The Zen of Freestyle

Interviews by Monty Little

t’s after 1:00 a.m. in Southern practicing their chosen discipline California. The silence of : the often lonely I of a still warehouse is world of freestyle skating. What suddenly broken with the hum exactly makes these guys tick? of fluorescent tubes, bathing the Where is the zone that they mentally concrete floor below with light. A drift into as they practice highly lone figure turns on his iPod and technical tricks for hours on end? starts skateboarding to the music, For Mullen and his followers, practicing flips, pogos, rail slides, freestyle skating is a form spins and flatground ollies – a of contemplation; the peace move he introduced to the world. they achieve while skating is The skater is none other than sometimes called the Zen of Rodney Mullen, who has adhered freestyle. This is the first in a series to this practice regimen for years, of articles in which we’ll take an skating privately in the dead of intimate look into the lives of six night. Like-minded skaters around of the world’s top freestyle skaters. the world also seek solitude when p.m., I have a cup of coffee to wake me people will not only enjoy watching my up, then I go to a quite park near and skating but that it will inspire young practice skateboarding for three to four skaters to take up freestyle. hours. Are you a practicing Buddhist? What is so special about freestyle that I’m not an actual Buddhist, but I do drives you to put in these long hours of believe in Buddhism. I’m not a Christian, practice? but I believe in God. One of the things

Photo: Monty Little When I’m skating, it’s like I’m creating that I’ve learned from Buddhism is art, perfecting each trick and making meditation, which I do often. The peace it flow beautifully, such as spinning I find when I meditate is similar to what I Shen “Dominic” Meng, 37, China 14 consecutive nose 360s. I hope that feel when I am skating; it’s very calming.

Photo: Monty Little

Dominic lives in Beijing, China’s capital, where he was a designer for the Kempinski Hotel until 2013, when he quit to devote all his time to freestyle skating. In March 2014, Dominic emailed me asking for help in obtaining his Canadian visa so he could travel here and compete at the World Freestyle Round-Up. What transpired in the following months is nothing short of a miracle.

Monty: Beijing’s population is over 11 million. Are there many freestyle skaters in China? Dominic: No, I think I’m the only one, so it was very frustrating because there was no one to learn from. After five years of skating alone, I finally dropped it and took up trail bike riding. How did you make the transition from skateboarding to trail bike riding? I’d been riding a bike since I was little, so it came to me very naturally. In fact, I became number one in China, competing in many , but after about six years of competing, I decided to return to skateboarding, which was my real love.

I’ve watched a video of you performing tricks on your bike. How did learning skateboard tricks compare to this? Every freestyle trick that I know I learned from watching videos on websites. My day is like this: I wake up at 6 a.m. and head off to work. When work ends at 6 Photo: Monty Little

Last year, you asked me to write a letter to the Canadian Consulate in Beijing, hoping that this would help you receive a Canadian visa. Please tell us what happened. I printed your letter and took it to the visa office that very day but was denied my visa a second time. I was very depressed. Rodney Mullen heard about what had happened and emailed me. He is my idol, so I was very humbled to hear from him. He told me that the single event that changed his life was the Oasis Pro freestyle contest in San Diego, California [in 1980]. He was only 14 at the time, lived in Florida, had neither the money for a plane ticket nor permission from his parents to go, but he still found the means to get there. The rest of his life changed from winning that single contest. He encouraged me to do everything I could to get to Canada because he wanted me to achieve my dreams after devoting so much of my life to them.

His email must have inspired you because the next thing you did was write a letter to Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister. I didn’t know if that was a good, bad Thank you, Dominic, for sharing your or stupid idea (laughing). But I sent it story with us. It is an inspiration to anyway, and you sent a letter too, which other skaters who also want to achieve resulted in my Canadian visa being their dreams. approved on April 18, 2014, a day I’ll never forget. Not only did my dream come true of being able to compete at the 2014 World Round-Up, my very first contest, I also got to meet and skate with the world’s best freestyle skaters, and was able to go back and do it again in 2015. Photo: Monty Little katers katers ’ve been to several international international been to several ’ve like you to travel so far at your own own your so far at to travel like you expense? I other countries. That’s why I represented I represented why That’s other countries. Canada. I care I came to when Slovakia flag I than which the sport about more am holding. as a billed is Round-Up The World but contest, skateboard world-class s draws really that is it what BMZ (Benjamin Shenker), freestyle BMX freestyle Shenker), BMZ (Benjamin and so on, , Kun), (Adam from support any receive they don’t but This is one government. the Hungarian athletes good so many that the reasons of for perform or the country leaving are sports funding to one sport and that and that sport funding to one sports so many have (soccer). We is football (Katinka in athletes talented polo, water canoe, , Hosszú), to show myself that I can do it. Sure, Sure, it. I can do that myself to show but mistakes, to make going you’re the you shows often making mistakes it with I stick new tricks. to complete way of one I’m never I hope I can land it. until and tell up give who people those weak it. do they can’t themselves the World at but in Hungary, live You represented in 2013 you Round-Up Why? Slovakia. live you to imagine that you I want all 90% of over gives that in a country ng you skate in person at in person at skate ng you how many hours you have must put put must have hours you many how tricks. practicing those into the challenge, of because it I do Honestly, Your flowing skating style reminds me skating flowing Your imagine Candioti. I can only of Henry just seem to know where to go next, to go where just seem to know after another. trick bang-bang-bang, one the what know even I don’t Sometimes just happens. be, it will next trick totally focusing on what I have to do to do I have what on focusing totally for I’m just skating when But to land it. mind and see what’s my fun, I just open feet My body. my from to come going Mentally, where do you go when you’re you’re go when do you where Mentally, skating? I’m a new trick, When I’m practicing by mixing up my tricks, with footwork, footwork, with tricks, my mixing up by line long one in all and flips, tricks rail stopping. without things in freestyle skateboarding. When skateboarding. things in freestyle together, I’m really a routine putting unique it make style. I try to of conscious look the same, but each skater is going is going each skater the same, but look which inside, different something to feel style, unique their own into translates the most important of and style is one rules or teachers to enforce them. You them. You to enforce teachers or rules do the same all to skaters ask five could to going all they’re Technically, trick. the Round-Up, I could tell that freestyle that tell I could the Round-Up, you. to is something very special myself, to express a way It’s Albert: no are there in which an art form, almost cybersecurity guard. cybersecurity Seei Monty: Albert recently bought an apartment in an apartment bought recently Albert 90 minutes about Veszprém, of the town as graduated He Budapest. of outside as a and works an IT administrator Albert Kuncz, 29, Hungary Kuncz, Albert Photo: Daniel Dutkai

Photo: Daniel Dutkai contests, but I don’t go there because amateurs and pros will gladly chat and Having their priorities in check is of the competition. I go there to spend even skate with you. something that has always impressed time with my friends who influence me about the freestyle community. each other with our skating styles You mentioned that you weren’t able to Albert, be sure to send us a photo of and exchange what’s on our minds. afford to go to the Round-Up this year your parents wading in the ocean, and I remember the first time I went to because you were going to take your we hope to see you next year! Paderborn; I just sat there for hours parents to see the ocean near Fiesa, watching these famous skaters I’d seen Slovenia. on YouTube. When I finally went out My mother is a cashier and my dad works to skate, they came up to me because for the military in the small village of they recognized me from YouTube. We Öskü, about five hours from the ocean. became friends instantly. That’s what They’ve lived there most of their lives and makes it so different from other sports. had never seen the ocean, so I wanted to Take the X Games: Just try going up to treat them to a vacation by the sea. one of the pros to talk with them – it just isn’t going to happen. Yet at any freestyle skateboard contest, the world’s best