A few weeks ago, our beloved friend Steffen Grap went on a trip to visit the Bronx Team all over Europe and the results are an analog journey through more than a handful of country’s including Paris, Stockholm & Bronx Wheels’s hometown Berlin.
Meet Edouard Depaz, Pascal Moelaert, Simon Källkvist, Daniel Pannemann & TM and CEO of Poetic Collective Tom Botwid through the eyes of Steffen Grap:
Find our more on the BRONX Wheels Website and on our Instagram.
In these difficult times, a title like “Push Button to Destroy the World” is not really something we like to hear but maybe we have to hear it. Our friend and Grey Area creator, Kuba Kaczmarczyk, told us that the title got inspired by an old Ed Tempelton graphic he owned back in ´95 and it´s a reminder that we daily push this button by using too much plastic, polluting the oceans, driving our cars or voting for right wing parties. It´s a hard pill to swallow but we are all part of it. So better make a change!
Well, enough of this and let´s enjoy the amazing skating in this video. The whole crew obviously came trough but we want to give out a big shout out to Agata Halikowska! She killed it! We are very excited what the future will bring.
This is always a weird post to make because this is a project near and dear to ourselves. It is easy to write praising words about other people because you see the effort in a more objective way. Being humble is a part of northern culture, from Scandinavia down to the Netherlands and Germany, it is considered “not done” to put yourself on a pedestal. On the other side, we have to rate and appropriately respect the work that was put in to make a video & article like this succeed.
To not post it would be a little bit like saying we don’t support and stand behind the projects we work on, which would not be true. And with people like Tjark Thielker, Malte Spitz, Joel Peck, and Nils Brauer involved it would be a travesty not to use our platform for maximum exposure.
So here it is, Fools Gold, part 2 of the Low Flying Birds series. Enjoy it!
The day started with a video from Berlin and it is ending with one. Independent Trucks sent their European team to our lovely home town of choice.
Meet Tom Knox, Eniz Fazliov, Doobie, Vincent Milou, Ulph Andersson , Nassim Lachhab, Justin Sommer, Kai Hillebrandt, Denny Pham, Roland Hirsch & Leon Charo-Tite.
Being in Berlin, we are close to the Polish border, 30 minutes by train, and your average “Scheisse” will have turned into a “Kurwa”. The capital, Warsaw is only 5 hours away, and with it being such a good skate city we didn’t need an excuse to go there.
Even closer – to our hearts – is the Polish skate scene, with many lovely characters almost all named Kuba for some reason. So when we got the chance to participate in this project we jumped on it. And now with the final edit & the article out on both the online and analog Free Mag channels, it is time to say thank you! We hope people will watch this video and enjoy it as much as we enjoyed seeing it in production.
If you are reading this and are Polish or of Polish heritage don’t forget about the #LegendaryPolishPower it took to make this all a reality.
IN 2020 Fatos has taken the reigns and has pulled the brand closer to his own person. “At the start, I was wearing hoody’s, T-shirts and tighter pants but I was dreaming of the South of France. Driving along the coast in a cabriolet car. We needed and wanted to make those clothes to connect to our base but I wanted to evolve and project the brand to where I feel I want to be. Now we have gotten to a place where the designs and the cuts are our own. That means a lot.”
There is no denying that this brand is being propelled forward by hard work and love for what SLEEP-OVER means to the people working on it. Pascal Kurth & Gabriel Dimming worked on the video up to the moment the beamer projected the light onto the silver screen. “They have been the motor behind this video, not me. I want them to have their day in the sun, to shine for a moment, because they put it all into the video.” Fatos told me.
For people that have seen the brand grow, it has been quite the journey, but for the people in the know, it hasn’t been a surprise that the changes have worked. Their newest collection is being worn by both men and women alike. So cheers, to SLEEP-OVER and the hard work behind it, because that is the foundation of any successful brand.
To be honest, when somebody asks you who your favorite skater is you always think about the pro’s. In my case, Brian Anderson would be the most likely answer you would get back.
But if we are really are being honest, your friends are your favorite skaters, the difference being that you don’t get the joy of waiting for their parts because you are out on those missions getting some awkward BGP’s, guest tricks and hugs in for the edit. Right?
Well, when we caught wind that my friends Nils & Daniel started working on this project together, I said:
“Don’t tell me any tricks you did, and don’t ask me to come along for the filming missions.”
Roland Hoogwater, early 2019.
I wanted to have the joy of watching my favorite skaters part exactly when it dropped. And so it happened*, they went out to Hannover, Budapest, Croatia, Lissabon, Potsdam & Israel and made this project a reality and I stayed at my post and did my own thing patiently waiting until today.
When all of a sudden I got a message…rushed over to Free’s website and did like you are about to…Press play! And after that simply wait 2 more years for part 2 to show up.
All photos by Biemer.
Text by Roland Hoogwater.
*I actually cheated the one rule and got some guest tricks.
We made this video as a piece to go together with our very own Daniel Pannemann’s interview in the current issue of Free Skate Mag. It was in fact Free’s own Arthur Derrien that proposed the idea of a sort of takeover/collab.
In the end, Sara Parson Texas did the interview itself and I (Roland Hoogwater) got the chance to create this video together with our staff and some of our close associates/freelancers.
We hope you enjoy the work we put in for you all to enjoy and stay safe out there in these troubling times.
It wasn’t the first time that Converse decided to help the Berlin Skateboarding scene with an indoor facility during those dark days of the Winter. Meet “Push Berlin” – a project in cooperation with Converse.
In this video, a few Converse CONS ambassadors took a look at the park to show you around, which ended up in a session for everybody.
Featuring.: Danny Sommerfeld, Daniel Pannemann, Vladik Scholz, Jonas Hess & more.
Another strong outing from Hamburg!
Sometimes you just can’t express yourself in a language that is not your own, sometimes things are best expressed in your native tongue. The jokes, the customs, the tones, and your culture are all cropped together in the way we speak. I mean how would you express the loss of 3 days of footage in your own language? Kurva, Scheisse, Merde, Godverdomme, Caralho or maybe just a simple FUCK!
Anyway, our friends from Munich made it work and we are dropping this just in time to give them their slightly belated birthday wishes! Congratulations on turning 6 and we hope that the shop and the teams will stay as Bayrish as SHRN needs to be!
Intro by Roland Hoogwater.
Text by Mixen.
Photos by Biemer.
Jawoi! Berlin! —— SOO HOT RIGHT NOW!
Wirklich sau griabige Idee: Hey! Lassts uns moi wieder mim Team wos unternehma, irgenwo hi fahrn? Aber wo hi denn?! Moskau? Mongolei? Türkei? Naaaa, vui z’weit weg und z’stressig! Ah, wahr is, pleite samma a, oder? Ok dann fahrma hoit nach Berlin… Billigtourismus basst a sogt da Münchner.
Na Schmarrn!
Etz gemma nach Berlin, dann kennan mir song dass ma wo hi gfahrn sand, aber mia sparn uns an Diredare für unsane Berliner Teamspezln!
Wia?! Wos?! Berliner Teamspezln?! Ge leck! Ja mei de sand hoit noch Berlin zong de Deppn. Sonst warans irgendwo woasst?!
Klar weil, mi z’München hamma eh so vui Leit vastehst?! Do gibts ne mehra mehr de fia uns fahrn kanntan. Drum schaun ma bloß no wo anderst. Aber scho gwandt ge, dreissg Freid zum packa und koan Diredare! Haha! Deppertster Shopsponsor überhaupts. D’Regierung gfreit si dass oana ned obsogt damits ned so deier werd, hahahaha!
Naa, ganz so schlimm is ned. Aber ehrlich gsogt, mia san a Bande saubana Schlawiner, des is doch wos oder?! D’Leit vo wos woass i woher, aber olle hobn Bock!
Mei, wurscht, mia hams gschafft a Tour hi zum griagn. Is ned ganz einfoch weil immer wenn mia wos macha woin, hots no nia mois ned klappt. Koan Diredare, vastehst?! Oda Faivorite Tour oder Kaaslatschnlsponsor Wettbewerb wos woass i.
Kimmst vo München is Berlin eifoch scheiße. Woass koana warum. Berghain gibts koan bei uns, vielleicht deswegn? Gift is illegal. Mia hobn aber leider vui z’vui Leit de ma meng z’Berlin, desweng meng mas. Aber de meisten Leit fahrn wega da Mess hi. Aber d’Mess is oreidig. An hauffa Dampfplauderer, Deppen überoi de irgend an Schmarrn vazapfan dassd dei Diredare do und do zum deife naus haun soist.
Desmoi aber hamma an guadn Grund! Skaiteboard fahrn, an Kaffee sauffa, bissl an happa happa und a bissl wos sauffa. Irgend a preissn Gwasch wos do hoit so her geht woasst. Z’Berlin is a ned so koit und ma glabt ma is in Espana, brutal!
An dera Stell muass ma ganz ehrlich „Merce“ song bei de Buam von da Place. Sunst hätt ma goa nix fahrn ned kenna. Des brauchtma auf so oana Tour nämlich. Merce ge!
As beste am Diredare sparn is dass ned hi haut!
Mia san noch Berlin gfahrn und unsane Berlin-Spezln san ned do. Deppn greislige. Da Miche Mak hot se sicher seine Haar irgendwo am Meer wachsn lassa, des riach i bis do her. Da Sommerfeld moit de Schmier auf seine Brettl, wos woass i wo?! Wahrscheins weil er sei ruah braucht.
Dafia hamma uns an Roland den oidn Holländer ausglieha und an Pannemann glei no obn drauf. Griabige Burschn sans! As näxte moi machma dann de Tour mit de Civilisten vo Mitte. Saubane Bazen san des, mei liaba!
Was mi friara am Limited brutal oglacht hot war, dass da Gentsch olle zwoa Monat an hauffa Contestberichte gschriebn hod. Und zehn Maß hot er a obe zong. Zefix, brutale arabt!
So etz werds a bissal oag lang drum kirz ma ob:
Mia a brutales Team des ois zam fahrt wos her geht! Wurscht wo und wann oder wos, ois werd her gfahrn das nur so rauscht! Brutal guad de Buam und des Madl!
Is a wurscht auf oana Tour. De zoangs jeden Tag aufm Brettl, in de ganzn Heftl oder am Fernseher. Manche sogar am Wettbewerb. Aber woasst wos d`Hauptsach is? Olle san guad drauf und gschmeidig unterwegs. Voigas gebns uns san zu 100% SHRN. Des werd da klar wennst mit dene unterwegs bist. Merci für eian Einsatz und den guadn Ratsch, is immer a rechte Gaudi mit eich!
SKÄITBOARDING ROCKS!
Bussi, eier SHRN.
During the premiere of Leon Rudolph’s new video, somebody asked: “Why is this video called Practice?” The answer lies in the opening shot of this video.
Pressed play, still no clue? You probably don’t watch the NBA, Leon does, he got the inspiration for his newest video from a Basketball legend Allen “A.I.” Iverson.
Iverson was at the peak of his skills and got asked about his performance during practice and his response is simply legendary.
Press play and listen to Iverson’s wisdom and watch Leon’s newest video featuring People like:
Jun Kummer, Hyun Kummer, Cephas Benson, Benny Urban, Santiago Sasson, David Jakinda, Farid Ulrich, Peter Buikema, Moritz Alte and many more.
The hottest day of the year in Berlin was not even 24hours ago and I’m sitting on my balcony in a reminiscent mood, thinking about the longest and strongest summer I’ve had in my life – so far. Yet, the summer is just at its peak and there is only more to come. A lot of you guys probably agree that there is something extremely magical about the summer in Berlin, and my honest opinion is, that there is no city in the world more charming than the Spree-metropolis.
The ideal soundtrack for this article is also the title of the story. “Both Ends Burning” by Roxy Music – Listen to it here, while strolling through this article. As far as i know, a little Bryan Ferry here and there never hurt anybody.
This article is featuring Ace & Tate’s brand new frame the “Billy” – Thanks to everyone involved, we love you all!
This is not supposed to be a top-ten list to convince you to visit Berlin. Instead, I offer you viewpoints that will make you and your friends curious about travelling here, so you can come and make up your own mind about this European metropolis. Anyway, there are more than ten good reasons to visit Berlin. So, no need to count, is there?
If you live in Berlin and over time you managed to gain a couple of friends outside the city, most likely at some point during your friendship you will receive a message or a call from one of them. Take that call, answer the message and welcome your friends. They will take you through your own city and show it to you from a different perspective and a different mindset. Here is your chance to have a little vacation while still feeling at home.
Give your friends a while to discover Berlin on their own. You need your time and so do they. Every friendship benefits from having a good balance between seeing each other and not seeing each other. No need to reinvent the wheel here. Give them the keys to your bike or car, while you recharge your own batteries.
Bikes… when talking about bikes, you will need one! It is the perfect mode of transportation, second only to your skateboard. But sharing a bike will only last for so long. So suggest to your friends that they get a cheap rental bike, it only costs a few Euro’s a day and there is a bike rental service on almost every corner.
“Tell your friends, to get with my friends
And we can be friends.”
Biggie Smalls.
Let them meet your friends if they are not already chummy enough with your crew. Being overconfident is never a good thing and meeting new people will take a bit of getting used to. Presumably, during this process, you will learn a few new things here and there. And for most parties the rule is, the more people present, the better the chance that the party will last long into the night. “One’s a company, two’s a crowd and three’s a party” – right!?
In Berlin you can drink in the streets, there are “Späti’s” on every corner and you can get a full meal for only a few Euro’s at a Falafel-House, or a Currywurst-Bude. This is not big news to anyone but somehow it is always a topic when meeting foreigners. There are only a handful of countries in the world where you do not have to watch out for police whilst enjoying a beer on the sidewalk. Besides the drinking it is nearly impossible to stumble upon really bad food, the competition is just too strong. If you still find yourself with food poisoning in bed, you probably didn’t drink enough “Berliner Luft”.
I say all that to say this – take it easy on the partying. There is so much more to see. Although we just talked about the freedom you will have during your stay, to really enjoy Berlin for more than just a day and night you should try and be a little responsible. No one wants to see you totally hammered on the Warschauer Brücke at 09:00 o’clock in the morning.
“Both ends burning while you’re counting sheep – Hell, who can sleep in this heat this night?”
Bryan Ferry.
Berlin’s hotter than Cairo/Egypt at the moment, make sure to show your friends a few lakes around Berlin/Brandenburg and give your body and soul some rest.
Every trip comes to an end at some point. Do not feel bad about sending your friends home, we all have this one buddy who is trying to overstay their welcome.
All Photos by Danny Sommerfeld / Words by Daniel Pannemann.
The Place Road Trip was a 2017 French/Dutch/German/Swedish comedy bus tour directed by Daniel Pannemann, Roland Hoogwater and Danny Sommerfeld and written by Franz Grimm.
The bus stars all the above in addition to Peter Buikema, Valentin Cafuk, Valentin Bauer, the brothers Sondre Mortensen and Amandus Mortensen and Malte Spitz. The team went on a 2,000km journey through Germany and France.
They soon found out to their shock and horror that their final destination is doomed to be Disneyland Paris. Upon entering the park, they immediately discover that the castle in the world famous Walt Disney Resort is not in fact real and that ticket prices are lower on the internet.
Filmed and edited by Peter Buikema.
Augustin Giovannons “A.E.I.U.O” just came out with a second part and it shows almost a full part of our columnist Franz Grimm and a lot of good footage from a lot of our good friends. Arguably Augustin’s best work, so far! Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen.
It is hard to understate how involved we were in the making of this video, all our staff has tricks except Danny Sommerfeld who was hurt. Some of this video was even filmed on Place trips, a lot was documented on other trips but all of it was shot during Leon Rudolph’s holiday.
The end reslut makes you wonder what he could do if he filmed full time.
In our opinion, his best work so far. Augustin Giovannoni drops a new edit and at the very end you will see the date his full length video might be released. Paris, Berlin & Potsdam feat.: Val Bauer, Tolia Titaev, Niklas Speer von Cappeln, Remy Taveira, Daniel Pannemann, Franz Grimm & many more.