Yo! Once again Rozkurwiel Crew from north of Poland jumped on the road. Italy, France, Germany. Crazy spots and even crazier memories. What did 2024 have in store for the crew? Let’s find out!
Day 0
This time, we had the van available a day earlier. So on Thursday, we loaded up all our gear, and our ride was ready for adventure. Friday marked the actual start. First up was a short 20-hour leg to Milan…
Day 1
After a wild journey shared between three drivers and enjoying postcard-worthy Swiss views, we arrived at an Italian pizzeria. Bene! We then headed to the campsite, set up, and relaxed a bit before the evening session. Most of us chilled out, while I wandered around and found a massive trophy. Meanwhile, Drew was goofing around and got bitten by something—his foot swelled up like a boxer’s face. That evening, we hit our first skatepark of the trip, warming up those sore legs.
Day 2
The plan was to hit two spots: the Casa Milan stadium and the square near Milano Centrale station. Piechta took on the stadium with massive drop, when a local drunk became the king of the train station. He borrowed my board and asked me to film him on his phone. Cool guy. He, of course, wiped out spectacularly, smashing the beer bottle he was holding. His hand looked like it had gone through a Wolverine attack, with three deep cuts and blood streaming everywhere. And what did he do? He sat on a ledge and chilled like it was no big deal. Only after I scolded him and then got onto the local military stationed at the station did things get sorted. In other words, I almost killed the guy. At least he got some footage! After that excitement, we worked up an appetite and headed for pizza.
Day 3
Leaving Italy, we drove through Monaco like we were in an F1 race and headed for Cannes. Gorgeous sunshine, blazing heat, and a bowl surrounded by palm trees. Unreal! You skate in this incredible place, then dive into the sea to cool off. Pure magic.
The second park had one of the worst bowls, but the street section was solid. Once it got dark, Drew and I held a boardslide festival. The session got so intense that the police showed up and kicked us out.
Day 4
I had been preparing for this day for many weeks. No. I have been preparing for this day my whole life. However, before I get to the main attraction, I have to say that we started the morning warm-up with a hot session in the park with an oververted wave. Cool stuff.
Ok, main attraction! As soon as I found out that this year we were planning to visit the THPS2 level, I knew I had to make preparations. I played THPS’ competition in Marseille over and over. That’s right! Marseille was our next destination. My favorite level on which I was doing wild combos. So I played every day, planned lines and learned every angle. Generally, it was for nothing. It doesn’t change the fact that it was awesome. It’s beautiful to see such a miracle in real life. However, I was surprised by the lack of a tree supported by some sticks, which when removed reveals Tony’s secret sex tape to a mysterious chamber… Oh well.
We closed the day in a large skatepark where there was everything from all kinds of walls and pipes to a large bowl in the middle. Definitely an intense day.
Day 5
Piechta, aka Pieścinek, took the wheel, starting us off with a feast at IKEA. After a bouquet of hotdogs and fresh porcelain, we set our sights on the world’s greatest skatepark, hidden in the French Alps—Versus Skatepark. I was still hungry for more after our last visit. Once we arrived, we split into two groups: the skating crew (me) and the feasting crew (everyone else). I decided to satisfy my appetite for concrete. This skatepark has everything you could wish for, from beginner sections to a vert ramp right next to a pétanque court.
Jey, the guy behind all of this, was just as hospitable as last time, giving us tips for the next spots and sharing some morning coffee. To show our support, we bought some merch. That’s what it’s all about—connecting the dots. I even bought a board with a graphic inspired by a Metallica album cover. I’m not a fan of Metallica, but the shape sold me. The graphic will wear off anyway.
Day 6
Finally, we got a chance for a morning shred. Since we slept at the skatepark, all we had to do was roll out of bed, slip on our shoes, and hit it. Perfect.
Taking Jey’s advice, we hit up a park in La Norma on the way to the next spot. Small but totally awesome. Unfortunately, I took a wrong approach and wasted everyone’s time trying a trick that ultimately beat me. Drew, though, came out victorious! You’ll see it in the edit. Yeah, Drew!
Next, we headed back to Italy to visit an old Fiat factory in Turin. A funny skatepark with lots of quirky obstacles—kind of a clown park, but that’s what made it cool.
We finished the day with a street spot downtown. The highlight was Piechta arguing with an Italian woman. He lost the argument, but he didn’t stand a chance!
Day 7
Another day, another massive bowl. In Marseille, we didn’t meet Tony Hawk, but maybe we’ll see him in Munich (I know he was there once with the Birdhouse crew). A huge bowl, a fullpipe, and a pool right next to it, all surrounded by walls like a gladiator’s arena. Impressive! Despite some minor complaints, we managed to land a few tricks.
To end the day, we moved to another skatepark. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it was dark, so only a few of us dared to take it on. In the end, Drew and I grabbed some average kebabs, and the whole crew finished the night with beers and Bob. Then, it was off to a well-earned night’s rest.
Day 8/9
The final riding day of our trip. Only one skatepark was on the agenda in Leipzig. It’s a recently renovated park, but you could say it’s practically brand new. Absolutely fantastic! A classic street section, a bowl—everything you could ask for!
Unfortunately, I embarrassed myself again, wasting time on a trick I couldn’t land. I need to learn from this for the future. The struggle wasn’t worth it because, when I moved on to a more interesting trick, rain cut the session short. Yes, it started raining, just as predicted. That said, despite the rain, Strejli stayed determined. After many attempts, he nailed a wall sequence, shut everyone up, and wrapped up our trip beautifully!
Since it was pouring, we decided not to stay overnight. No fun setting up and tearing down tents in the rain. We grabbed some kebabs because a 7-hour drive awaited us. Of course, something had to go wrong. We hit a traffic jam on the highway and were stuck for about four hours. Despite running out of alcohol, spirits stayed high, and we made it through. I got home around 8. Mucho Cheers!
