TETE INTERVIEW

Het zal een aantal Blaaklocals zijn opgevallen dat er de laatste twee maanden een Zuid-Europese skater geregeld langs het park kwam, het erg koud leek te hebben en met veel boardcontrol een paar rondjes reed. Maar deze gast skate eigenlijk ook alleen straat, kijk maar waar die vandaan komt. Sudder presenteert, straight out of Barça (net als alle foto's), Juan Miguel, kortwel Tete.

Yo Tete how are you today?
'today friday 21st, right now im in front of the computer to answer your interview, today i went with my girlfriend to her school and cameback home, downloaded some records... just chilling, later sure i'll go to the skatepark to skate for a while !!'

First time I saw you skating at the museum you where just some Catalonian guy who thinks Barça and came out of nowhere.. Tell me, what made you leave Barça to live here?
'well, more than move to live i came to share some months with my girlfriend because she still have school, and see what the future will bring us. Stay more time together and choose Holland or Barcelona.'

I know you've been skating for quite a while now, where there any early influences on you? Favorite skaters?
'yes, i started in january 1992. i just was a young kid with 14 years old who was totally fascinated with some guys in my village doing tricks with a piece of wood. Men, in that time we didnt have internet to check, just some spanish magazines like "Skate Magazine", "360" and "Skate Power" give us the limited information about tricks, pros, boards, shoes, demos.... men, i remember watching Powell Peralta "Ban This" video with Frankie Hill (insane clip) and all the Bones Brigade, H-Street videos, Blind video, New Deal videos... but, the Plan B "questionable" video changed the skate forever... these could be my first influencies.'
Actually is lots of skaters doing perfect tricks with super good style in huge places, name a few could be impossible and sure i could forget someone... but my favourite all time skater is Jamie Thomas !


What do you think about the Rotterdam skatescene so far? (the locals, the spots, the city in general)
'well, i came from Barcelona and of course Rotterdam is not going to be same but i will try to keep myself in a positive way to try to handle this city and keep skating as much as i can !!! people in the north (europe) are colder that in the south, so i felt kinda alone when i was in Ny hotel or the Museum 1940 skating with more people and noone ask you or just say hi, i dont thing is nothing wrong but is kinda different in Spain... well maybe in the cities noone is going to care about you but in my village poeple is going to care and ask and try to make you feel like at home... well, things changed from my frist days in the city and now i can say i really really feel super like in the Rdam skater family and welcome to enjoy it !! about the spots, i can say could be worst, and also the weather is helping me to feel like at home, didnt rain too much in the last weeks ;))) the worst thing... with these floors in the city you can destroy a board in a few hours and i dont have the money to handle that thing ;(( im poor and still looking for a job or for being someday a tattoo artist !!'

If you could skate a spot with one proskater and a friend, what would you get?
'haha... difficult one. Well, the pro could be jamie thomas and a good friend from my village !! but i have to tell that i really like and prefer skate with people who can enjoy skate in everywhere and you can see it in their happines faces !! the spot.... could be a perfect wood skatepark but... i prefer maybe... i could say maybe the square church in Granollers could be the perfect place to spend a sunny hot afternoon with friends skating and having fun !! and i did it everyday before i moved to Rdam ;)))))'

Are there any locals here that impressed you yet?
'i dont really know their names, well at least im super bad to remember names, so i think all these skater kids from Rdam who are surviving with this weather and these spot are like Heroes to me. Sorry but i couldn't keep skating for too long ;)) !!'


What is the happiest you've ever been while skateboarding?
'everyday men, everyday is like something new. You never know !! go to some place with friends and skate, try to find new places, travel around the world to see spots and meet new kids. people out there is not going to understand what means have a piece of wood under the shoes, world looks different, you are just walking and thinking and dreaming about stuff to do in places you cross in the street, thats a funny feeling !! i think that if you go out from your house door and put your skateboard under your shoes and escape a smile from your face... thats the feeling, thats what make you happy !!'

Why is skating park and street so different to you?
'well, down there in spain they never care about build skateparks. Just to let you know, there in my village they opened the skatepark the past november... dude, i've been waiting for 15 years to have a skatepark in my village, so it means that i was skating streets all the time. I just spent some days in my life to check skateparks and skate them but still is something that i cant handle easy... lately here in Rdam im trying my best to skate in the park. And lately the skateparks looks more and more like streetsparks...'

What is the worst movie that everyone should see?
'men, tv in Holland sucks. i can tell you thousands of them, but the other day i was watching the tv with my girlfriend and we watched GARGANTUA just to check how bad a movie could be and believe me, there is nothing worst than that movie ;)))) at least to can meet with freidns watch the movie and laugh for hours !!
GARGANTUA... just the name pay !!'


I know your 31 now, and still skating everyday. Do you ever see yourself not skateboarding?
'skate or die men !! thats a real truth and a painfull one for my ankles ;))) i need to hang out, meet with friends and feel the wind/air in my face, the sound of the wheels on the ground, feel like flying just some centimeters over the asphalt... men, there is no price for it !! till my hearts stop i will try to skate !!'

What are your plans for this year? Are you going back to Barça?
'hahaaha.. im just surviving ;)) no, just kidding !
the plans: well, im going barcelona next 7th april till 28th april, i cant wait for family, friends and warm and sun (i hope) weather !! of course also for skate !!
after 28th april i will be in Rdam again trying to find a job, maybe some tattoo shop or keep trying to make my book more interesting, i dont know men, just trying to survive with my saves !! i will be in Rdam for may and june but i need to comeback to Barcelona for summer. i think my girlfriend is also coming and we will try to make a mini vacation in the mountains, maybe beach ?? !! but summer for sure i will be in Barcelona ! i know some kids from Rdam are going to Bcn this summer and i hope to meet with them to enjoy the city, skate and spot together !!
after summer... is pretty sure that i will come back to Rdam and then only God knows !!'

Holla Tete, thanks for all the ' Think Barça' inspiration.