When and how did you end up on a skateboard?
My parents had a babysitter when I was 9, who took care of me, when they wanted to go out. I was a wild child, so they wanted someone to look after me. Accidently the guy takin care of me was one of the best vert skaters around that time. He smoked weed on the window and introduced to skateboarding. Ever since I wanted a skateboard and quit all the shit I tried before like soccer, handball and tennis. Skate rat since 1989.
I’ve seen some photo’s of you that got published from back in the day, how old where you when you had your first photo ren?
When I had my first photo I was 10. I was totally down for Jumpramps. They were big back in the days. At the skatepark we had wasn´t a pyramid or shit like that. Just Jumpsramps so I got my flying skillz on those pretty quick. I only skated for a year and got hooked up on the kiddy team for Titus, one of the biggest german skateboard companies. It was dope. By the way the photo was a One-Foot Tailgrab. I saw Ed Templeton do that, so I learned them.
Did you have a big night when you got the Monster cover?
Yeah I party´d actually 12 years on my Monster cover, haha. I was 19 at the time, still going to school and in our school library you could see the mag. Chicks liked me, cause I was so gangsta. One of the first in summer 98 to come to class with a wifebeater. Man, I got laid numerous times. Switch heels get you laid.
How long have you been involved with Place mag?
I´ve been involved In PLACE Mag for one and a half years. I broke my foot two years ago and while I was out they asked me if I wanted to be part of it. So I said yes. The best thing ever happened.
How is it being involved in the Magazine side of the skate scene?
I really live and love Skateboarding.
But I hate the business side of it. I rather do the creative work, film stuff and do articles. The business side of Skateboarding is a whore. I knew it, but I never thought that it is such a whore. A dirty one with aids, if you´d compare it to real life. It´s real hard to get good money off it. People in the business bitch around and turn into snitches. I think I start shooting photos more, so I don´t have to fight with photographers about gettin´pictures. I mean we have a good network, but in germany there´s three big magazines, so sometimes it gets a bit hectic. But nethertheless, I breath Skateboarding, so I just do it and try not to think about stupid shit too much.
The skate scene in Germany has a really good chilled vibe and a lot of good skaters, Why do you think that is?
Because Germany is a good country in generell. Things are still going good- Insurance system, not too much poverty and of course every city is close to the next. Especially in Berlin you have a good international vibe. people are relaxed and the skaters stick together. That is a really good thing. I love Berlin, it´s so open minded and got tons of spots. You see people from everywhere coming here to e get a feeling what the city is like. I live here for 6 years and it doesn´t get boring, but my hometown Cologne (Köln) is also very beautiful and got a lot of shit to skate, but people now just focus on Berlin, because it´s going down here.
Favorite 5 – European skaters?
1. Sami Harithi
2. Danny Sommerfeld
3. Willow
4. Max Beinhofer
5. Michi Mackrodt
They are German though, but the top 5 I´d say
Favorite 5 – International skaters?
1. Sean Malto
2. Eric Koston
3. Rob Welsh
4. Josh Kalis
5. Andrew Reynolds
Favorite 5 – Songs?
Agallah- Another Dollar
Vado feat. Meek Mills – Bullets and Gunsmoke
Roxy Music- More than This
Morrissey – Last International Playboy
The Beatles – Here comes the sun
Nollie fs Flip
Favorite 5 – German Foods
1.Gulasch (It´s beef in a brown sauce, best ever)
2.Currywurst (Berlin´s finest)
3. Wiener Schnitzel (It´s from Vienna originally)
4.Every Pasta with fish
5. German bread in common is really good with all topics