Tag: mob skateboards

It is no secret that Alex Ullmann is a good skater right? If it was a secret his cover has now been blown. We have been out skating with Alex on more than one occasion and he is the type that gets something at every spot… Ok so now that we did the sweet talk, we can tell you that Alex can also be the strong silent type, he has a wallflower type of quality without actually being one. We thought it would be nice to launch his new part in conjunction with a little questionnaire so you, me and everybody can get to know a bit more about Mr. Ullmann.

Hey, Alex let’s start this thing… Where have you been?

One second ago?

I just started eating my freshly fried pasta with pesto.

…one minute ago?

I was staying in the kitchen preparing my meal.

…one hour ago? 

I was at a tutoring class for business accounting. I force myself to go there two times a week because in May I have my final exam. By then I have to see trough this.

…one day ago?

My roommates and I cleaned up the apartment. It was really necessary. After that my girlfriend Nina and I went billposting on cruisers in Marburg. It’s a good secondary income. 

…one week ago? 

I had to work till 3 o’clock p.m. and afterwards I met up with Iwan (Martaller) and David (Perez) at the indoor skate park in Giessen. We had a few beers while we were replacing the old stair set with a bank – so you can ride the straight rail from the left side now, too. It’s really awesome!

…one month ago?

On New Year’s Eve, I had a small party with my roomies. We just hung out playing some board games and went downtown for some beers later on.

…one year ago?

I have been to Spain for the most legendary tour ever – The Hell Ride. Paul Zenner, Fabian Lang, Maxi Schaible, Niklas Speer von Kappeln, Mario Ungerer, Dominik Schneider, Leo Preisinger and myself we rented a minibus and drove all the way from Almeria to Lisbon. Unfortunately, I had to fly back home 2 days earlier for my midterm exams, so I missed skating in Lisbon. But it still was one a one-of-a-kind trip.

…five years ago? 

After my volunteer social year, I started working at a community for handicapped people for two years, which was a really interesting and valuable experience that lastingly shaped me.

…ten years ago?

I was living at home with my family in Echzell and after school, I always went skating with my homies Sven, Steffen, Henne, Matthias and Felix at the local funbox. 

…15 years ago?
 
I moved from Wölfersheim to Echzell with my mom and three sisters. Three years later I started skating after always seeing some skaters while grocery shopping with my mom. Some day I just went there with my board and waited for them to show up. We hung out ever since.

…20 years ago?

At that point, I was five years old and living with my family in Wölfersheim where I also went to preschool.

…25 years ago?

25 years ago on the 12 February 1991, I was born in Bad Nauheim. It was an uncomplicated singleton breech pregnancy.

Enjoy Alex’s new Barcelona Vacation Part!

Portrait by Danny Sommerfeld

Do we really need to talk about this, I think we don’t really need to give anyone reasons to watch this right? It’s been a little while since Danny Sommerfeld put out a part and with him being part of our staff this edit brings together some of the TPDG’s more recent fascinations that are both contemporary and nostalgic.

Leon Rudolph put together the edit so nice he makes you watch it twice.

https://youtu.be/aAeFQSAU3CM

The Guys over at Mob Skateboards were kind enough to send uns this audivisual Prostcard from their latest trip to Alicante. Expect a lot of funny clips and excellent skateboarding by Danny Sommerfeld, Laif Draasch, Alex Denkiewicz, Kerem Elver and Alex Ullmann. Good times over bangers. BBQs over ABDs. Enjoy!

Find the whole story here!

The brandnew PLACE issue 53 will be available through skateshops, selected retailers, newsstands and of course at the Bright Tradeshow this week. Having an anonymous skater on the front-page is new to us and maybe in general a more unusual thing, rationally speaking. The titel “It could have been you” takes the anonymity and rather indicates each and every one one of us – one more of the other less. Take the time, enjoy the read and let the sunshine in:

MORE about our new Issue.

The brandnew PLACE issue 53 just arrrived at the office and will be available through skateshops, selected retailers and newsstands on next Monday, July 6th. For this one we tried to think inside the box and question ourselves: what does perfection mean and does skateboarding need to be perfect at all? What do you think? You’ll find our point of view in the newest issue of all time featuring the following:

Cover: “It could have been you” by Danny Sommerfeld

PLACE#53-2
Think Inside The Box

PLACE#53-3
MOB in Alicante – Good Times In The Front, Kicktail In The Back

PLACE#53-4
Giorgi Armani – Qartulli Stili

PLACE#53-5
The Death Of The Robot – Vans In Rotterdam

PLACE#53-6
Behind The Scenes – Isle Skateboards feat. Nick Jensen & Paul Shier Interviews

PLACE#53-7
8 Days A Week – Pleasecharge in London, Paris & Berlin

PLACE#53-8
Where Have You Been, Madars Apse?

PLACE#53-9
Dutch Light – Cleptomanicx in Groningen

PLACE#53-10
California, California – Cameron Strand

Watch out for the official launch event on wednesday, July 8th.! More infos soon.

In this column we ask one question and usually we’ll get one answer. It’s that simple. Whether it’s a quite essential thing to ask or plain nonsense, one answer can tell a lot about a person. This time we have Germanys Valentin Cafuk and Cpt.Cracker (Owner of MOB Skateboards) and here’s the two talking about what happend:

Splitting up: MOB Skateboards parts ways with Valentin Cafuk.

valle-einefragean-1

Valentin Cafuk’s side:
“I started riding for MOB Skateboards when I was around 16 years old. My buddy [MOB team rider] Johannes Schön sent Danny Sommerfeld, the brand’s team manager at that time, some footage of me and that’s how it all began. Without Joey, I probably wouldn’t even be sponsored today. He was the one who gave me an opportunity to go out filming and shooting photos. Since I was always skating with him, he brought me along to the team meetings and took me on a couple of trips. For me it was a dream come true to be on the same team as my homie. I instantly got along with everyone and really liked the whole vibe at MOB Skateboards.

In 2013, all of a sudden Joey got booted from the team. That was really unexpected and came out of nowhere. It really made me think about my future. On the one hand, I wanted to stand behind my buddy, but on the other I was getting major support from MOB. I was undecided for quite a while, so I literally waited it out. I was hoping that it wouldn’t change my mind about the team and the company. But to be honest, the MOB wasn’t the same without Joey. At least in my eyes.

The relationship slowly started fading, with less contact with [MOB owner] Captain Cracker. And I stopped showing up for team meetings, which kind of felt wrong as well. I didn’t fell good about it. I got boards from a company that I didn’t really stand behind any longer. The whole process was pretty slow because I simply wanted to let it happen organically. In the end, I thought it would be the best for all of us to part ways, although it always hurts to let something go. I was lucky that Captain Cracker took the decision pretty mellow. At first, I was afraid that he wouldn’t understand the whole thing. I was really lucky to get sponsored by MOB and I am really thankful for each and every board. It was a fun ride while it lasted – now it’s time to say good bye!”

cracker-einefragean-1

Captain Cracker’s side
Well, as far as skateboard teams are concerned, I always looked up to companies like Girl/Chocolate or Alien Workshop/Habitat. If you got on Girl for example, it seemed like you were never ever going to quit a sponsor like that. For two reasons mainly: first, you are sponsored by a true, no-bullshit skateboard company. And second: it seemed like you weren’t simply sponsored by a company, but you became part of something like a “skateboard family.”

The family aspect is what I appreciated the most about those companies and that’s what I wanted the MOB team to be like. I always wanted our team riders to feel like they are part of something bigger. The MOB family, which goes way beyond just getting your monthly boards in the mail. I wanted everyone involved to become friends with each other, which makes things like touring and hanging out that much more fun. A lot more fun than if you’re just a bunch of “athletes” held together by the monthly paycheck from your sponsor.

I never had a rider quit the team in 15 years! We all stuck together through thick and thin – some riders have been with us for almost as long as the MOB has been up and running. Some riders outgrew semi-professional skateboarding over the years and pursued careers outside of skateboarding, but I still hook them up with a MOB board if they need one. I call it the “MOB Retirement Plan,” because those dudes put in a lot more than just riding for the MOB as a sponsor. They are part of our family. We never had any budget for anything really and most of the time, while on tour, the riders had to pay for their own food – because there’s no such thing as per-diem on a MOB tour. That calls for a special understanding of skateboarding and what it means to be sponsored on the riders’ side. And most of all it requires a lot of dedication for your sponsor.

This dedication is what I always looked for in a team rider, because that’s the way we run the company; with dedication for skateboarding and not necessarily for just hyping a product with bangers and jaw-droppers. This low-budget mode of operations in return means that we will most likely crash on someone’s floor while on tour and not stay at any hotels. I see every MOB team rider as an exceptional personality and not just as a human commodity that can be discarded once they are not performing at the top of the game anymore. I did have to lay off some riders over the years for different reasons, but it always felt like breaking-up – and it sure never was an easy thing for me to do. It always made me sad.

Now, over the years skateboarding has changed and the company has changed as well. Nothing is set in stone, especially not in the skateboarding scene, and while I still hold on to the idea of having a “skateboarding family,” it might not be what some younger skateboarders are looking for in a sponsor – or a company. What they want is even “hipper” parents, or maybe no parents at all. Young skateboarders today are living way more in the “fast lane” than we did when we started the MOB in 2000. By those standards, we are pretty old (school). So, yeah, now it happened – our youngest and latest acquisition left the MOB after three years on the team because he felt like couldn’t back up completely what we stand for. He couldn’t identify with our version of skateboarding.

But I fully appreciate his honesty and there’s no bad blood over him quitting the team. To be honest and true to your heart is always the best way to go. It’s like if someone gave you a painting as a present and you absolutely didn’t like it, but you feel like you have to put it up on your living room wall every time that certain someone comes around. It feels totally fake and weighs down your heart – if you have one – because you’re not being honest. I always want the door to be open for welcoming new members to the family, but also for bidding farewell to those who feel like they have to leave that home.

If the shoe doesn’t fit, go barefoot. It’s neither the shoes’ nor the foots’ fault – it’s simply the combination of the two that doesn’t fit. So, Golden Boy: Best of luck to you for the future. Stay true. Stay Gold.

Yesterday we had the story plus photo-gallery and now we would like to present to you the short-film. Alex Ullmann, Valentin Cafuk, Daniel Pannemann and Jonas Heß skating in Frankfurt am Main. The city of Goethe, skyscrapers and despaired business men, filmed and edited by Severin Strauss.

Zum Release von #Crackhouseholiday Part 001 aus dem Hause Mob Skateboards überlassen wir ungeschönt Captn. Cracker das Wort, der euch nun ganz im Sinne der Freigeisterei mitteilt, was euch erwartet:

“Zum Osterfest gibt es von euren MOB Skateboards Lieblings-Bernds billige Unterhaltung vom Feinsten. Seht was passiert wenn der MOB zu einem “produktiven Team Treffen” in Cpt. Crackers CRACK HOUSE nach MOBCITY einlädt: Kirmes, Kickflips und Konsorten- gefilmt mit fünf Telefonen. Nobodycannacrossit. Featuring The Ullmann, Sammy Donnerfeld, Archiewicz, Martallica & Cpt. Cracker – and introducing Laura Klemke. GoPro Operator: Flowy Schimke.”

Unser aller liebster Skateboard Hersteller MOB Skateboards präsentiert deren neuste Kollektion für den Herbst/Winter 2013, mit unter anderem der Never Established Serie featuring Jenny aus dem legendärem Film Kids. Was sonst noch so alles dabei ist, könnt ihr hier direkt online durchblättern. Ab in den nächsten Skateshop und Kaufen was das Zeug hält.

Unsere Nachbarn östlich der Bundesrepublik lassen nicht oft von sich hören, umso mehr wundert man sich dann, wenn auf einmal ein Schinken um die Ecke kommt, der sich definitiv nicht verstecken muss. „Grey Area“ ist ein Skateboard-Film von Kuba Kaczmarczyk und Pawel Piotr Przybl aus Polen dessen auf-die-Fresse-Soundtrack und VHS-Sequenzen einem zum hin- und herschaukeln auf der heimischen Couch bringen. Es folgt der erste Part von Danijel Stankovic aus Schweden.



„Voll Bock“
ist der erste Part des MOB Skateboard Videos mit allem was dazu gehört – Skater, die sich auf den Hosenboden legen, Geld, Frauen und Waffen. Mehr Bock.

Kyle Walker hat einen Part raus, der sich a) gewaschen hat und b) ihn absolut auf die Karte als Super-Newcomer setzt. Definitiv der beste Full Part des Wochenendes.

Der Mob hat für 2013 sein neues Video “Voll Bock” angekündigt. Das wir nicht lachen, das schaffen die nie! Schon gar nicht mit Fahrern wie Danny Sommerfeld, Laif Draasch, Valentin Cafuk, Johannes Schön, Harrie Hachenberger, Alex Denkiewicz und Kerem Elver. Was hat sich Cptn. Cracker nur dabei gedacht? Iwan macht auf jeden Fall schonmal einen Anfang und vielleicht hält er ja doch durch. Wir wünschen es uns und freuen uns schon auf den Streifen, Digger.