Stuff: You might just want to introduce yourself to us.
Demetrios: All I guess I could say is that I’m Demetrios George, finally here to experience the European adventure, it’s been a long time coming.
S: It’s you first time here?
D: Yeah, it is my first time here. I mean before the only thing I had done is travel to Sweden. I had the opportunity to go there, but it is the first time in Europe to actually experience the continent and see the skate scene. See how everybody is on their level of progression.
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S: How do you like it? How did you like the Summerclash?
D: The Summerclash was interesting! It’s more of a shock in terms of kids out there on a whole new level of progression, of park skating especially; the same thing goes with street skating. Kids out here in Europe I think – compared to the States – are more unaware of what’s going on with companies and are more focused towards progression, you know!? They are skating their asses off. It has been really motivating for me to be out here and to see kids who are just taking it to the next level and pushing themselves. Just big groups of kids too, you know in the States I try to find myself with kids but almost the only time when that happens is when I have Europeans coming over and calling me on the phone and tell me that they are visiting. Being honest, it’s really motivating because there are so many kids that are actually in the scene, it’s a little bit larger scale versus California for instance.
S: When we grew up skating, Cali was this Mecca of skating. So what you are saying is that basically this really changed?
D: I guess what I can say about Cali’s skating is, I feel as if it definitely bred some of the best skaters in the world. I mean a lot of the style and a lot of the impact towards the sport was through California and a lot of it was started there. And I think that there are still places that are alive such as San Francisco with all the Valo skaters and everybody. On top of getting footage out there and getting promotion and just keeping rollerblading alive by showing kids that it’s staying, you know it’s staying alive there. I don’t think it has died in California, I think what has happened is that a lot of people have found themselves growing older and fighting to stay alive financially. And with everything that comes with living in California, you have so many options to just take the time off, you have the b’s, you’ve got barbeque, you’ve got the Beach, you’ve got everything. Some partying and just chill drinking, so everybody has just kind of let them selves not wither away but… I’m not saying this is how it is with everybody. I just have noticed it with a lot of friends. The talent stays alive but the motivation to progress has, if anything, shifted towards other areas. You have the Kelso brothers in Philadelphia and you have all these kids that are definitely on top of filming and keeping everybody on their toes and letting everybody know that it’s not going die, that it’s going to stay strong. And it’s only getting stronger with tricks and with style and I feel like California is on the verge of picking up rollerblading again. More kids that are unaware of it start to get back into it you know. I’m seeing more skaters than I haven’t actually seen before, they have kind of progressed in their own style. It’s there but it’s not as strong as it used to be. It hasn’t got the influence that it had before in the past.
Photos: Jeremy Stephenson, Alex Schneider & Philipp Forstner
