COVERAGE:
THANKS:
Thrasher Magazine Chill (RIP) Desillusion Whiteout Der Bund (blog)
Nico @ septemberwheels.blogspot.com plemplemkaufraum.wordpress.com Max @ crete-slave.blogspot.com Andi @ www.b6s6s6.blogspot.com boldrider-boldrider.blogspot.com Alan Maag @ whiteoutskateboarding.ch Jonathan @ confuzine.com Nick @ citynotfall.blogspot.com Marc @ motocityinc.com Wez Lundry @ thrasher Everybody @ doodah.ch Everybody @ ksg.ch Charly @ radix.ch Homer @ ftbx.net Madeleine @ vans.ch Jan @ roja-films.com allfreeskateboardteam.blogspot.com dslmag.com sk8.net Tout le monde au FLNM & YCM Änni, Naharkola, Family, Clood, Coldog, Ren, Sykes family, Tom&Demi, Mischou, Niklaus mafia, DMS kids, Pat, 20-100, etc...
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pancho - noseblunt - jey
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Hoi Charly (gsi) ça va mon ami? Ja i würd mau sägä easygsi eifach chli gefickt bei leben... First, I would like to say thanks man; Yeah, since something like 2 years now, I have the chance to skate with you (and not only with 12 years old scheiss kinder) which is great. Second, thanks again. Because of all your passion and interest in doing a fucking Versus interview! Sehr gefährlich! Da chani numä sägä merci dir viu mau für motivation zum sterben, für helping me staying focused, für skating transition mit mir und natürläch für au di fotos wo du scho vo mir hesch gmacht und natürläch für easy gsi. Ja easy gsi man. Alright this one is for you people reading this shit. If you think you can handle pain, take bad slams, if you think your body is fucked, but that you are tough enough to keep on skating, actually, you have no idea, you are just a pussy. Charly is a fucking (varial) warrior. Don’t mess with the huere hooligan! Please introduce yourself you all Versus fans Charly... Das isch natürläch z geilstä komplimänt wo mir je öpär het gmacht. ja weni für öpis sinnfous so viu passion hät wi fürts skatä de währ äuä öpis us mir wordä abär was wosch “blood sweat and tears” isch haut meh mi style. my skateboard is my weapon and the bowl is my battlefield! Du huere scheiss ausländer... Sorry abär äh äh. woschä schleglä scho chli officially schnägäfrässär. tja das chamä haut nid ändärä abär egal was passieren “god save the queen” go england! Ahaha du brätscher... You can skate everything, and do something like 2 000 000 tricks in transition... So why only fs slasher? There is no side like frontside!!! und i ha haut so viu biudär vo fs slashers das d redaktion vo versus het gmeint mä chönt ja numä diä näh u das hani ä geili idee gfungä wüu dasch eifach einä vo minä liäblings tricks. (o we teu lüt viläch sägä dass das gahr keh trick isch) Egal was passiert, du musst diese antwort auf französisch schreiben: Quelle est ta bière préférée et pourquoi? Eh eh eh eh newcastle brown parsce elle est de l’angletere jaim tres bien. et je detest feldschlöschen (pardon milä) Good one. Hey let’s get serious now (=boring...); I never really managed to explain to people how bad I hate to work... They (beside Colin, cheers mate) just don’t get it. They are anyway too busy working to think about it. But you, maybe you could find better words to tell the world that, a bad day at skateboarding, is still better than a good day at job (Is that possible anyway?). Vote Yachting Club Mauriennais!
Serious? sehr gefährlich! auso wäut los itz mau guät zu äs isch äbä so mit däm schafä. wemä am büglä isch chamä ja bekanntläch nid skatä (es sei denn mä sig pro) und wemä nid am skatä isch de macht z läbä eifach wenigär sinn. sprich schafä macht eifach keh sinn. u nähr hei doch di eslä z gfüäu mä söt de 8 stung (odär i dä ganz schlimmä regionä no meh) am tag ihrgänd ihrä budä si u genau das machä wosi wei denn wosis wei u so wisis wei u das töhnt doch eifach chli z fest nach gfängniss für mi gschmack. u weh itz das öpär nid värsteit sorry de sit där säubär tschud. u merkät näch aus ungärämä monät feriä het mit feriä glich weni ztüä wi züri mit där schwitz aus ungärämä monät isch höchstäns chli frei ha. I’m getting depressed just talking about, let’s change subject: What’s Versus for you? Hard one! itz muäs i ufpassä wasi schribä (das chönt scho chli übär mi zuäkunft äntscheidä) nei eigäntläch ischs ganz ä eifachi frag i fingäs dänk huär geil. äs isch erläch, luschtig, gefickt bei leben, full of passion und 100% skateboarding wüu bim skatä geits nid numä um flip in flip out shit sondärn skatä isch winä wundär schöhni frou äs chadi zärstörä und äs cha di där glücklächst mönsch uf där wäut machä. u i gloug das bringt doch versus nid schlächt zum usdruck ja i täichä i ha di frag ziämli berlindärät beantwortät. was i eigäntläch ha wöuä sägä isch i fingä versus übergeil u i fröiä mi jedäs mau sehr äs fötäli vo mir drinä z gseh. Oh so härtsig du... I’ve heard that you were more or less working for a skate-shop, but you more or less got kicked out because you were not part of their sect... Can you tell us more about it? Or you prefer to talk crap like we always use to do during every skate-trip / session... I gloub das isch nid ganz wahr s isch sichär nid ganz koräkt gloffä dert abär i wot da niämär schlächt machä. i think it’s beter to talk crap as we always do wüu dasch doch meh mis talänt. Alsau chines... How many skate-spots did you build yourself? You are a legend in Burgdorf man... Dasch doch no einisch äs geils komplimänt (hanis doch zu öpis brungä o weni nid ihr grawatä ga ga büglä). ja aus ching hani daheim öpä mau äs paar sachä bout (merci fättu für aui hiuf u ngärstützig) u nähr hani z burgdorf d miniramp ghufä bouä u äs paar mau renoviärt. (merci milä ein für alle mau mir hei diä zämä gmacht egau was isch gseit wordä). nähr natürläch di chlini u doch so lustägi bäronx miniramp (merci lücku) u nähr isch da no di chlini komischi miniramp z züri ihr binz woni mitäm tom ha umbout. (tom o dir u dinä mitbewohnär äs härzlächs merci) u da chunt mir doch no i sinn mit minä cousins hani mau äuä di komisti miniramp bouä wo je vo mönschähang isch ärschafä wordä.
photo: pascal g
Ok Bob, now the classic TOP 5: Spots: weiärli nei scho chli spinsch! the world man!!! Videos: the end, feed the need, extremly sorry, the rugby world-cup 2003, uäli där chnächt Skaters: jey, stu graham, geoff rowley, lance mountain, jay adams Beers: newcastle brown, hobgoblin, burgdorfer ämmä, leffe, prix garantie junkie-beer :) Girls: vera, my mom, auntie eileen, alice wick, contesa (minä eutärä ihrä hung) Bands: the kinks, the doors, johnny cash, the beatles, gölä :) I had to kick-out Charly from my girlfriend’s place (Änni #1) because I was so hungry, tired, and my stupid (broken) toe started to hurt as hell... So I sent him the other questions via email. Here is the rest of the interview... I heard that the Versus Army is slowly, but surely starting a skateboard company... Do you know something about that? I weis numä das dä huärä jey itz de mau versus/doodah brättär macht zum luägä wi das so louft u nähr je nach däm mit äs paar kolegä säubär brättär wot la machä. u i fingäs uf jedäfau ä geili idee i hoffä das da öpis drus wird. What would you like to get for design for your Versus Pro-model? Pro-model gfaut mär. i ha märs no nid so gnau übärleit abär viläch öpis mit ängland odär mitäm churchill odär so. keh angst i bi keh nazi i liäbä eifach mi zwöiti heimat. First skateboard? Deck: girl tony ferguson - Trucks: titan - Wheels: keh ahnig First skatemag? Titus First skatevideo? Girl Mouse First injury? Mi erst richtig umfau isch äuä gsi woni d achslä z erst mau ha usgränkt First spot? Mini säubär bastlätä ramps daheim bi dä eutärä Last broken board? Flip logo deck Last trick? Fs blunt Last slam? Jedä morgä weni muäs ga büglä isch so chli winä slam Last hangover? Letscht sunnti (abär numä ä schüchä)
Last word? “No talent full passion” forever Mega-Ramp or Loop? Hard one. abär i würd sägä loop (wüu dä isch dä huärä sheckler no nid gfahrä) Mini-Ramp or Vert? Mini-ramp (ohni d burgdorf mini-ramp würdi hüt viläch nüm skatä) Handrail or ledge? Ledge Beer or whisky? Sorry abär beidäs! Pros or bros? Bros Now ask yourself a question, and answer it... Charlie wiso hesch äm jey eigäntläch niä gseit das du di namä mit “ie” schribsch? Keh ahnig ha äuä angst gha das är nähr wotä schlegle Sorry mate! I’m done man, do you want to talk about something else? Ja viläch no chli übär dini zuäkunftsplähn, witärbiudig, familiä gründä, hus choufä wi gsehts so us? nei seich i gloub für mi isch o easy gsi. If you wanna say thank you to somebody it’s time, we are running out of space... Ja sichär mau merci viu mau dir jey für das interview, für mit mir z skatä u angärä seich z machä, für z fötälä u fiumä u därfür dasd eifach ä geilä siäch bisch. u merci o au denä wo mini varial flips u fs slasher no nid värleidät si u gäng no mit mir skatä. merci äm radix für aui ungärstützig. u o äs härzlächs dankä schöhn a mini eutärä wo mär doch no z eintä odär angärä roubrätt zaut hei. u no ganz ä psungärä dank ad stadt bärn das äs ihr houptstadt immär no keh aständigä skatepark git wüu das würd mi würkläch sehr aschissä wes z bärn öpis aständigs zum skatä giäb. Thanks for your time and passion mon ami Charly (gsi). See you soon on board (or at the bar!)
mad-dog - bs ollie - jey
mile - broken-board pop-shove-it - jey
manu - 360 Flip - FaBio
MARC - WALLRIDE - K.KOHLER
Noah - KicKFlip - jey
Noah - Failslide again - jey
batti - fs 5-0 - K.KOHLER
NICK - "RAGDOLL" - FaBio
Kleino - BroKen-Board SliDe - jey
sancho - pivot - jey
samir - sw kickflip - jey
isis-gsi - noseslide - jey
sunshine - fs 50-50 - jey
samir - fs feeble - fabio
nico - bs 180 - fabio
Stupid headline, what!? At least it caught your attention and you started reading this article. Well it seems like DIY is very up to date, hip or whatever these days. You even have pros like Pontus Alv who´s image is almoste to 100% based on his DIY-projects even though he is also one of the most skilled and indivual skaters on this planet. You have DIY-Spots, boardcompanies, -mags etc.. So, DIY is a trend but in my opinion it´s more of a movement which is hopefully here to stay. ... Here to stay? Wait a second, that sounds like DIY is some new thing, that started maybe a few years back, but to me, being the old fool that I am and skating for almost 25 years, DIY was always there and in the late eigthies even crucial for skateboarding to survive, only that I didn´t knew back then that what we did was called DIY, we just did what it took to have a spot. There where just a few parks around, but far away and you had no car, so what else could you do when you wanted to have a ramp but buy (well most time steal ) wood and start building shit. I don´t want to sound like a bitter old man, the oppsite is the case, I´m happpy with this trend, but it seems like a lot of those skaters out there doing the DIY-thing today look at themselves like they are something special. Well that´s maybe because after almost every town building a skatepark, which luckily in these days are also skatable most of the time, they want to find a way to sperate themselves from the average rest but as long as there will be 2 new DIY-Spots for every busted curb, bank, rail, ledge whatever, go for it dudes and for all you ignorant consumers just skating those spots and not putting some work into them, show some respect to those dudes and ignore their arrogance. When it comes to spots it´s pretty easy to tell if a Spot is DIY or not! If it´s built by a couple of skaters (not buy a hired company even if it´s skaterowned) who buy some concrete pour it and shape or build some shit of wood on their own, it´s DIY.
Domi Lippert - Hardflip - pic by Michele Danze
But a lot of people and companies want to jump on the bandwagon of being DIY these days. So what about Skateboard-Companies, skate-related clothing-brands,Mags etc. that have to sell some of their stuff to at least survive? What does it take to run a a DIY-Company or what does it take to be consicered as one? Being the founder and Co-Owner of Moto-City Inc. Skateboards I always ask myself where the line between a DIY-Company and those other Companies is? Can a commercial successfull Brand also be a DIYCompany? Can you see it on their bankaccount? Well in my opinion you can´t see it on the bankaccount and yes you also can be an economicaly succesfull company. If you can make money, live of skateboarding as an DIY-Dude, that´s cool to me and to be honest, I would like to be one of those few guys. For example Consolidated, they are known all over our planet and are in the biz for almost 20 years but they always kept that feeling of an DIY-Brand, following a different path and doing their thing the way the wanted to do it. In 1995 I was in Santa Cruz and skated the Consolidated Ramp, back than, Birdo worked in a Bar at night while doing the businessstuff at daytime, that is truely in the spirit of this movement but not a necessity. For me the deffinition of a DIY-Company starts with the beginning, the roots of this company. Like the Moto-City Inc. a DIY-Brand has to be founded by one skater or a group of friends/skaters who put the money they have on the table to start something they believe in, without any big distribution or non-skateboard-related company or anyone else who want to have an influence by lending moeny, backing them up. And by saying a group of friends I also mean frienship is very important in the start but not only then, it always has to play a key role for a company like that, `cause every decission you make has to truely satisfy everyone in this group, so you have to be close friends, grewing up together as skaters, being on the same trip and trust eachother. Having a small DIY-Company you have to deal with the same shit those big commercial sucsessfull companies have to deal with, which are talking to graphic-designers (if you are not a good one yourself), shops, deadlines, logistics and this devil called book-keeping and even more than the big once. Very often you don´t make enough money with your company to live (hopefully just in the beginning), so you have to have a job to make money and do the skate-business at night, you don´t have money for an ad and big marketing-events, so you have to be more
Flo Wimpff - BSNBS - pic by Michele Danze
Matze Preisser - Millerflip - pic by Kamil Krzesniak
creativ and active so the scene sees that you exist and like in my partners Stephans case and also soon in my case, sometimes you have a child to take care, this all means, you have to be carefull with your time left so you have time for the most important thing in my definition of DIY in the skateworld, and that is skating and havin´fun because that´s why you strated the company for or like Stephan once said: “we´re a skatecompany so we have to have time to drink beers!“ You need a lot passion and dedication to run a DIY-Company, define it that way and make it last. You also have to have friends and supporters that are loyal and believe in you and help you even though you can´t pay them, so all they get sometimes is a board or a shirt. So once again it´s all about friendship and loyalty, and that just works if you as a person and a company are honest and true. These are all things you should never forget and maybe one day when you have the money or any other possibility to give something back to all these friends an supporters, you should do so, without thinking. Very often those normal Companies, wether skateboard or clothing companies, Magazines or Distribution aren´t run by skaters, the managment consists of businessmen and if they´re clever, they have skaters in their marketing-department. Good examples are those big mainstream-Shoe-companies that are so successfull now. It took them so long to realise, if they want to have success they have to listen to the skaters. But you also have those brands once founded by skaters and than bought by a bigger „lifestyle“-, sport- or even skatebrand, that means end of DIY-Status ´cause I don´t think that is what the founders wanted in the beginning and of course, the founders don´t have all he power anymore, and that is a basic of being DIY. So you see it´s not about the bank-account, sucsess, board or shirt sales when it comes to being a DIY-Company or not. It´s all about being 100% skater- and founderowned (does this term exist?), it´s about starting it for the sake of skateboarding in the first place and run it that way, it´s about not forgetting where you from, who your friends are and where and why you started all this, it´s about giving back to your friends and skating ´cause they/it meant and gave so much to you all over the years and of course about not selling your company and rights to someone who tells you what to do or how to do your thing. So start it for the right reasons and make a million if you can but stay focused on your roots and keep it real. Marc Petrinic
Patrick Munz - Melon - pic by Sven Kurtz
pascal - kickflip - jey
nico - fs 5-0 - fabio