Two groups stacked with the largest names in skating hit the highway for an epic summer time tour. Might it’s Magnificence and the Beast? Are we nonetheless Recent Til Dying? Or perhaps we’re gonna Keep Flared as soon as once more? NO! This time, Nike and Cons lined up their all-star rosters to hit the highway throughout Europe for 2 weeks of blockbuster periods and road missions. Extra like Magnificence and the Magnificence, this wasn’t the culture-clashing blast we’ve seen earlier than. This was the deepest pockets within the recreation orchestrating a five-country tear with an addition-by-addition philosophy. Want a head rely of the heavies? We received Dylan Jaeb, Louie Lopez, Shane Farber, Erik Herrera, Mason Silva, Oscar Candon, Oski Rozenberg, Bear Myles, Zered Bassett, Karim Callender, Alexis Sablone, Sarah Meurle, Hugo Boserup and extra. We had the proper elements; all we needed to do was keep away from the pitfalls which have cursed excursions since time immemorial. Straightforward, proper? Wanting swarms or plagues we must be good.
You have not seen the total vid but?! You are blowin’ it! Watch it now earlier than you get all of the juicy behind-the-scenes tales
Designated tour van driver Shane Farber presses pedal to steel and nostril to wall with a melon out
One Unsuitable Click on
Think about this: You’ve simply flown midway the world over, and whenever you lastly get to the resort, the reception desk says that, when you do certainly have ten rooms booked, they had been reserved for 2025, not 2024. Panic? Yep, one errant click on on a dropdown menu left us in Copenhagen with no roof ‘til the next yr. Shit occurs. We’re skaters, not journey brokers! Fortunately, James Cruickshank and Kohran Gayle had the corporate card. They even received us booked up in a nicer place! We’re talkin’ pool and spa entry to appease our street-battered bones. First hurdle? Cleared by a mile.
Tree huggin’ Hugo? This aggressive wallie off the trunk says in any other case
Do because the Danish Do
Devoted magazine readers and the worldly already know that bike lanes are the Danes’ most important veins by means of their metropolis facilities. So on our first day in Copenhagen, James received us all two-wheelers to discover town proper. With 16 skaters jamming round, checking spots and using unfastened, we had been a far cry from a neat pack of single-file Hells Angels. I’d wish to say we went with the movement, however the locals all swerved previous or idly pedaled in our irritating wake. A minimum of Mom Earth was stoked on our transit alternative.
What’s that saying? Huge baskets save lives? Louie and Mason get it
You in all probability have additionally heard of the Nordic affinity for saunas. Bio-hacking fitness center bros are solely about ten centuries behind our associates up north. However after full days of quad-burning commuting, you wager we took full benefit of our upgraded facilities. Suppose 14 skaters can’t slot in a six-person sauna? You shoulda seen these groups flip that sizzling field right into a clown automotive. Exterior, I used to be chilling within the pool, and a man requested after we deliberate to go away. I replied, “Why?” He mentioned in order that he and his spouse might benefit from the sauna. It didn’t appear to be the blokes had been ever gonna depart, so the most effective I might give him was, “Soonish.” Hope he waited a day to let the butt sweat evaporate.
Dylan strikes a again tail in CPH
Backed up by Eetu, nosegrind
And Louie on closing duties, again Smith
Karim knew to by no means kick a hornet’s nest, so he frontside flipped a wasp’s bush
Fats Lip for a Clip
Karim’s received mad pop, limitless power and a genuinely pleasant demeanor. So after I rolled up on his bump-to-bush session, I used to be surprised to see him sporting a balloon-sized backside lip. Was he in a Danish road brawl? Was there a Tyshawn-esque bike collision I missed? Nope. Seconds after he frontside flipped the flora, a wasp from the spot shot up and caught him within the kisser. You could have heard that bees are essentially the most harmful animal in Denmark, but it surely’s additionally the wasps you gotta watch. Nonetheless, Karim’s so good he took it on the lip and let it reside.
Aaron Herrington hops off the CPH tour to again nosegrind 180 with us
Erik steps as much as a Spanish grind
Watch the Clock
A skate journey is all the time a race towards time, however this gang took it actually. In addition to the wasps, the bike bug was biting hella laborious. Whereas off board, Korahn, Zered, Oscar, Erik and Shane had been flying across the block operating time-trial races. Two at a time, they cycled the course in reverse instructions and stared down their competitors as they handed head-on. Dr. Z’s Cons, quads of metal and icy gaze nearly received the gold however in the end Nike’s Korahn set the document. Both the youngsters are slipping or the outdated heads had somethin’ to show.
The final day got here fast, and whereas everybody received prepared for the airport, Oscar wanted yet another rip to shut out Copenhagen. With no choice to return, he battled to the final attainable second on a wild bench journey. Did he clinched the buzzer-beating clip? In fact. Did he miss his window to bathe earlier than the flight? Undoubtedly. Time and gate brokers look ahead to no man.
Grind up and throughout from metal to stone, we condone Candon’s strategy
Puked Out in Prague
You could know Prague for its bounty of cobblestone streets, medieval clocktowers and gothic structure. However what have you learnt about its vomit-covered stairs in underground bars? Yeah, the sights and smells of Prague on our first night time had been as awe-inspiring as they had been sickening. The gang heard about a spot that served flaming pictures. Sounds good for the ‘Gram, proper? Subsequent factor, we’re sliding previous puke as we descend three flooring down right into a humid-ass vacationer lure. The blokes ordered up the well-known fiery drinks and the bartender goes to work—feverishly spraying the pictures with a military-grade spray bottle and a spirit I might solely assume is within the lighter fluid household. He’d gentle them for a second, solely to have the flame peter out. This went on for a minute ‘til we received the somethin’ for the Story and we had been out. After surrounding ourselves with the packed crowd and overhyped fireball pictures, the puke on the steps made a lotta sense. However nothing might damper our temper, ‘trigger Stalin Plaza was on the horizon.
After he locks down the rezzies, Korahn handles his different enterprise. Swap heel
Dylan again on the bump beat, fakie flip
Zered Bassett, unmatched change tré at Stalin
Skaters of the World, Unite!
Do you know Stalin Plaza doesn’t even have a big-ass statue of Stalin? They blew that factor up in ’60s! You’ll be able to learn extra about it on Wikipedia. What’s vital for us is the bottom survived de-Stalinization. It’s in all probability the most effective still-standing plaza on the earth. Overlooking Prague’s ornate downtown, the sprawling area of granite seems just like the foreground in a dream—with only a slight specter of communism looming overhead. The surreality solely intensifies when Dylan Jaeb’s operating limitless, easy ledge strains. If not a dream, it’s some Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater shit. You understand he can doubleflip again tail, proper? Plus, he’s received all of the traditional shit down pat. And what concerning the Cons cohort? Louie was mending metal and stone, lining up a soccer purpose by one of many marble slants for a weightless criminal. All of it was happening surrounded by a vortex of ripping from absolutely the cream of the crop. You coulda offered tickets to those periods. Which I ought to’ve ‘trigger my card declined on the meal after. Fortunately, Louie received my again. I advised him I’d repay him however he mentioned, “Joe, don’t fear. You helped me acquire $500 for a photograph on the YETI journey.” Solidarity perpetually!
Huge Lou, top-tier crooks
Glass on the bottom made Louie depart a small, pathetic, feeble quantity of blood on the scene after this V-heel. Proof he grew up round Rowley
Brian smashes a change criminal for the squad
Oskineering
You ever simply take a look at a park the day earlier than you wanna skate it? You understand, simply to have an evening to consider it? That’s the kinda pre-planning Oski does previous to a demo. In Prague, we reconned a bridge spot on that very same tip. He gave the huge pure quarterpipes the thumbs up and we knew he’d come by means of. Dude’s calculated.
Scoped out and poked out, Oski sticks to the plan with an undercover bottom seize in Prague
How concerning the engineer’s impulse to take issues aside? One time, after we had been tenting with P-Stone, Preston rigged a rotisserie holder for a hen on the campfire. He wrapped it in tinfoil, poured beer into it and set it over the flame. Effectively, that broke and the hen fell into the fireplace. However Oski and I saved it, then continued to rotate and prepare dinner it with some tree branches. After it was accomplished, he ate each a part of that fowl besides the bones. Reduce to the bridge: our man reveals up the subsequent day and simply dissects the stone transition prefer it’s a campfire-cooked hen. He even wore an orange shirt to pop within the images. Goddamn, if he doesn’t consider the whole lot.
Lederhosen had been outta the funds for Brian O’Dwyer, however this boardslide to feeble was free for Oktoberfest
Hugo dangers a 3rd child with a entrance lip
Berlin’s Bees
Rolling into Berlin, the climate seemed like shit. A minimum of we had been a full nation away from spot-stopping wasps. The skate gods gave us the inexperienced gentle when Brian O’Dywer flew in. He clipped up immediately with a niche throughout the Berlin Wall’s memorial line. Examine that on Wikipedia, too. The rookie professional needed extra, so we peeped a rainbow rail that—in comparison with the 6-foot-plus BOD—seemed prefer it was constructed on the Heart for Ants. The comedy of scale alone was value a photograph. After his first profitable rainbow journey, somethin’ broke free within the earth—not ants, however buzzing, swarming, stinging bees! We will hold tight with an aggro wasp flying solo, however this was a full colony assault. For the primary time, our gang was outnumbered and outgunned. I pulled my hoodie strings tight, grabbed my gear and cut up. Then the swarm went to provide James the Nic Cage therapy. Someway we made it out with no sting. Hell yeah, B!
Huge BOD throughout the infant rainbow
4 up, 14 down, Dylan stabs a again Smith and firecrackers out by means of the Beagle steps in Berlin
Bear Myles retains the firecrackers lit, again nosegrind
Beast meets West, Brian skips Berlin’s memorial line with a niche to noseblunt
Touring by means of the clouds
Flying as much as 5-0 on a chest-high bump to rail, Louie makes a powerful case for dropping at Cee-Lo
The dynamic duo, Dylan and Eetu, by no means cease the spot hunt. Swap ollie out to the flat
Eetu proper behind with a half-Cab
Mercedes-Bunz
The time got here to bid auf wiedersehen to our inexperienced transportation for the standard skate-trip chariot. With a crew this enormous, that meant gettin’ three Sprinter vans. Hugo was answerable for our large Benz on the Autobahn, and the younger father drove like he had a 12 infants on board—leaving one more irritating wake of native roadsters. This wasn’t an Indy journey, you understand?
Swedish star Sarah Meurle got here by means of to color some black rainbows on gold partitions
We slowly and safely made it to Munich proper at the beginning of Oktoberfest—oh, no. However these vans had been crammed with true professionals. The one festivities we partook in had been a couple of outsized beers and a bit lederhosen purchasing. You understand the true ones go for over 300 euros? In immediately’s economic system?! Nah. Plus, these issues run TIGHT. These physio freaks had been in all probability doin’ too many glute flexes to suit their skate butts in suspended brief shorts. The closest we received to rockin’ with the regional garbe was at our resort. A gaggle of tight-bunned leder-clad festgoers stored singin’ “Candy Caroline” with the thickest, drunkest German accents. Kinda want they caught to Hasselhoff.
Alex at Civilist requested some sick flicks from Berlin. Eetu Toropainen obliged by rollin’ into this German inexperienced large
Mambo No Dentistano
Who’s the one individual to have a signature shoe for Nike and Cons on the identical time? That’s proper, the last word crossover artist Alexis Sablone flew into Milan and introduced the solar. Even contemporary off the aircraft, she instantly began flyin’ at Milano Centrale. Whereas she labored out the thin run-up for a change flip, a toothless, shirtless punk rocker was cheering her on. And naturally she put it down for the grill-free homie! Past the cheers, you may virtually hear “Hey Mambo” taking part in in everybody’s heads. Do locals hate that tune? Who cares, the psychological soundtrack light when her new fan began celebrating with an impromptu gun present. I suppose if I had arms like that and a busted grill, I’d be flexin’ my biceps, too. You understand Shane and the gang received some ideas from him.
Timeless change flip from Alexis
The Outdated Man and the Set
Vince, AKA Hen Little, was our tour information in Milan. He’s a cool fucking child, and he rips! He knew Jaeb’s skating so he took us to an enormous set of stairs. Everybody gassed up Dylan to frontside flip it—straightforward request. He nearly did within the first few tries, however then we received deja vu of the Scramble. Wheelbite and tough floor turned this should-be informal transfer right into a My Battle. After every strive, he’d go sliding into some rubbish slime oozing out of a close-by dumpster. However he was too invested to show again. After he received the clip within the can he questioned himself, “Why did I put myself by means of torture for this shitty spot?” Hints of Hemingway, proper?
Harsh spot, good frontside flip—this crusty 14 took loads from Dylan, but it surely repaid him with a clip, a flick and a shirt soaked in trash liquid
Hen Little on a not-so-little change again 50-50
After any mission, profitable or not, you gotta replenish. Getting a desk for one staff is a feat in itself—two’s damn-near not possible. But when we might all slot in that fuckin’ sauna, you wager we’re squeezing into an Italian patio. No worries, it’s Louie to the dinner rescue, once more! He mentioned he knew a spot. This place hit me with a second flash of deja vu. I requested Louie how he knew about it. He opened his telephone and confirmed me a photograph of Phelps sitting by himself at a desk on this identical restaurant. We’d been right here journey eight years in the past on a Spitfire journey. Fuck yeah, he’s nonetheless watchin’.
Alexis soars a traditional kickflip
And stamps a kicky entrance 50 for good measure
Hugo hits a again lip throughout and down a cobblestone coaster
Athens, at Final!
Beat, bitten and bruised, we rolled into our last cease runnin’ on E. Weary as we had been, the clear skies and Mediterranean breeze gave us the gasoline to get a couple of last-minute flicks on the Grecian plazas. However the highway will let you know when it’s time to go. And right here, it was with one final bug—coulda been the flu or COVID, however everybody received sick as a canine in Athens. We might run from a pest, or take care of a some rowdy randos, however a compromised physique? All we might do was settle for—we wouldn’t take within the Parthenon or cliff dive within the clear water. Generally you want an indication to finish the session otherwise you’ll by no means cease. I suppose, thanks in your service, bugs!
It’s laborious to say precisely when the big-brand tremendous excursions slowed down. Goddamn, it’s a fairly particular formulation, although. The place else are you gonna see Zered and Mason killin’ spots collectively? Hell, even simply seein’ Oski and Alexis on the identical tour is a visit! Skating simply works higher collectively. From the bike lanes to the trains and the positive aspects, Nike and Cons pulled off an unreal logistics raise. And I believe it paid off sufficient to do it once more in summer time ’25. I imply, so long as we received the rooms nonetheless, proper, James?
Unsure if Bobby Puleo’s been to Athens, however Erik Herrera nosegrinds this step to cellar door simply in case he hasn’t
Hugo joins in with a fast Ok to cap the mission
Final spot of the journey, safety retains this place locked down just like the Louvre. However two fast rips for a kickflip is all it took Shane to shut the e book on our wild European getaway. See you this summer time