INTERVIEW: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KEVIN LITTLE, @kevinmlittle
PHOTOGRAPHY: GINO GOTELLI, @ginogotelli
There aren’t many skaters that have had the longevity that Julien Cudot has maintained over the last fifteen years. Since going pro back in 2006, Julien has been racking up medals and winning championships the world over and all the while has been putting in the hard work and dedication to progressing his skill set. The last few years he has been on quite a streak in releasing multiple full length video profiles on both street and park and also participating regularly in competitive rollerblading competitions worldwide. He actually just won his first World Championship in Argentina and followed it up with a second place and best trick win at the inaugural Carriers Open contest in Dallas Texas, which I was lucky enough to witness for myself.
Seeing Julien skating in person is a site to behold, as he has a level of consistency and control that is evident with each powerful line he creates. But although Julien is revered as being one of blading’s most versatile skaters of all time, he is also incredibly humble with a friendly and approachable demeanor who makes time to speak with anyone that approaches him. We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to send over some questions about Julien’s recent trip to the US and speak with him about his most recent ‘Sauce Dallas’ video profile that he filmed during his short visit for the Carriers Open. Here is what Julien had to say!
KL: Hey Julien, thanks for taking the time to speak with us! I remember meeting you years ago when you first came to Texas for the ASA World Championships in 2006, which happened a few days after the Eisenberg’s Hoedown. What was your first impression of Texas when you came to visit as a kid?
JC: I remember how everyone was still so hyped on what just happened there a few days ago (Eisenberg’s Hoedown) and so was I. My first and all my impressions back then were related to skating and trust me it was like the rest of USA, it was big. Basically I think I was just realizing why we all looked at the American skating related videos, they simply had the biggest scene ever, pro and amateur and I was just witnessing it from my eyes for the first time.
KL: A lot has changed since you came down back in the day as a kid. How is it different visiting Texas now as an adult?
JC: A lot has changed yes, but I’m figuring out its also coming back that it is the exact same way, I don’t know if you’re talking about society changes or skating and personal ones but since back then I didn’t care at all about almost anything aside from skating and I’m kind of managing to getting back there now, but I will stick with skating and my personal insights. Since I got back most of my shit together ( bring back a better lifestyle ) and have grow into an adult man body I’m now capable of reaching my American dream Haha; street skating all kind of spots, the most and the better I can in the present moment and filming it of course Haha
We all know the biggest scene ever I was talking about is not the same anymore, but a lot of those American skating stars are still here acting good, locals are there too, the demand is here and it’s gonna match in some ways, some of those pros figures are working for it . About a more general Texas overview, not everything changed Haha I still got hyped on New Era caps at the mall same way as 13 year old me, and now I know why I always had a good feeling and impression with American style, my first time ever to the USA was in Dallas and everyone was the same as few weeks ago, so welcoming, nice and good energy so far.
KL: You have been on quite a streak lately starting with winning your first world championship down in Argentina. Does representing your native country of France give you any added pressure to perform well at events like those?
JC: True story man, back to Dallas in 2006 I turned pro winning the ASA amateur World Championship, I have had many titles from there to now but Argentina few weeks ago was the first official World Championship title. But yes it does (add pressure), I’m proud of who I am and I’m French but that’s just a fact among unlimited ones, it doesn’t grow my competition stress. What can add some pressure is when the French Federation don’t stay in their right position to me.
KL: Do you feel the skate park designs in France & emergence of more skate camps has helped prepare you and your countrymen & women for big events like the World Championships and the FISE events?
JC: The one established in my hometown in Paris back in the day did, among other facts like having skating examples like Stephane Alfano, Mathias Silhan and many more. This skatepark was Europe’s biggest (RollerPark Avenue) and I made myself there so did some of us Frenchmen such as Romain Godenaire way before me.
Today is different, I don’t think skatepark facilities are a big part of why Frenchmen remain the best park skaters of the world, I live in Paris and have to travel 4 hours to skate a decent indoor skatepark, I have to fly to England to skate some great foam pits and resi ( again some pro figures are on it everyday to get better structures like Anthony Avella or Roman Abrate do). Our respective structures and our will prepare us to attend the FISE skateparks events, their skateparks are made for BMX but its great for skating when they install it well, BMX and skating facilities match well to me, so its about practicing and getting confident on these type of ramps. We had in fact more of a chance to practice on it since some of the circuit is based in France.
KL: After your trip down to Argentina you made your way up here for the Carriers comp in Dallas and put on quite the show there as well. Do you get into a rhythm skating contests so frequently or do you prefer to space them out more?
JC: All right, I have always been stressed a lot before competing and today its even bigger according to the importance given to the comp and what comes next. I’m use to this and during the competition season in Europe I get in a heavy rhythm so when I’m home that is all I focus on. These two you just mentioned were some of the hardest in many points, World Championship was the most important to me, the level was at his highest with the Brasilian man Danilo Senna, and I was going straight away from that to a 3 months trip.
So basically its like giving my best to win because that’s all I’m here for but not compromising my upcoming trip (not to mention I hurt myself the first day of 2 weeks competing in Argentina). Then exact same story with Carriers Open, with being scared of getting hurt, it becomes even more intense because of the jam session competition format which was the one I love best the one from back in the day, the jam session means you go way bigger and all of it into a concrete bowl/park, as people know… It hurts! But I prefer of course when the competitions are a bit spaced out.
KL: After the Carriers comp you started filming a street profile while staying in Dallas and you had some pretty wild clips in there. What was your favorite thing to skate from your short stay down here?
JC: Thanks man, one more thing why I really didn’t want to hurt myself at the Carriers Open was filming some street during the rest of my stay in Dallas. I was just thinking about it for a few minutes because I really enjoyed all of the spots even if some are harder than it looks on video its just so good and almost look like its made for that, hanging around that high school where the alley oop top acid kink rail and zero soul down rail from my section was, was just a dream I felt I was in a Rolling video game crossing all kind of spots every 10 meters.
But the pure fun while skating, I relate it more to easy stuff where I don’t have to focus 101% every second and be scared so I say my favorite was the ditch bank where I did the misty and the 900, you could hit that spot from both ways it was amazing I could skate that more than a park fun box.
KL: You are continuing your travels and are now currently in Mexico. What’s on your agenda down in Mexico and what other locations do you have lined up in the near future?
JC: Yes i made it to Cancun 3 days ago where i joined my friend Stephane Alfano and Vincent Romain, a Frenchman who lives there, we’re now in Playa de Carmen. I’m here and it is a little more relaxed but we are travelling a lot around Mexico for one month mostly street skating for now, we are on a video project with Vincent, might not be just about Mexico so I’m not sure when it will come out. On Christmas Eve I land in Sao Paulo and the plan in Brazil is fire, Stephane and I are gonna hit a road trip with Carlos Pianowski and some local OGs around their hometown, then visit Rio and come back to France. Couple weeks of rest then Winterclash in Eindhoven (Holland) and Bitter Cold Showdown in Detroit (USA) followed by a Woodward week if we manage to contact and get a positive answer from them.
It looks like Julien will be quite busy the next few months so be on the lookout for more incredible content from him in the coming months! Thanks again to Julien for taking the time to speak with us about his recent travels and experiences visiting the U.S.
