The year: 1989, Münster, Germany.
Jeff Kendall, Ffej, Bob DeNike and Bod Boyle were visiting Claus Grabke (video coming soon) and ripping some epic cement spots and ramps leading up to the big contest and getting some footy for the "Speed Freaks" video.
Kendall took 3rd in vert and 7th in street. Not many skaters were in Jeff's class when it came to all terrain shredding and he always made it look amazing.
KT of Thrasher magazine interviewed Jeff after the contest to get some insight:
Do you think Street skating helps you develop your vertical skating?
-Yeah they help each other but street skating was just a sidekick... it was really nothing compared to ramp riding.
What do you think you'd be doing if you weren't skateboarding?
-I probably be attending college and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life I went to college for a little while right when I started doing well at skating and it didn't work out. I had to quit after about 3/4 of a semester. I might go back eventually, it depends on what happens.
Did any skaters influence you as you were coming up through the ranks?
-Definitely. My major influence was the magazines. Until the video thing started coming out that's all we had to go by. We didn't even know what someone looked like when they skated. I looked up a lot to people Caballero, Hawk, Christian. I'd see them in the magazines doing a certain trick and go out and have to learn it. You'd set goals for yourself, try to look at a certain trick, come as close as possible, even though you didn't know what it looked like in actual motion.
What's it like now skating with those guys and beating them on occasion? -I'm totally stoked. I never planned on getting as far as I did it just happened. I can't see doing anything else. If I wasn't making a living at skating, I'm sure I'd still be doing it. Now I can skate full-time and concentrated on a completely. It's more fun than ever.
What kind of tricks are you working on?
- I tried to learn a couple tricks a day. It's fun learning new stuff because you feel like you've accomplished something. For the past week or so I've been working on 540s. I think I'll work on that until I make it. I don't want to get so used to bailing it that I never learn it.
How do you work on that a trick like that?
- Just try to get closer each time. Get the feeling for it and get confidence to make it. Still I don't feel like it's that important to learn the 540 and I'm not doing it just cuz I want to do better in contests.
Do you think skateboarding will continue at its current pace?
- It's really big right now. The problem with skateboarding is that a lot of kids just get into it for a trend. You don't know which kids are going to stick with it. But I think people are skating so well now that it's going to be taken more seriously. Skateboarding has to be around a while to get like a sport. That's kind of an ugly word. People are going to have to realize that all their buildings will get thrashed if they don't create public skating facilities.
Have you done any crazy stuff since you've been here in Germany?
- Well last night we all decided to take bike rides. Then Bod puked on a cop. I still feel like he should get money or something for doing that. Bod is pretty much a cop magnet. He always manages to lure the police. It's never his fault really.
What's your best placing in a pro contest?
Second place in the TOL jam, I believe.
Who do you think is right there on the top?
- Bod. Bob's a type of skater who could be up there. He could win a big contest. I think it's going to come down to skating style. How a skater flows is going to be pretty much as important as the tricks. I think it should be that way.
Music:
Jetlag (Santa Cruz)
Lounge 7 (New York)
Two Foot Glasser (San Diego)
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11 сен 2024
