As is the case with video these days, anyone can pick up a camera and shoot. Many iPhone holders fancy themselves as photographers but the skill, talent and an eye for a great shot is a rare trait, even more so in blading. We’re lucky to have our favourite roaming Italian and Be-mag staff photographer in the game. And this stylish individual has been around. With impeccable precision and his trademark style he’s covered the Winterclash, Summerclash, Blading Cup, Pony Cup, Baltic Games, Roskilde, Berlin Real Street, NYC Invitational, travelled all around Europe, across the US and down to Mexico. Now that he’s wrapped up his three years on the road for the BLADE DIARY book, we asked Pietro to share some of his travel essentials wisdom.
Favorite airport? Gdansk, because it’s small, nice, still cheap and there are plugs close enough to the free wifi bar.
Your trick to beat jet lag? I sleep on every transportation every time there’s a chance.
Any travel tips/suggestions? One or two squeezed plastic bottles in the backpack to re-fill in a public fountain or bathroom. Every re-fill is one euro saved.
Roll or fold clothes? Mixed, mostly rolled.
Travel Essentials: Alright, there is the backpack, I bought it in New York last year, it was just perfect – hand luggage size with an inner secret pocket for the hard drive, the one with the Blackjack Project sticker on it.
The boots go in first, and by the toe there’s room for the sleeping bag, the whole thing becomes a cube and is a nice isolation from the ground, just in case of wet spots. It can also stand by itself.
It’s time to have the laptop as a ‘hard back’. Using a magazine in-between the skates and him, it slips in and out easily at the x-ray check at the airport and the buckle won’t scratch the nice silver surface.
The frames on top of the ‘cube’ separate the clean from the dirty clothes: 3 pair of socks, t-shirts and boxers, two pairs of pants, one for skating and one for hanging out, and a shirt for the fancy happenings. If you hand-wash one outfit every night, then you have two days to let it dry. To make this process faster you can take a shower with your clothes on at first, add soap, and when you’re done you can keep going with the regular shower. I learned it from Richie, thanks pal!
I’ve found that towel at my grandma’s in Sicily, has all the Americans flags on it, I thought it was perfect for this trip.
The black leather little case with everything you need for nails and to shave goes in the low pocket together with screws, keys and all the things that are not afraid of liquids, in the top pockets all the electronics and the cameras. Ivan Narez bought my Contax to help me fund my trip while in NY. Thanks mate!
Passport, money and tickets always in my pocket. The jacket’s a two-piece, waterproof waxed canvas coat on top and a woven hoodie inside.
I always carry a book with me. Usually a biography of someone who was on the road, it’s a good travel mate, helps me to be inspired to keep going. It’s also cool if the author of the book is talking about the places you are travelling in, it’s like having a guide to share your consideration with, he/she probably did the same consideration at some point, maybe from another perspective. That book, instead was about an Italian art curator called Lucrezia De Domizio Durini who was strong enough to put ethic before personal convenience in her life, meanwhile, explaining the history of the Italian contemporary art in the world context. She was also very close with Joseph Beyus and the philosophy of the great artist was a strong guide in her life.
My shoes had a bunch of kilometers on them and were just destroyed. Enrico who’s the coolest dude out there, always on point with what’s the real deal in the Contemporary Standards just gave me some. Thanks bro!
I’d like to say THANK YOU to EVERYONE who ever hosted me and special thanks to Ivan for the Mexican tour. It was the best trip in my whole life. Another very special thank you to Jojo, for always backing me up with every travel.
Love, Pietro.
