WORDS & PHOTOS | MATT GROWCOOT @MGROWCOOT @TECHNO_BLADING
LAYOUT | VISUAL DIRECTOR JONATHAN LABEZ @JMLABEZ
I wasn’t sure if I was going to Bladehouse 10 until just one week before the event, but boy am I glad that I booked my ticket! Bladehouse, hosted by Nick Kouros at Athens Bladehouse , is a one-of-a-kind. By invitation only, I had multiple people tell me that of all the events they have attended, Bladehouse is their number one favorite.
The vibe is like that of a house party. You are always chatting to someone. Maybe drinking a beer. Constantly having fun. I met skaters from all over the world – Ukraine, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, France, Japan, United States, Chile, Israel, United Kingdom, Greece, Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Czech Republic.
While I was only there for three days, some people are there for three weeks. They go to beach skate camps near Athens, street sessions around the city, traveling by boat to a Greek island where there are hotel bowls and remote pump tracks. I was there for the main event: Bladehouse 10.
THURSDAY
The weather forecast meant that Saturday’s main event was under threat, so the session on Thursday night could have been the main competition. It meant guys and girls were throwing down hard with a judge on hand to mark the competitors. Fortunately, the rain and thunder never materialized Saturday so Thursday’s session didn’t matter in the end. Sticking to a curfew, everyone was out by 10:30 PM and into a nearby square. Beers were drunk, the church handrail was fahrvergnügened, and I headed to my place early after a 5 AM start that morning.
FRIDAY
With the skaters staying at numerous hotels and Airbnbs across the Greek capital and Bladehouse closed in preparation for Saturday, people took the opportunity to be tourists, street skate around the city, or enjoy themselves in tavernas.
The evening was the Greek premiere of ‘Inferno 2.’ Filmed in Athens and spotlighting Bobi Spassov, Lauric Picard, Julia Komenda, Tomek Przybylik, Kash, Omri Baum, Adam Wrzal, Michał Pietrzak, and Filip Hudziak. It was fantastic to watch an awesome blade movie at an open-air cinema, on an enormous screen. A well-attended and great atmosphere, it was another opportunity to mingle with a diverse blader crowd. Quite a few ended up at a rooftop nightclub into the early hours of the morning.
SATURDAY
The big day.
After staggering home at some ungodly hour, I took the opportunity to relax. I knew once it hit nighttime, this was going to be wild.
Intending to skate myself, I arrived pumped up. I did my best to keep with some of the most talented skaters out there like Jo Zenk, Micahel Bruad, Luboš, Kate Bedrata, Othmane Miri, Nicholas Mesiter, Angie, Matias Veras, Max Koshelev, and Freddy White (forgive me for harshly omitting names, it was a ‘festive’ few days!)
Those familiar with the Bladehouse roof will know about the box in the middle and the near-20-ft curved box off to the side. This year, Kouros and his gang had created nightmarish obstacles such as Nessie – a wavy box with a steep incline that was tough to master!
With the boxes slayed, it was time for the high jump competition. Kouros demanded spins from everyone. There was a flip contest, which consisted of just one skater: Dennis Van Stappen. Dennis (a mustachioed Belgian) can flip just about anything. He didn’t let the crowd down with at least five backflips and a sideflip over the high bar.
The crescendo sees the skaters line up outside the Bladehouse front door for a full send down the drop rail. This year marked the installation of a second drop rail on the other side that is just inches from the wall. The judge, Mike, studiously kept an eye on the action throughout – even being fed sandwiches so he could keep score without looking away.
There were some notable cheerleaders in the crowd who were not skating (recouping from injuries mainly): Yuti Goto, Michael Müller, and Bobi Spassov.
With the competition wrapped up, it was party time! A live metal band lit up the living room. Cocktails like ‘gloryhole surprise’ (*editor’s note: google with caution lol) were being handed out to party-goers while the good times rolled.
The results from the competition were read to us. Jo Zenk was crowned Bladehouse heavyweight champion (winner for third time). Fabien Elettro and Gilles Buellens were given the rail killer awards for their efforts.
BLADEHOUSE FOREVER
It was personally devastating to get on a flight home the next day while my friends boarded a ferry headed towards a sunny Greek Isle for more shenanigans. There are rumors this was the final ever Bladehouse. Hopefully, this is surely not the case. Kouros has built up the finest rollerblading event on the planet (in my opinion). It’s attracted a worldwide group who all love what Bladehouse brings to the table every day. Surely, this golden event will continue on. Let’s give Kouros and everyone involved over the years a round of applause for their hard work, with the encouragement to continue on next year.
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