Even as a skateboarder, it certainly wasn’t easy to get through the year of the pandemic. Thankfully, we're lucky enough to practice an individualistic sport, making it a bit easier for us than team athletes. However, travel has certainly become much more difficult. Especially in Europe, different restrictions can vary by country, making it quite complicated for a crew of 10 people from 5 countries to come together in a sixth country! Following our trip to Brussels in March, right before “it all began”, we had a trip planned for around Easter, only for it to be indefinitely postponed.
[Photos & Text: Thomas Gentsch]
After restrictions settled a bit and thanks to some help from the good skateboarders in the Netherlands, a trip to Rotterdam was rescheduled for the beginning of September. We found a great accommodation at the Ani & Haakien Hostel right in the heart of Rotterdam. They welcomed our group with open arms (at a distance) and met all hygiene regulations perfectly. The nearby restaurants also seemed noticeably happy about our visit, especially as they certainly had fewer customers in recent months. The temperatures were no longer what one would consider “summer”, which definitely played a part in preventing several team riders from jumping in the canals after 3 boards that went in the drink. But, neither the lost boards or wet weather could dampen the mood. Koffe Kroon, who had made the trip alone from Sweden to join the crew, learned quickly from tour veterans like Marcel “Loco Papi” Rieger and Kevin Tshala how to live it up in a foreign country as a 15 year old. Victor Cascarigny quickly became everyone's new favorite French skater and filmmaker Franck Keunecke's smartwatch certified that he had filmed 20 km of lines a day. Four days felt more like two, but we did also make some short trips to The Hague and Zoetermeer. Before we knew it, everyone was back in their home countries by various means of transport, "Covid-free" and happy to have made a great trip together in this cursed summer of 2020.
Victor Cascarigny – Ollie to 50-50 staircracker
Kevin Tshala – Frontside Flip
Koffee Kroon – Feeble Grind
Tim Otto – FS No Comply Flip to Disaster
Josh Junkes – Crooked Bigspin
Loco Papi – Fakie FS pop Shove It
Victor Cascarigny – Tailbonk
Santino Exenberger – Frontside Lipslide
