Ten days of meandering through Berlin and Hannover with filmer Brett Nichols, Harrison Hafner, Bobby Groves, Tjark Thielker, Dennis Laaß and many more. Photo captions by Brett Nichols
Späti (pronounced shpi-tee) is a shorthand for a German corner store. It was the most common word spoken by my new German friends Nils Brauer, Daniel Pannemann, Tjark Thielker, and so many others. Between every spot a debate would be sparked as to where the nearest späti was and whether it was in the direction we needed to go. The späti serves as both the snackbar and the regular bar - unlike The States, you are free to sample adult beverages right outside. Tjark Thielker - backside blunt - Alexey Lapin PhotoBerlin streets are an odd mess of near gravel, cobblestone, small smooth spaces, and even a few dirt roads making a bicycle the premier way to explore the city and find spots. A nice chunk of the places we skated were found the same day. Our German friends were certainly on the same wavelength as my American compatriots Harrison Hafner and Bobby Groves. Biker gang - Bobby Groves photoBerlin is ideal for spot searching as everything is an unfenced and open path that quickly transitions from residential, to urban, to industrial with each offering unique terrain. Daniel Pannemann - frontside wallride - Alexey Lapin photoBobby Groves started the trip off on fire, but it came to an abrupt ending with an ankle injury. He powered through the rest of the trip like a champ as we covered up to 10 miles a day on bikes. Bobby Groves - wallie boardslide - Alexey Lapin photoGermany is following suit with the rest of Europe creating multi-use spaces that are not made for skating, but also not not made for skating. This wouldn't exist in America. Conny Mirbach - 360 flip for the children - Alexey Lapin photoWe made a quick detour to Hannover for a few days at the end of the trip, and it was certainly a different feel. Devoid of the plentiful graffiti Berlin has, a little quieter, and packed to the brim with spots. Definitely an under-appreciated German skate city. Dennis Laaß is in the 40+ crowd and skates harder than you do. On my last evening in Germany we pushed from spot-to-spot until the sun came up. Dennis Laaß - Pole Jam - Jan VollmannHarrison Hafner was our connection to our new German friends and overall trip MVP. Never satisfied with the amount of skating done in a day, we would break off and skate into the evening together. Harrison Hafner - backside 50-50 - Friedjof Feye photoI am a working adult with brittle knees and this is the way I choose to spend my vacation. It was easy to find spots that fit my tastes in Germany - basically anything that does not require me to ollie. Brett Nichols - layback backside 180 nosegrab - Bobby Groves photoEvery day in Germany was a big mix of locals all eager to show us what their city has to offer. This trip couldn't have happened without their kindness and generosity and I am truly grateful. Can't wait to do it again. The crew - Alexey Lapin photo
