interview about the SibSub Skate Camp 2014 

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If you don’t know, last summer (9-15 june) near Tyumen in Russia was held the 2nd SIBSUB skate Camp! If you don’t know what it’s all about read the interview and watch the video 😉 I think that is one of the most memorable event in the history of skateboarding…For one week more than 150 skaters camping together skating streets , contest, having fun and all the ingredientest of true skateboarding life… Read the interview and join the camp this year 😉

Last year(2013) in Tyumen , Western Siberia was held the first SibSub Skate Camp ,the biggest skate camp in your country. This year , for the second edition , the Skate Camp has took place again with a massive program and a lot of skaters from all over the country ,the recipe was perfect. What changed from the first edition?
Well, would be wise to mention that the first camp was really nice too – it was even more mental for there were less skaters and everyone knew each other. It seemed like a family holiday trip. Lots of things changed: the program improved a lot, more people from larger variety of cities came, more pro skaters were invited, and still it was partly familiar with a family holiday trip. We can discuss the changes for days but the fact is that skateboarding was the main thing in both camps.

The program was really intense and well planned . How long did it take you to put it all together (organize, plan, build)?
First ideas were spoken half a year before or so, but the preparing started three months before the camp. We were extremely scared that we would fail to meet the deadline, and we did our best to be on schedule. An awful lot of things are very difficult in Russia – we mean getting travelling permissions for underaged children, talking with the police to make street contests possible, railroad problems – those really stand alone, believe us you don’t wanna go into it. We suppose that no other skateboarding event ever had so much red tape, and we want to thank everyone who helped us to realize the project.

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You have already started planning for next year?
Sure we have. We even have got the program already. The next skate camp will have two sessions, if you want to know a secret.

The SibSub Skate Camp come to be more and more popular in your country and maybe internationally. You have already this year some foreign skaters?
Yeah, we have invited our friends from Antiz skateboards. Very few foreign skaters reach Moscow, let alone Western Siberia. Moreover, many Russian skaters have never visited Tyumen. We really want everyone to visit our city now and again in order to develop and popularize skateboarding in the world. Skateboarding is a family to us and nothing will ever destroy it.

The first thing that comes to mind thinking back to the 2014 edition?
The idea started in several remote cities at the same time. There are a lot of Russian skateboard ideologists, and we were lucky to draw their attention to the project. The first thing that comes to mind is that everything was amazing and simultaneously extremely difficult to take care of 150 skateboarders.

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One of the most funny facts during the camp?
Oh, there were many. Pasha Kuznetsov, just as everyone arrived at the camp, took a ride on the cableway, holding his board on both trucks, it was some Indiana Jones stuff. Pasha stands alone in Russian skateboarding and you have to see it to believe it.

There was a problem with the trains’ departure(we told you about the railroad). According th the plan, all the skaters were about to go home by train and in the same car, just the way they arrived in Tyumen. Everybody was on board, even things started to get unpacked – and without rhyme or reason the conductor walks into the car and asks everyone to leave it. A list or some other paper believed to be wrong. You won’t believe it but the week before folks travelled to Tyumen with tha same papers and no problems have occured. Well, we had to solve the problem right off the bat, otherwise a hindred people would be unable to get home. It took a lot of running along the corridors and over the railways, there were quarrels now and then, and the train was leaving in 15 minutes. The funniest thing was that while everybody was leaving the car in stress, the oldest and the most experienced camp member Alexey Lapin wasn’t giving a thing about all the crap, he just made himself at home and went to sleep like everything was glad! And conductors haven’t said a word, ha ha, Alexey was just too talented and respectable so he dodged the problem like nothing. Antiz riders had most of the fun, though – they decided to travel with the flava instead of taking a plane to Moscow in order to plunge into the atmosphere. In the long run, the problem was solved just in the nick of time and two trains epicly set off – one to the East, and, in a minute, the other, to the West.

The trick closed during the week were really massive , it seemed to me, that the skaters did not spare themselves and were given their best. Who has impressed you the most?
Just imagine yourself skating and living with the best 150 skateboarders, everyone inspiring each other. 24/7 shredding. You’ve heard a bit about each skater, but have never seen them in real life. If skateboarding itself was the greatest thing about the camp, the second place goes to the fact that for the first time ever all Russian flavas and crews gathered in one place. And of course every rider would do his best to state thyself and the crew. So we don’t see it possible to pick one, because there was no person who wouldn’t perform sick skating. And that’s cool.

Which was the most incredible trick during the week?
Alexey Naymushin did an enormous frontside boardslide at the Drama Theatre rail. The rail is huge, it goes down an 11 stairset, and it ends the way that you can’t boardslide it without doing a pop out. The whole camp delegation arrived at the spot to take part in Best Trick Contest down eleven, and that was the gnarliest thing we have ever seen – the set has been only ollied just a couple of times by that time, and people went for hardflips and back heels. No one ever thought about grinding that rail, let alone sliding it knowing that you won’t just land it, that you have to be quick on the way out. And Alexey was just like, «Hey, I want a front board to go down here, why not to do it?» So he did it.

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What about the sponsors . It was easy to find some this year?
This is actually a common trouble in Russia – since skateboarding is not officially a sport, the government doesn’t budget for it, and private companies are rarely in a position to supply us. However, this time we convinced government to help us with money and assured them that this project is really necessary.
We also managed to get some different stuff for prizes by making proper advertising for several companies. Hopefully, every unsponsored rider was happy to get a board or a pair of shoes – actually, almost everyone received something. Thanks to the sponsors for the support one more time – we really appreciate it.

How do you see the female scene in your country (is growing or was more massive a couple of years ago) ?
The new wave of skateboarding popularity makes more and more girls start skating, but there are only a few really good female skaters in Russia. As for the camp, we had 3 female members, and they lived with the rest of folks.

The skateboarding schools and skate camps helps kids learn much more safe and fast tricks. How much you think the skate schools and SibSub skate camp have helped to grow the scene?
We primarily counted on unlimited communication between pros and rookies. Kids had a week for watching live skating, playing games of s.k.a.t.e., askink questions, etc. We hope that this will have an impact on children and spark the interest in new kids to begin skating. We really have plans to develop skateboarding.

Who was the youngest skater?
A local kid about 11 years old.

Russian skaters were and still are very strong at the European level and worldwide.How do you see the scene today, how are the kids today?
Some guys really achieved the European level, but there are only about 10 of them. The problem is that Russian winter lasts 6 months and there are only a couple good indoor skateparks in the whole country. Even Moscow – it has an awful lot of skateparks and concrete plazas, but nothing indoor. Hopefully, our projects will do good motivation for other cities.

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The economic crisis is being felt in almost the entire Europe. How it manifests in the Russian skate scene?
You see what’s going on with ruble, and we are scared about the stuff prices – they have already grown twice. No idea how kids will persuade their parents to buy them a board. But we can’t help but hope everything will be alright, and we must say that the crisis won’t stop us skating and working on projects for the development of skateboarding. We are working on the new project at the moment – Sib Sub Pro & AM 2015, and it will have nice prize money. You are welcome.

last words?
Love what you do. Love skateboarding. Visit our contests, our Skate Camp 2015 and just visit Tyumen – we are happy to welcome you at any time.

PHOTO GALLERY 1 HERE

PHOTO GALLERY 2 HERE

THIS WEEKEND from the 21st ot the 23rd February the SibSub guys are organizing a AM&PRO contest the SIBSUB PRO&AM 2015 contest that will be in live streaming CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATIONS!!!!

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