Man, the Mastership was such a big deal from the late ’80s through the early 2000s—it was THE European contest! Back then, there was something of a “contest marathon,” stretching from Lausanne through Northampton and Münster all the way to Prague, but Münster in particular was somehow always the highlight. That was due in no small part to the fact that the entire “Euro Summer Contest Circuit” had its origins in the Westphalian metropolis. In 1982, Titus Dittmann first came up with the idea of hosting the “Münster Monster Mastership,” and since there were relatively few contests at the time, everyone who was anyone in Europe made the pilgrimage to Münster in the years that followed—Nicky Guerrero was there for the first time as early as 1985! Eventually, quite a few U.S. pros caught wind of this, and as early as 1988, top riders of the time like Lance Mountain and Steve Caballero graced the event with their presence. In 1989, the Mastership reached its peak—just think of the 24,000 spectators who made their way to the Halle Münsterland over the course of three days. Most people are probably familiar with the rest of the story—it eventually grew so big that they had to move the event from Münster to Dortmund!
25th Münster Monster Mastership
The Mastership is back in Münster!
The years 2000–2004 are now referred to as the golden years of skateboarding. The (skate) industry was booming, and it seemed like things would just keep going and going. But after highs come lows, and so the wave of madness from the turn of the millennium slowly but surely subsided. In 2005, the Mastership returned to Münster, and for the first time, the vert contest took place as part of Monster Rocknight.
That made sense, too—after all, it’s just mega-awesome when, between rock and metal legends on stage, Sandro Dias gets the stuffy air moving a bit with 3-meter airs on the ramp. Then came the 2006 World Cup here at home, and suddenly there were almost no sponsors left who were interested in a Mastership. Nevertheless, all the bands had already been booked for Monster Rocknight—after all, music is independent of sports—so a new framework had to be created for the musical part of the Mastership—and that’s how the Vainstream Festival was born!
The Mastership was now a thing of the past. Nevertheless, over the years, the Vainstream Festival established itself as one of the most prestigious events of its kind, drawing over 20,000 spectators to the Westphalian metropolis in a single weekend. In recent years, skateboarding has also played an increasingly significant role in this event, whether through the DIY Riot at Skaters Palace as part of the weekend’s kick-off or the mini-ramp jam, which has taken place at the festival for the past three years. However, for the 20th anniversary of Vainstream, something truly special was called for—and what could be more fitting than finally celebrating the 25th Münster Monster Mastership!?!
No sooner said than done. By the end of 2025, the masterminds Ralf Middendorf, Julius Dittmann, and Timo Birth got together, made plans, evaluated what was feasible, and ultimately concluded that they should limit themselves to a vert event. Anything else would have exceeded the festival’s capabilities, and since vert skating was the very origin of the Mastership anyway, it was a perfect fit.
It was decided to invite “International Heroes” from the past 40 years, “European All-Stars,” and a few “Young Guns” from the newer generation. In addition, the event was intended to have more of a demonstration-style format, since organizing a true contest would have been difficult with such a diverse field of competitors. When the first riders took to the ramp on Friday, June 26, one thing was immediately apparent—it was damn hot. Mike Crum immediately remarked that the temperatures were higher than back home in Texas, and all the riders limited their time in the sun to the bare minimum. There were two sessions, each with three slots, during which the guys put on a half-hour demo between sets by the bands on the adjacent stage, and the crowd went completely wild after the very first group, the “Young Guns.” The excitement only grew with the following groups, and it’s safe to say that Saturday had already made a huge impression. The evening session then featured the first Mc Twist—a rock ’n’ roll slide performed by the inventor of the Mc Twist (Sandro Dias, inspired by Mike McGill)—and thus the first day came to a glorious close.
On Saturday, the schedule was pushed back a bit—it was just way too hot to skate the first sessions in the midday sun. There was also a Best Trick Contest at the “AXA Box,” though the riders didn’t hesitate to use other parts of the ramp for “their best tricks” as well. Mike Crum pulled off his first Fs Nollie Heelflio Fs Air in ages, but what was most impressive was his double with Rune Glifberg—check out the sequence; it couldn’t have been any closer! Luke Kahler not only landed an Fs Blunt but also a “Scrambled Egg” on the extension, and while the Best Trick Contest was still in full swing, suddenly the music stopped, an announcement came over the PA: “Please clear the area!” A possible thunderstorm was brewing, and since you can’t take any risks at a festival like this, everything had to be wrapped up quickly. It was a shame about the rest of the skateboarding that was supposed to take place that evening alongside the sounds of Suicidal Tendencies, but better safe than sorry. Thanks to all the skaters who showed up, made the trip across the pond, and on top of that hopped on the Nightliner headed for Prague! Mad respect! Thanks to Schützi and Dave Duncan on the mic, everyone behind the scenes, and of course TITUS, who brought this unique event to life once again—maybe not for the last time!