It’s the 30th of March, 2020. For about ten days now, the sun has been shining across central Europe. Under normal circumstances, Team Titus would be getting ready for a trip to Russia, the new Titus Tornadoes team would be gearing up for a Brussels trip, and countless other teams, crews, and skaters would be hitting the streets in the warm spring weather. Unfortunately, such plans seem to be a distant dream at the moment. Considering the mild weather we’ve had this winter, it almost seems like the (skate) gods are getting payback for something this spring! The now worldwide virus pandemic and the stay-at-home restrictions that come with it have put skateboarders to an unprecedented test – but we will overcome it!
While skateboards still technically work within the confines of your home, they’re also further than ever from their natural habitat – the streets. The dedicated nature of most skateboarders makes it especially hard on us to refrain from doing what we love during times like these. In Germany, it’s currently still possible to go outside alone or in pairs, but it’s already quite different in Spain, Belgium, and France. Luckily, we can still technically skate outside from point A to B. Regardless, you definitely shouldn’t try to overstretch this freedom, especially because you’ll be in serious trouble if you get hurt and need to go to the hospital. The bottom line is, considering this is arguably the most serious crisis since World War II, it’s best to leave your house only under extreme circumstances.
Being “locked up” will unfortunately also test the limits of everyone psychologically at some point. In times like this, we have to be thankful for the internet communication possibilities we have. In the eighties, you would probably be stuck memorizing every skate mag you had and watching the few VHS skate videos that existed on repeat. Today, you can communicate online with nearly any skater in the world and have the possibility to “live” skateboarding without actually being on your board. Here’s some useful tips for skateboarders trying to survive these wild times:
1: Get to work - Build a skate ramp at your house
Okay, this picture must have caught your attention, especially when you’re stuck at home and wanting to skate! Unfortunately, probably only about 2% of skaters in Germany have the space or possibility to build a skate ramp in their backyard. But, if you have even a few pieces of wood, try to build something skateable! See if you can get your hands on Monster Skateboard Magazine Issue 39, where former Titus (and Santa Cruz) pro Claus Grabke gives you some insight on building your own ramp. Even if you can’t find this issue, just get creative with what you have! Or, go totally wild by digging a huge hole in your backyard and building a concrete miniramp-pool like what’s seen here. If you do build with concrete, you’ll at least reduce some of the noise of skating that would otherwise happen with wood ramps (as Claus explains in Issue 39). Plus, you’ll probably never have to repair it!
What we see here is most likely the dream of every skater at the moment. Where to find this beautiful backyard creation is known only to a few (on purpose)! Hannes F., a master painter and talented craftsman, decked out his backyard with this pool when renovating his house. When asked how much the pool cost, Hans answered with a laugh “My buddy with an excavator dug the hole for 150 Euros, the rest I built by hand with a 40 year old concrete mixer from my dad. It took about 30 tons of concrete to mix by hand. I poured the coping using 5000 to 5500 PSI concrete. It cost about 7000 euros altogether. The best part, I don’t have to mow my lawn so much!” With a backyard like this, you can probably get through ANY crisis!
Side note: Of course it never hurts to paint your room again!
