20.08.07
You may not have heard of Willow, but the Etnies and Flip sponsored skater from East Germany has been causing a stir.
His recent part on video magazine Hello 21 blew minds with how big, fast and technical his skating is.
He’s also a really nice bloke and was quite happy to chat with Moose about shit, coffee, hairy women, and spandex. Read on.
Photos courtesy of to Gentsch
So, who are you, how old are you, and where are you from?
I’m Willow, 24, from East Germany in a little town called Ludwigsfelde, bojakka!
How long have you been skating for?
I started in 1996, damn it’s a long time.
What was your first skateboard?
A skateboard.
Where did you grow up? What is it like?
Ludwigsfelde. It’s a big fucking über stumpf city. It is not the city where I actually want to get old.
What is the skate scene like there?
There’s no skate scene. When I started there where a bunch of people skating. That impressed me so much that I started to skate.
How much travelling have you done?
I guess every month I’m on tour, so I really appreciate it to come around.
Which country was your favourite to skate?
Romania
What were the women like there?
Dirty, no water and hairy
Romania has hairy women then? Are hairy women a good thing or bad thing?
Actually I don’t care, I got a monkey girlfriend at home.
How did the deal with Flip come about?
Gentschy baby (German photographer). He’s a friend of mine who helped me a bit to get in contact.
Have you met any of the team yet?
I met them all, we’ve been together at the Feast tour last year and the recent European tour.
Have you met Harry Bastard yet? Can you understand his accent?
No I didn’t, but I met Ian Deacon. He’s got such a crazy accent, too. But I like it so much, even when I only understand half of it.
Which skater impressed you the most?
Tom Penny, I love his behaviour and everyone is fucking uber. There are different things that can impress me.
Who is the strangest skater on the team?
Tom Penny. The SloMoMan
What was the best story from that trip?
That the guys went crazy when they ate German schnitzel.
What trick blew your mind the most and from who?
Red Bull coffee joint trick.
Do any of the Flip team have monkey girlfriends?
I don’t think they like monkeygirls, they prefer tiger lillies.
What country was the best fun to visit on that tour?
Germany of course.
Who do you get on with most on the Flip team?
I like Arto and Ewan trying to talk German. But I also like the accent.
Whose skating do you appreciate the most?
Sami Harithi, he used to ride for Flip back in the day.
I hear you’re a big coffee and cigarette fan, me too. Why do they go so well together?
The German triple king. Kaffee, kippe, kacken = Coffee, cigarettes, shit.
The triple king, haha! In the UK we call it M.A.P.S (Morning After Pub Shit), or The Shit Trigger. It really is the best way to start the morning though isn’t it?
Yes, that’s my fucking routine. The chocolate commander knocking on Hells door.
What’s your daily routine like? What would you do in on average day?
Get the triple king, watch out of the window and pray for good weather, feed my cats and fish, and hope to go out and have a nice über day.
What’s your favourite thing to skate? Stairs, blocks, rails, etc.?
I like everything, but mostly I like to jump from buildings like Spiderman…
Jumping like Spiderman? You don’t skate wearing spandex costumes do you?
Only wear it at home with my monkeygirl. You should see it.
We had a German skate website ring us the other day and none of us can speak German. What phrases would we find useful in life?
Get stumpfed, mein stumpf ist rot, rote rackete, eine kleine führer bitte, über vibes.
My German is very bad. I can’t translate all these, so what do they mean?
Get stumpf is not really a German word. It’s mixed from English and German. A stumpf is a stumed or a stub, rote rakete = red rocket my penis, eine kleine führer = the little conductor, and I forgot okolyten the most stylish word = tits or big pickaxe.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen?
Coffee without cigarettes.
Black coffee, or coffee with milk?
If everything is on charge at home, I put everything in. Milk and 3 cups of sugar
Sugar?
French skateboard mag in my coffee? Me no like.
Your name is Willow, so what is your favourite kind of tree?
Cherry tree
What music are you into?
Folk, Bulgarian trance, Russian gabba and of course Finland’s finest hardcore
There have been rumours of you having beef with Bastien Salabanzi. Is this true?
Come on man. Never heard such stupid things…that’s the first time I’ve heard that. I’m not the kind of character that get beef with other guys. Why?
The rumours about Bastien came from him leaving Flip and going to Alis, and supposedly this was because you two did not get along. Is this just stupid internet rumours again?
Of course…
Lots of people in the UK have seen your Hello 21 part (below) on Youtube now and were amazed by it. Has it helped you be recognized in the UK more?
Oh they know me? That’s über stumpf good. Nice that they like it.
Do you find it hard to film stuff?
I don’t know. No, I like to see the footy at the end.
Do you ever get stressed whilst skating?
Many times, stress with other ignorant people. I get stumpfed so bad.
If you could skate with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?
Johnny Depp on a board. It would be crazy if he could skate like he acts.
Which possession would you take quickly if your house was on fire?
My boards, get my cats, and get my monkeygirl piggyback.
Which 80’s pop artist took the piss the most?
Boy George or Wham
Do you feel as though you have much in common with David Hasselhoff?
I’ve been looking for freedom, and Pamela Anderson
Is it true that he has a grip on the new generation of German children?
No no no.
Last words?
Stumpf.
Any links, thanks or plugs?
Mom, Dad, monkeygirl Nikki, Flip Family, Ian, Gentschy baby, Jeremy Fox, my cats Emi and Emil, my Berlin and Cologne crew, Timmy, Schnu, David Hasselhoff, Moni, Etnies, Asiootus, Livin Company, Split, Rockers
PROST WILLOW