The last time we met, you were filming for the Cliche video, Bon Appetit. What have you been up to since then?
I went to Barcelona for a little bit, and then I went on a Kingpin trip to Israel a month ago which was pretty cool. Then the last thing I did was tweak my ankle pretty bad! I tore the ligaments in the front part of my foot, so that sucks. I’m just starting to skate again, right now.
Tell me a little more about your injury. How did it happen? What have you been doing off your board?…
I injured myself doing nothing special, just skating flatground at a skatepark. I guess I wasn’t really paying attention and I wanted to get going, and then it happened. I was pretty bummed just laying on the sofa, with my leg in the air for a week, icing it. I went to the doctor, but he said he couldn’t really do anything. Luckily this happened just as the European Football Championships started! (Laughter) So I ended up watching that quite a lot. I spent time with my girlfriend and we went to see some exhibitions and stuff.
Did you find yourself picking up any new hobbies at all?
Umm. No, not really. Nothing worth mentioning.
Were you disappointed that the German team got taken out so fast this year?
No! I wasn’t expecting any better really! ( Laughter)
After this experience, do you think you’ll try and take the time to heal properly, or are you itching to get back on your board as soon as possible?
It sucks, you know. It’s always a hard decision to make. On the one hand you really want to skate, but on the other you really want to get fit. For myself, I always try and start to skate too early. It’s a tough decision between not skating at all, or skating half fit? My foot still isn’t completely healed, like right now I feel like I can skate, but I’m too anxious to really do something. Being anxious skating is not always the best thing.
What were your first memories of skating?
My first memories of skating were probably of all the kids in my neighbourhood, Gottingen in Germany, doing the jump ramps and stuff. Seeing them fly off that and cruising down the street made me want to do it too.
Did you ever think skating would take you this far? Travelling the world and stuff.
No! When I started, not at all.
Today, do you ever feel the pressure of skating being your profession and looking at it like work?
For me, it only works if I enjoy it to a certain point. If I start to look at it like work, I get so bummed and lose the attraction.
What’s the best place you’ve been to?
Skate spot wise, I think the best place was Prague. The Stalin Plaza is so good! But, the same thing there: I went there for the contest two years ago, and injured my knee only two days after arriving there! So, I couldn’t really skate there, so I was bummed.
You mentioned earlier that you went to Israel with Kingpin. Tell me a bit about that.
The scene was pretty good over there. I wasn’t really expecting to see so many people skating. Unbelievable! There were lots of kids, but lots of older people too. There was myself, Niall and Benjamin from Kingpin, Alexis Jauzion, Hugo Liard and Kenny Reed.
You’re filming for the Cliche DVD. Can you feel the pressure?
Yeah! It’s always hard to film! Especially when standards are fucking high.
What’s it like filming with Fred Mortagne? He’s quite specific in what he wants, right?
It’s hard work, but it’s cool. For this DVD, I haven’t really filmed much with him. Instead I’ve been getting footage with Chassignole, but I haven’t got much footage so I’ve still got work to do!
Apart from the Cliche tour, do you have any other plans for the future?
This year, Cliche is supposed to do a tour in England which will kind of interesting for me because I’ve only been to London so far. Then. I really want to move back together with my girlfriend because we lived together for quite a while, but then we both moved to different towns. Now it’s a long distance relationship and it fucking sucks!
Alright, do you have any shout outs or thank yous to give Jan?
I’d really like to thank Cliche for sure! Everything we did over the last couple of years. Thanks DC! And my mate Stephan who’s doing a cool little t-shirt project. That’s it for now.
Well, thanks a lot Jan, and heal the ankle!
Thanks Ralph and thanks Crossfire!