Tag: skateboarding

The people over at the Poetic Collective just released a new video. As the title suggests the video mixes black & white with colour skate footage. The video starts of with a monologue by Marcel Duchamp and from that moment on it is easy to see that we are dealing with a project that has strong conceptual roots. The Poetic Collective ask us to not only take some time to look at, listen to and think about this video but they also make you wonder about Duchamp aka the person that speaks after each section floats over into the next.

Tristan Funkhouser surprises with a second Part in the currently released Substance video. Next to his first part in the video he also already had a full part for Baker two weeks ago. So it is not just that Tristan released three full parts in just one month, moreover each one of them is provided with incredible skateboarding and Tristan does not seem to slow down.

Any conversation about Russia and its youth culture these days is bound to include Gosha Rubchinskiy. It’s inevitable. He’s considered one of the most exciting streetwear designers of the day – with collections in haute stores such as Dover Street Market and Tres Bien – as well as an influential photographer. His work is without a doubt a reason why the fashion world is looking East for fresh ideas. His approach consists of an authentic mix of real life situations unfolding around him, captured in a Soviet aesthetic and told in a Russian accent. Skateboarding always plays a major part in Gosha’s imagery and its focus on showing teenagers on the streets in their natural environment. Most of the teenagers don’t even know about their power and their style, which is what inspires Gosha and makes the results appear so real. It’s just normal life, caught with an open mind.

We’ve had the pleasure to meet Gosha in his own Moscow neighborhood, in between bar hopping and walking around from one club to another. To no surprise, he turned out to be a friendly guy who likes to share his story. And it was also impressive to find out that he is taking care of his friends a lot and that he has such a strong belief in a romantic idea of community.


Interview by Benni Markstein

How did you get started with photography? What is your background?

Initially, I started photography in my school years just for fun. I just shot my friends with basic film cameras. It was nothing special. During college, I took some photography lessons and learned how to use mirror film cameras. I studied fashion, styling, hair dressing and some make-up. I always had a need to document my work, so I had to learn more about photography because I had to present it. I learned that it is always better to have a complete project. When I started my fashion project, I started to use my photography for it, since I knew how to develop film. But anyway, I was already taking pictures of my friends my entire life, for example while going out or skating.

Your new book Youth Hotel just launched. Please tell us something about making that book.

There is a hotel in Moscow from the ‘80s that was built for the Olympic Games for the youth and young sportsmen. It’s a strange building with 28 floors in a real Soviet mood and feel. One day a friend of mine, who is a stylist, came to Moscow and she wanted to stay in a strange hotel. So we chose this one as I also wanted to take a look inside and see what’s going on there. It was very interesting, so we rented a room, spent some time there, invited some friends and had some parties there. It’s very empty, so we had the entire floor for us, played some music, danced and also we could smoke. During these parties I shot some pictures there. My friends of IDEA Books, who also made my last book Crimea / Kids, asked me to do something new and asked if I had something for them. I said yes and told them that I have some great outtakes from my Youth Hotel series that we could use. I mixed these pictures with last year’s cool pictures that I never used. I think the name Youth Hotel is very romantic. Youth is such a short period of time in your life that you spend shortly.

You mentioned that you had unused photographs you were able to use. Do you feel that different outlets are also important to realize different ideas in your work?

Photography for me is like a diary. It’s about documenting. I see something and when I think it’s interesting I shoot some faces or some outfits or some boys wearing something in a good way. Afterwards, I can use it for inspiration in my new collections. It’s always interesting to document some energy, or some moods, and to look back for some inspiration.

Please describe the overall image and aesthetic you are aiming to create.

I see something interesting here in Moscow, in Russia. My friends are doing interesting things that I always wanted to show to other Russian people, and also internationally. It doesn’t matter if it’s through photography, or films, or fashion – those are just different ways to show it. For me, it is always about showing things that are happening in Moscow and what is interesting and what is our mood.

The Moscow mood?

Moscow, or Russian, or my Gosha mood – I don’t know! It’s all about the same things told through different outlets. But what is it? I don’t know, it’s my vision; it’s different things that I think are great. If I think this guy is great, or this building, or this landscape is great, I want to show it to people.

And if people don’t like it?

Anyway, I like reactions. It’s a good thing when people react because it’s bad when people don’t care about you. I like bad reactions like: “What the hell is he doing?!” I like that.

What’s your background in skateboarding? Do you still skate?

I’m not, like, a big skater. I started when I was 22 years old. During my school years I never had friends that skated and I was really focused on art, sitting at home and drawing. Later I met some people that skated, not too crazy just in a basic way. Sometimes I go skating but I’m very busy right now and you only have a few months during the year to skate in Moscow. I’m not professional enough to go to indoor skate parks in the wintertime. Also, every year it’s a challenge to kind of start skating again and again. It’s always like stepping on your board for the first time. Anyway, I try to remember how it works.

For me it’s a about the romantic of being a teenager having time to go skate in the streets to escape problems.

Some people still live this life, people who used to do it since they were teenagers. I like to go skate on sunny days in summer and to watch others doing good tricks, to cruise around and take some pictures.

I guess you have many friends that skate, then?

Yeah yeah, it’s a big community with friends, and their friends! When I met these guys for the first time around eight years ago, I thought wow, this is really cool and it is something so true and strong. These guys are really interesting people, the most interesting guys in Russia are from the skate community. Because it mixes guys from different areas: some football fans, some musicians, some Hip Hop dancers, and graffiti guys – they all skate together. Skateboarding is the connection. If you want to meet cool dudes it’s easy to find them in the skate community. For me, it was like fresh air when I met skateboarders for the first time and every year new and cool people become part of the community.

Do you see similarities between skating and fashion? And do you get inspired from skating?

Yes, of course. Normal life always inspires me. I can be inspired by some cool 15 year old guy coming to the spot for the first time because he has some weird style and I will use it for my collection. It works this way for me; one guy can inspire the whole collection. I met Kevin Rodrigues in Paris who has a very cool style – he is really inspiring. Everybody around him is now wearing the same style as him and this is how it works.

How did that connection with Kevin happen and is he your new muse?

First of all, I’m checking what’s going on in the skate world and of course I saw him many times in videos and I liked his style. The first time I met him was in London through a Converse presentation. And when I saw him in real life I thought he was an interesting guy, and that I would like to know him more. Six month later we met again in Paris at Place de la République because we have some friends in common. So we started hanging out, drinking beer, and he was like “Oh, you’re from Russia! That’s cool, we love Russian people.” So we became friends from the first day. It’ the same with Ben Kadow from the US, how they look and how they skate is something I really like.


Crimea / Kids (2014)


What do you think is are the differences between the Moscow scene compared to other cities?

I think the main difference is the places to skate because of the weather and the winter. In Moscow, people have to do all the things they like to do during the summer period because in the wintertime everybody starts to become lazy. I think that’s the main difference between Russia and other countries. But besides that, I think in terms of the community, friendships, and skateboarding – everywhere is the same around the world. That’s because it’s so easy if you go to Paris, or to China, and meet some people at the spot, it’s the same connection.

Many people pay attention to my work and that’s why I need to use it to show the good things about Russia.

At one time you said that you would like to change people’s perception of Russia through your work. Is that true?

Yeah, it’s one of my ideas that I want to show Russia the way I see it. I think I have my own vision and I want to show it because it’s hard to imagine how it is if you don’t live here. I have power and the ways to show it – so that’s why I need to use it. Many people pay attention to my work and that’s why I need to use it to show the good things about Russia. Now we’re living in a time of information war, and especially many bad things about Russia and I would like to say: No, it’s not really like that. I can show you what’s happening. Well, and what I think is the beauty of being a Russian.

Why is there some much attention on Russia at the moment? What is attracting the people?

It was a closed country for many years and no one knew what was secretly happening inside. It was just a big myth surrounding what it is – and it still is. The country is big and of course you can be in Moscow or St. Petersburg, which is easy. But that is not the real Russia. You have to go to other cities to understand the Russian mentality better. Like you told me the story of this security guard Dima in Sochi and what his soul is like. I think you’ll understand more now. These are things I also like to show about Russia, because I think it’s good here. It’s not only clichés.

So what do you have coming up for the future and new projects?

I have an idea for a short movie so I try to find free time for it. First of all, I need to sit down, write the script and then start filming. This will be my next project.

So, will there be skateboarders involved?

Of course, ha-ha!

DSC05820 - копия test

All photos by Gosha Rubchinskiy

Adidas has joined the rubber toe cap bandwagon but somehow they managed to do it in their own inimitable way. The team is skating the shoe a lot, Puig’s insta feed has been full of clips of him skating this shoe and it is our opinion that if the team is skating a shoe it means that the shoe is good.

https://youtu.be/YDJU_pwbL3s

Supra is killing it lately! A couple of days ago they released the second installment of the Supra dispatch tour / documentary series and now they hit us with nine minutes of NYC bangers. Their consistent video output, the diversity of both the team and the product have solidified Supra as a mainstay in the world of skateboard footwear.

go check out:

Erik Ellington, Jim Greco, Lizard King, Dane Vaughn, Oscar Candon, Boo Johnson, Sascha Daley, Lucien Clarke and Pat Rumney skating through New York.

Photo by: Ryan Allan

Over 10 years ago the Carhartt team ventured out to Mongolia the result was Mongolian Tires. In 2014 they ventured out again with a different crew but with the same interests and a similar outcome. A beautiful film accompanied by an original soundtrack. Once again Carhartt sets the tone when it comes to documenting skateboarding, cultures and landscapes.

The whole OUT OF STEPPE and Dirt Ollies project is presented in book form, it contains both the original film as well as the new project. Treat yourself and get into all that the Mongolian experience has to offer.

https://vimeo.com/154840966

For more information visit the Carhartt website

Photo by: Percy Dean and Cyrille Weiner

Our love for Mr. Vellrath started right here in the Place office. If you have ever had the pleasure to meet Sebastian you know that he is an upbeat type of guy who has a deep love for skateboarding. When he walked in the office this morning we all congratulated him with his 7th 30 something birthday. As he walked up the stairs he told us “If Florentin Marfaing can still drop parts past his 30th so can I”. Well 2016 will be a better year, if Sebi makes good on that promise! But until that happens we still have all these blasts from the past.

https://vimeo.com/65346552

https://youtu.be/hJg77VFEtrk

https://youtu.be/3r98HuWg0NQ


Sebi even has his own MTV Cribs Ballin!

sebi-closer-bday

From all of us here at Place we wish you a very happy birthday and many more to come! With that said we will let sebi rap this thing up.

Photos by: @Hustlehoff
Text by: Roland Hoogwater

Before I flew to Russia, I was sitting in the PLACE office watching YouTube videos when I came across this small documentary about Tolia. In it, he talks about growing up in Moscow, living with his father, being creative and how skateboarding helps him express himself. It was quite a good video portrait, but at the same time meeting people face to face can be a totally different experience. With our trip to Russia, I would have the chance to find out.

We arrived in Moscow on a Wednesday and went out to party with the crew on Thursday. In a bar I met Tolia in person and we instantly hit it off. We talked, smoked cigarettes, danced, and before the night was over, he told me that we were now friends. And he was right, we had become friends in a matter of hours.

I got to know him even better during our time in Sochi. And I soon realized that Tolia lives by his own vision: he knows what he wants and how he wants it. He is aware of what’s going on and is not afraid to be straightforward and verbalize his opinions. That’s a good thing, sometimes I feel that people hold themselves back so they can sustain a public image. But not Tolia –as you can read in this interview.

toli_ts

50-50 to Tailslide.


So let’s start off with the most important question, how did you learn to cook?

When I started living with my now ex-girlfriend. I felt it was important to cook, we had a good kitchen in the apartment and so I started making simple salads and pasta dishes at first. From there I progressed into preparing different types of meat. Cooking is easy when you cook every day and keep trying to make new dishes. At the same time, I might have gotten the gift of cooking from my grandmother. She is an amazing cook.

Who is in the Epic Aces Crew?

(laughs) You heard about the Epic Aces crew? It was started by some guys from Saint Petersburg as a joke. We started calling ourselves Epic Aces. We took the logo from a cocktail brand and we had plans to make some clothes, but as of now that hasn’t happened. Now it’s just an Instagram account so if you want know who the Epic Aces crew is – check out @Epicaces account and look at the people it follows.

Tell me about your friendship with Gosha Rubchinskiy.

I met Gosha about six to seven years ago. I met him at a casting for one of his [runway fashion] shows. I got casted and started to walk in his show. So I walked in his first show, then his second one, and then we started to become friends. Nowadays I help him with his work, for instance with the Vans collabo. I also helped do work on a show and sometimes we just talk about the things he makes. I’m kind off like Gosha’s right hand man.

You are also connected to Supreme – how did that happen?

I met the guys from Supreme in Moscow. They were there to work with Gosha on a lookbook for Grind Magazine. Grind is a magazine from Japan and Supreme always shoots a lookbook or an editorial for each new collection they do. So that is where the connection started and this year I went out to Paris for this shoot.

You connected with the scene over there pretty well.

When I was out there, there where a lot of people visiting Paris. Alex Olson and a couple of the Bianca Chandon guys were in town, I met all the Blobbys, and I became good friends with Kevin Rodgrigues, Greg Cuadrado, Guillaume Périmony, and the rest of the crew. Those were a fun two weeks, I love those guys. Those guys go out to and try to learn a new trick every time. I think the skate scene in Paris is the most influential scene at the moment.

There is also a Dutch connection right?

Yeah, I met Noah Bunink last summer. He was booked to walk in a show for Gosha and I met him through that. We started to become good friends. He’s actually my English teacher (laughs). Noah is also a really good creative skater. I like his style. He can skate everywhere.

Coincidentally, a lot of those guys skate for Converse and you recently made the move from Vans to Cons. What happened?

I skated for Vans for about three-and-a-half years. The old team manager, Vitalik, is a good friend of mine. He did a lot for skateboarding in Russia. He would host competitions, helped to get skateparks built, and organized a lot of tours for us to go on. The problems started when Vitalek left Vans to go work at Adidas. Vans waited for some time before they appointed a new person and when they did, this person didn’t have that connection with skating. So for the last year-and-a-half, the situation wasn’t that cool anymore. We only did one tour and it wasn’t set up like it used to with Vitalek. I still think Vans is doing good in Russia, but I think I’ve got a brighter future over at Converse.

toli_kf

Kickflip

Drawing is another hobby of yours right, I remember being in the Absurd office and you showed me the sticker pack that you made.

I’ve been drawing all my life. The sticker pack was actually the first time I designed an actual product. At first, I was really happy with those drawings, but now a couple of years later I can’t look at them anymore. I would like to do some new ones, so that people can see how my style progressed.

You told me that you also do stick-and-poke tattoos. You started that at an early age right?

I did my first stick and poke tattoo at 13. My best friend asked me to do it, I was so worried something would go wrong. Tattooing at home can be unhygienic and I didn’t want him to get an infection or something. He just told me, ‘Fuck it, let’s just try it!’ That was the first one and since then I have been tattooing a lot of my friends. And as with everything, I got better with practice. This year I went out to London to work there as a tattoo artist. My work is in demand because I have my own distinct style. When I do tattoos, it’s important that the quality is always the same. People pay good money for my work and I think it’s important that I do good work every time I tattoo someone.

Where do you see Russian skateboarding going in the next couple of years?

I think last year was a good year for Russia. People are starting to recognize Russian skaters like Gosha Konyshev who had a part on Thrasher or Max Kruglov who won a lot of contests. Next year is going to be even better, though. We got so many spots and you don’t really get kicked out. I would like tell everyone you need to come and skate in Russia!

Do you think that skate brands from Russia are going to benefit from the growing interest in Russia?

I don’t know, I think the skate brands need to refresh their look. It could be good for Russian kids to see a Russian brand do well overseas and I think Russian design is really good. Absurd for example has done some great things, but right now I think we can do better. Pasha designed the new series. I haven’t seen the graphics yet, but in the past he always made great graphics so it could be the right thing at the right time. We need to keep the Russian identity, [mixed] with designs that appeal internationally.

Is there a young generation on the rise as well?

Well, we got Dima aka Dimzer Z who is a filmer, but he’s also got some crazy tricks like fakie 540’s on flat. Then there is a kid named Gleb aka I.killyou. He’s sixteen and I’m out skating with him all the time. He’s so good and I hope he’s got a bright future. They are working on the “Troica 2” video right now.

When I was partying with you in Moscow, I noticed that Russian music is really a part of the Russian party lifestyle. Do Russians really celebrate their own culture?

Well, next year I’m filming a new part and I’m pretty sure I want it to be edited to some Russian music. It’s important to use Russian things because I am from Russia. I’ve lived in Moscow my whole life, and to show people my Russian side is important to me. You need to love your hometown and your country. I could move outside of the country but I always have to come back home. My friends are here and my family is here and they are important.


Tolia’s video for Place

Interview by: Roland Hoogwater
Photos by: Alexey Lapin / @lapinotomy

The next two days are all about Tolia Titaev. Today we present you with moving images, tomorrow we present you with Tolia’s interview.

This video shows Tolia cruising with friends and having fun but it also has some pretty hard tricks like the Backside Smith grind in Paris. Tolia was a not only a big part of Place issue 55 he is also a big part of why we like Russia. We will continue to follow his path both in the skateboard world and all the other worlds he is a part of.

If you don’t know Julian Klincewicz, Stas Galaktionov and Brian Elliot. They do great work outside of skating you and you should familiarize yourself with their work.

Photo by: Alexey Lapin / @lapinotomy

People start up new businesses every day, Budgetbeuker bearings was started by Bastiaan van Zadelhoff. We interviewed Bastiaan a while back about starting a company, being a part of Pop Trading Co and his many nicknames. We kept in touch after the interview and a couple of days ago he told me that he had gotten a cease and desist letter from another company that felt like the Budgetbeuker logo was to similar to theirs. The whole thing kind of shocked me! I asked him, why would such a big company care about a small upstart with a logo that was inspired by their own? How did they even find out about his company? What where the consequences? And how can you avoid having to go through similar issues. Bastiaan quickly responded to these questions and answered them all in this interview.

How did things go after you launched the company?

Things went well for some time, that was the best time of my life though!

How did people receive the brand?

Way better than I expected! I have been visiting some shops that carry my product and I was surprised at how much of my product they where selling. I am so happy and grateful for all the love I have received!

After such a great start when did you find out you had a problem?

On the eighth of January I opened my inbox and in that inbox was an email: Notification of IPR Infringement by Envisional Enforcement. An Italian brand (that will remain nameless) had seen my logo and felt that it was to similar to theirs. The email also stated their demands, basically all the products and promo with my old logo had to be taken offline.

Are your logos really that similar?

Well both our logos are based on a compass, the are some other differences but the only real difference is that they copyrighted their logo. So I google them and the first thing I see is that some of their jackets cost more than my initial investment! (laughs) After that I thought it would be better to comply with their request and take my site down.

Do you think this whole episode could have been prevented?

People really took notice, Budgetbeuker went kind of viral. I started to get more followers on Instagram, one of those followers “happened” to be a shop manager for this Italian brand. He possibly started this whole thing, the guy used to skate, he was one of those people who big themselves up and tells crazy (untruthful) stories. Hugo (Snelooper) told me that his friends used to pick on the guy, one night his friends even threw the guy into a swimming pool because he was Dj’ing terribly (laughs). Truthfully I really don’t know what happened, this person denies snitching on me. It could have been somebody higher up, Who knows? The Internet is a crazy place!

Did have to take your product out of the shops?

No but we have to cover the original logo, so I had some stickers made so shops can cover the old logo with these stickers. Once that is done we can keep selling our bearings.

BB_helelagerset_newsticker_v2
The new Budgetbeuker look with a sticker covering the old logo.

Okay. So what does this mean for the future of the brand?

Well the brand itself suffered because of these issues. We had to drop or change all our product designs that where based on the original logo. I’ve been spending a lot of time troubleshooting, instead of putting that time into growing the brand.
As far as creating a new logo I am not a 100% sure but I am working on it. No matter what design, we will be extra careful! So those Italians are not temped to start some trouble again.

Any last words?

To be honest I never saw myself winning the court case but it felt strangely cool that I got noticed by such a big brand!

Go to budgetbeuker.com to see more.

Photos by: Hugo Snelooper
Interview by: Roland Hoogwater

If you’ve been following Vladik Scholz recently, you know that the Titus and Red Bull team rider travels quite a lot. China, Estonia, Los Angeles… it’s all a blur of new places and progressive skateboarding for the resident of Cologne, Germany. Catching up with some of this global player’s latest moves.

Where have you been…

…one second ago?
I’m at the Düsseldorf airport right now and waiting for my flight to Zurich. My parents are living not far from there and I want to visit them.

…one minute ago?
I was still waiting.

…one hour ago?
I was on the train from Cologne to Düsseldorf airport. 

…one day ago?
I was chilling in my bed watching the Hannibal series on Netflix. It was rainy and grey outside, so I thought it was the best thing I could do at the moment.

…one week ago?
At this time of day, I had an appointment with my dentist. I had to pick up a small kind of plastic guard for the bottom row of my teeth. I’m apparently crunching with my teeth at night and they get used a bit too fast. So it is a preventative measure.

…one month ago?
I was on the way from my parents’ to Cologne on a train. I stayed home for a day and went to Berlin for almost two weeks to visit the Bright trade show. I stayed at my girlfriend‘s house and filmed for my Titus part.

…one year ago?
Last year was really varied for me. I never travelled so much before. During this time I was in Cologne with a cast on my left arm. I broke it during the filming for the RedBull “Coastal Business“ project in New York and had to fly back for surgery. That was a bummer.

Vladik_Scholz_Crooks

…five years ago?
In 2010 I was already living in Cologne. I moved there from Bielefeld and since then it has been my favorite city in Germany and my home town. 2010 was a crazy year for me and my friend Louis Taubert. We moved to Cologne at the same time. We were young and abused our bodies partying most of the week. It was a crazy, but necessary and fun time in my life.

…ten years ago?
I lived in Bielefeld with my mom. Two years had already passed after we moved from Belarus to Germany. I had summer holidays during school time and couldn’t imagine to do something else than skateboarding and learning new words so I would be able to talk to the Germans. 

…15 years ago?
I lived with my mother and grandmother in Novopolotsk, Belarus and had summer holidays till the 1st of September. For the majority of the day I was outside playing around and having some adventures. We went to some lakes and forests in the area and were just having a good summer time with my friends.

…20 years ago?
I was 6 years old and was waiting to be able to go to school, but I had to wait one more year. So I went to preschool and had an everyday life of the regular young boy in Belarus with a lovely mom and grandma.

…25 years ago?
At this time I was almost two years old. I had a good childhood. So probably I was doing well at that moment and playing with my toys.

Vladik_Nollie_Heel_sec

by Benni Markstein
Photos: Dennis Scholz

The name Tahiti conjures up images of the ultimate tropical paradise, the paintings of Paul Gauguin, and beautiful black sand beaches. Although the beauty of the islands was admired by the French explorers who first visited them, the savagery of the native people was almost without limit. Historic accounts maintain that the Tahitians murdered at the slightest provocation. Sacrifices were a crucial component of their culture and giving their own children to volcano gods, water gods, and sharks common ceremonies. No girl over the age of twelve remained a virgin.

SomeLikeItBlue_Diptyque01_Tahiti_0515_KevinMetallier
Some like it blue

As times have changed and the Europeans took over, traditions may have disappeared but the spirit lives on forever. Tahiti always had some sort of magnetic attraction to artists from all over the planet, the island’s natural beauty itself is only one reason. There is a feeling to this place that one can only explain in artistically expressing the dazzling array. As many people did, Kévin Métallier went to find his intuition and as it turned out, his work is closer to home then the actual scenery. Witness Jordan Taylor, Ryan Spencer and Jarne Verbruggen exploring the wonderful spectral island of Tahiti.

RyanSpencer_Diptyque01_Tahiti_0515_KevinMetallier
Ryan Spencer

JordanTaylor_Diptyque02_Tahiti_0515_KevinMetallier
Jordan Taylor

by Daniel Pannemann
Photos: Kévin Métallier

#3stripes3cities – the final chapter. This summer, Hamburg marked the final destination of adidas Skateboarding’s tour across Germany. See Valerie Rosomako, Lem Villemin, Patrick Zentgraf and Sandro Trovato hitting the streets once again as well as footage from the demo in the famous i-Punkt Skateland. We had a lot of fun following these guys around. Press play!

Filmed and edited by Torsten Frank

I don’t think I have to tell you about Canada’s recent rise in coolness… Everything Canadian seems to be poppin – from Drake to Dime MTL. I believe we can now add Clubgear (Clothing) to that list of cool things coming out of that country north of the US.

The current style of dress seems to be on the verge of changing. I mean, at least some of us look like the skaters in this clip, but I can imagine that the next generation might be fed up with the current mischmasch of Dickie’s and tech gear – the circle of trends… You know!

Here are the latest clips from Clubgear – enjoy!