Z racji premier filmu VANS „PROPPELLER” wrzucamy z archiwum DIZASTERMAGA #10 stary wywiad jaki przeprowadziliśmy z Chrisem Pfannerem i kilka zdjęć.
Name: Chris Pfanner
Date of Birth: 17.07.1984
PLace of actual residence:Barcelona, Spain
Years skating: 14
Sponsors:Anti Hero, Vans, Volcom, Spitfire, Thunder, Nixon, Eastpak
1. What is your first memory about skateboard from childhood?
I think I was 10, when I first saw a real skateboard! That was when I just moved to Austria. I was born in Nigeria and lived there until I was 10 and while I was there I hadn’t seen once, except in movies and comics!
2. When or how you realised that you have a great talent?
I don’t think you can judge your own talent! Since I picked up a skateboard I just got hooked and I still enjoy it like when I first started. But after a couple of years of skating, I started getting some sponsors and realized that I could get by with what I have and just do what I loved most. I never hoped on a career and just kept on going to school. After graduating at college, I started travelling more and more with skateboarding and things started picking up. I am just happy with how things are moving and hope I can enjoy it for a couple more years to come.
3. You skate faster, with bigger pop than many skaters.Have you trained any other sports? From where do you have this ability? Parents? Food?
I tried a lot of things growing up. I enjoyed track and fields a lot and was really into playing soccer. I played soccer until I was 16 and then decided to keep on skating instead! It’s way better, no trainers or teammates yelling at you for nothing and basically the freedom of being able to do it(skateboarding) whenever, wherever and however you like. I never really trained for my pop! I guess that’s one thing I got going for myself and that’s just how I enjoy skating. But it is probably from my mothers delicious african kitchen!
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4. Your first memorable skatevideo? Which skater part or generally why you like it?
Probably the „Welcome to hell video!” I remember watching that over and over with my friends in the skateshop on rainy days. Brian Anderson and Jamie Thomas both had really powerful parts in that Video. I just love the whole way the video is put together. I still watch it today to get amped to go skating!
5. In early days which skater mostly influenced your style of skating?
Mostly the people around me, my friends! The yama crew was probably my biggest influence growing up! But I also looked up to people like Joe Pino, Wade Speyer, Chris Senn and a lot more!
6. I remember YAMA video, your crazy part with intro of those sci-fi bikes, how do you remember those days?
I am so happy to know such an amazing bunch of guys. They were the first people I met when I just got to Austria. They really took care of me and keep my head straight. It was the best thing that could have happened to me.
Yama first started as a skateshop in the basement of a sports shop. After a while we started printing our own boards, put out a little video and things started rolling. It gave us a chance to travel to different places and skate a bunch of different things. It was the best experience. Travelling with my best friends and having a goodtime. Things have changed a lot now, we all live in different cities and our lives are taking us on different paths, but whenever we get together, its like we were never away!
7. Mongolia trip, as seen on „Strongest of the Strange” by Pontus Alv; how was skating there?
A friend of ours was there a few years earlier on an archaeology trip and he discovered an abandoned skate park and he thought it would be a great idea to make a skate trip over there. So two years later we were on our way with a crew of carhartt skaters to explore Mongolia. It was really rough and hard to skate, because there were not that many paved streets in Ulan Batar, but we made the best out of it. We spent a whole month over there and it was a good experience. After that trip I learnt to appreciate what I have even more.
8. I don’t remember well but probably you were also in some european skaters trip to China, how was there?
So Far I have been to China twice! In 2008 and 2009 I was there with the vans Europe team. In 08 we were there for 2 weeks and got to skate some really amazing spots around Hong Kong, Macau and Shen Zen. In 2009 we visited one of the factories where the vans shoes are produced. It’s a really different world over there. Culturewise and the way of living. It’s nothing to compare with the European way of living. The Chinese are really hard working people and very polite. But there were also a few shocking things, like the food they eat. They really eat dogs out there, it’s not just a myth!
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9. A lot of people remember you from Etnies European open qualifications from Cracow, Poland: did you like that contest?
That was probably one of the best stops in the history of the etnies European opens. It was a small venue, but the crowd was so thankful and motivating. It was really fun to skate that contest.
What was your gnarliest story from Polish trip?
Our trip out there was pretty mellow and nothing gnarly happened, just goodtimes all the was. We had a lot of fun in Cracow.
10. Would you like to comeback to Poland?
Definitely, my first experience was so good, that I can’t wait to get back!
11. If you think „Poland” please write first few words which you have in mind:
Warsaw, Cracow, Vodka, good food and really beautiful ladies
12. Your favourite music to skate, do you skate with headphones?
When I am skating, I enjoy listening to anything really fast, that gets me really amped. Mainly Metal and some punk stuff. Slayer, Motorhead and Black Flag are just a few bands, that get me really amped to go for it. Whenever I’m just cruising on my own, I enjoy skating with my headphones on! But when there’s a session going on with some friends, I think it’s a real buzz killer to skate with headphones on! Talking to your friends and having laughs loosens up sessions and make them even more fun!
13. Street, Parks, Bowls what’s your favourite terrain?
I really try to skate everything! As long as you have a good crew, no matter where or what you are skating, you will have fun. But mostly I enjoy skating in the streets. Barcelona is in my opinion on of the best cities to skate in and that’s why I moved here after I finished school. Best surfaces and amazing spots. You don’t need a car. You just have to grab your board and open your front door and you can get anywhere you want with you board!
14. Right now, with whom do you skate eveyday?
It is always different, due to the fact, that I have been travelling a lot lately! Mainly with people from the Anti Hero, Vans or Volcom Crew, because those are the people I have been travelling a lot with lately. But when I am at home in Barcelona, I mostly go and skate around with my German and Austrian friends. I am not really picky about who I go skate with. It’s always more fun to skate with a couple of people than alone. Basically who ever is around, motivated and has a positive vibe.
15. Antihero, how do you feel being in one of the gnarliest skate teams in the world?
It is really an honour to be on the same team with such amazing rippers and personalities. As a kid, these were the people that really inspired me! To be able to travel with John Cardiel, Julien Stranger, Peter Hewitt and Tony Trujillo, is definitely a dream that came true. Since 2006 the guys from deluxe started hooking me up with some thunder and spitfire gear and after a while they offered me to ride for Real. Around that same time I met Julien Stranger in Barcelona and traveled with John Cardiel and Tony Trujillo on some Vans trip. So I asked if I could hang with the Anti Hero crew instead, because I already knew some of the people on the team. I was really stoked when Julien said he would be down to have me on the team. I am really stoked to part of such an amazing crew of people and I can’t think of any other company that I would like to ride for!
16. Volcom and Vans will you have any signature model, or any clothing serie in those companies?
Everything is moving well with both Vans and Volcom and they really take care of me. I get to go on amazing trips and they support what I do. Since 2008 I have had a few colorways of the Chukka low shoe and I am currently working on a new Team shoe with Chima Ferguson, Gilbert Crockett and Anderw Allen which is supposed to be out ending 2011. At vans they really listen to us and incorporate our ideas in order to make the best suiting shoes for our needs and all skater out there. That is such a privilege already, that I haven’t even thought about any signature model! When vans and volcom feel that the time is right, it might happen! But I feel I haven’t really paid my dues yet!
17. Those crazy multistairs backside…which was the biggest or the most difficult gap-trick you had made it?
I can’t really say, everything I have skated, felt unique in its own way. No two spots are the same. There is always something different. I just try to progress and keep on moving forward. I enjoy jumping down stuff and I enjoy pushing myself. I can’t say which was the biggest or the gnarliest.
18. Those late-shuvits, this is your signature trick, or do you have other favourite signature trick?
Skaters have been doing the late shuvs for a while! My friend Muki inspired me on doing them and they’re just really fun to do. It feels good and enjoy doing them, because not too many people do them!
19. Plans for 2011?
I am really stoked on where I am in life right now and can’t complain at all. As long as I am healthy and happy, I look forward to what each new day will bring towards me.
20. Of course you are invited to visit Poland again, for which spots you will be looking for?
Nothing specific in mind! I’m sure if I come to Poland you guys will show us a really good time and the rest will definitely evolve. I hope I nake it out there soon!
Thanks to my Family, Friends and my sponsors Anti-Hero, Vans, Volcom, Thunder, Spitfire, Nixon, Eastpak!
wywiad preprowadził
Peter Dabov