This summer, I thought this would be a shitty time because of my debts, my hands were tied. But I won a contest and the prize helped me a lot. There were a lot of different paid trips after, surprisingly. We also did one more for CR. Finally, I think it was the best summer ever haha! Luckily.
Always good to keep in touch with you Vadim, is there anything you would like to add? It’s cool we met in Vietnam. We, CR crew, hope to be back soon. Thanks for this opportunity. Long Live Trà Đá!
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