Axel Cruysberghs is one of the best skateboarders from Europe, even if he’s spent the last few years living in California instead of Belgium. It wouldn’t do him justice to limit him to Europe though because he’s officially one of the best skateboarders in the whole world, since he qualified for Tokyo 2020. To him, that doesn’t really matter, especially nowadays. The times of being the “contest kid” are long gone and, being almost 30 years old, he wants to spend his time wisely on video parts and projects he likes – and he’s in the best shape for it. He even rides his bike for a few hours before jumping on the board. No problemo. Could it be that he has Jedi skills like Anakin Skywalker? As long as he doesn’t start wearing black helmet and a cape, it’s all good. For now, he just wears whatever he wants.
Vanessa’s been on our radar for a while. Her name pops up in edits left and right and we had her film a “One Minute SOLO” for us in the past. Every time you bring up her name to someone, they’ll tell you how rad they think she is. She’s gathered some loyal supporters and has been productive despite getting unlucky with a couple injuries in the recent past. Yet, she’s never had a real stand-alone video part or an interview. When we approached her about filming a part for us and getting photos for the mag, she wasted no time and went straight to work – knowing the tight deadlines we were up against. This interview takes place somewhere towards the halfway point of the filming period and little do we know at this point that, the next morning on a mission to get another photo, she’d end up rolling her ankle and putting the process on hold. By the time you read this intro, Vanessa, being the hard worker that she is (when it comes to skating at least, her studies may or may not be a different story), has hopefully made a full recovery and is on the hunt for some last-minute clips for the part, airing on our channels soon.
Since Russia invaded the Ukraine, life has been turned upside down for Tolya Titaev. The owner of Moscow-based skate shop Oktyabr and Rassvet Skateboards has been jumping through hoops to get permanent residency outside of Russia while trying to maintain a normal life, working on new collections, and keeping his brand, business, and skateboarding on track. We checked in to see what has changed for him both personally and professionally over the course of the past two years. We met Tolya in Barcelona, where he is currently in the process of trying to set up his regular residency and finding his way back into a routine-driven lifestyle, where he spends his days working in between his home and a friend’s coffee shop, taking only certain days off to roam the streets of his exile of choice.
In skateboarding, you can find quite a lot of extroverted, loud, and colorful people who enjoy being in the limelight. Gustav Tønnesen doesn’t really fit this description, however. If he attracts attention, it’s only through his skating, which boasts a creativity and precision that is second to none. Other than that, he keeps it low key and is behind the camera rather than in front of it. His skill level there is pretty much the same. You’ve seen it in the Sour videos he made. He’s not only familiar with moving images but also has a passion for photography and, like everything he touches, does it with the highest of standards. You can see in his framing how every shot is well thought out. His photos radiate an aura of calmness and inner peace that also surrounds him. It feels like Gustav knows something we don’t know, and we are therefore delighted that he has given us a little insight into his world of photography.
This article started when photographer Sem Rubio sent us pictures of Mark that he shot in the Spanish town of Vigo. Great photos, but only two, so we thought to just do a little story with them. Then, however, it turned out that Mark was coming to Stuttgart right before our deadline. He wanted to go to Berlin for a Beirut concert (their first gig in years) and then go skiing in Switzerland. On the way, it fit perfectly to go filming with Torsten Frank. Sem planned to take photos too, but unfortunately, he broke two ribs shortly beforehand and had to cancel, so Daniel Wagner stepped in. Then Mark arrived in Stuttgart with a fever and February brought rain… but in the end, it worked out. A bit like one of Mark’s favorite quotes from a book by Robert Hass where he quotes Somerset Maugham, “A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.”
