Text & Photos Nicolas Büchi
Summer had come, which meant for us the opportunity for another great bowl and pool riding tour! After Basque Country 2009 (West) and Czech Republic in 2010 (East), the decision was easy to go south! The crew was set up as the usual suspects:Sylvain Morger and his brother Damien “Fire” Morger, Lukas Halter and Ivo Weibel, Reto Bösch and Nicolas Büchi.
So two cars got packed with tents and water guns and we headed full throttle to Brixlegg, Austria. After a first hard session in the deep-end and some early gap ollie feelings, we decided to go to Kufstein, Austria for the indoor Bowl and visiting Oliver Gordon. After a good schnitzel came the night, and the obligatory “loud music, cool beers, fast skating” session, which led to a broken inner ligament by myself. Fuck, already on the first day I was out!
Nevermind, the other guys continued to rip. After a good night sleep at the skatepark we headed to Wörgl, Austria, where the locals poured some fresh pool concrete this summer. This was really summer, hot heat and concrete park skating and of course swimming/chilling.
The next day, everyone was alread a bit fucked up, the big travel was on. All in the cars and down to Slovenija. We arrived late at night in Postojna, just to get a BBQ started and the beers in the hand.
The next day we had the pleasure to meet the Locals. So friendly! We had an amazing session, even without poolcopings. As the night fell, we went indoors for the miniramp. Everybody was drunk, skating hard, a small radio playing death metal. Exactly what you call a perfect session. Big Thanks to all Pumpa locals, specially Tibor and Domes!
From there on it went to Zagreb, Croatia. We went to the pool by our own, but after half an hour, the locals gathered for a good evening session. Even Ferit showed up! And they got an indoor miniramp too! Ivo, Luki and Sylvain probably had their best miniramp runs ever. Stoked as they were we hit back to the hostel for some more Karlovacko. Oh Zagreb, you’re wonderful!
Next day was again carriding day. We tried to find the ocean for a swim, but didn’t make it, so our next destination was Brescia in Italy. First stop was the railway Park. It’s probably the biggest skatepark I’ve ever been to. Amazing snakerun and a solid 4 meter deep-end. Reto was killing it with his backside tailslides!
Back to the cars and to the Creedence Park. A DIY street park outside of Brescia. After 15 minutes of skating, a thunderstorm came, but also arrived Guido and the locals, which took us to the Knödel Indoor Bowl. It was the last session of the tour, and everybody went big!
So went our Summer Tour 2012 to an amazing end. Thanks a lot to the Postojna locals, Zagreb Pool Crew, Creedence, Knödel & Guido, Oli Gordon and the Kufstein/Wörgl Locals!
– Nicolas Büchi
September Wheels Eastern Europe DIY Tour as featured in CONFUSION MAGAZINE – Issue #4.