World's best professional skateboarders are going to attend the biggest contest of the season - GrandPrix Beroun 2018, one of the biggest skateboard events in central Europe with a truly global attendance, will take place on Saturday, June 23rd. We have interviewed last year’s winner Slovak skateboarder Richard Tury and founder and famous Czech skateboarder Tomáš Vintr.
RIŠO TURY - vice-champion of the World Cup Skateboarding for 2017, winner of the 2017 GrandPrix Beroun
How and where have you been preparing for this season?
I flew to Barcelona in the beginning of January, where I unfortunately injured myself and I had to undergo surgery as I cut my leg and it got infected. I spent a month without skateboarding and started training again in Košice, Prague and Barcelona. I would also go swimming, jogging and to the gym.
Do you have a special preparation for the GrandPrix Beroun 2018? How do you feel performing in front of the "near-home" audience?
I am trying to really enjoy Grandprix Beroun as every other year as I have loads of friends over there. Preparations for this event are taking place during the week of the event and we are riding in the Beroun skate park every day.
What are your goals and what are your chances at this year's exclusive skateboarding event?
It would be great to end up in TOP 3 or defend last year's victory, but let's see how it will go anyway. The main goal for me is to enjoy the competition and enjoy the skateboarding itself.
Why do you think Grandprix Beroun is so special and why it attracts the world’s best skateboarders?
It is unique as there are the worlds best 25 skateboarders invited for the competition, but at the same time it is open for everyone, who would like to compete in the special Open category from where they can actually qualify into the main category.
What international success do you value the most in your racing career and why?
I appreciate the most winning the World Cup for three times last year, in Beroun, Moscow and Tokyo as well as the third place in the overall World Cup. It is mainly because I have never won World Cup before and last year I managed to win it three times.
Will you tell us the names of your biggest rivals who will compete in Beroun?
I cannot exactly tell you who are the biggest rivals as this competition includes worlds TOP 25. Each of them is great and it will be really exciting as every year.
What would you like to achieve in your sporting career and what is your "imaginary" goal?
My biggest dream is to skate as long as possible because it is my greatest pleasure and I love enjoying every moment of it. Other icing on the cake would be taking part in the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, because skateboarding will be presented there for the first time.
TOMÁŠ VINTR – Czech professional skateboarder, member of Czech skateboarding representation, founder of GrandPrix Beroun
In addition to a professional skateboarder with international success, you are also the founder of the GrandPrix Beroun event, how long is the event being prepared and how many people are organizing?
We are actually starting to work on GrandPrix Beroun right a week after the previous one, but the main preparations are taking place about five months before the start. Our team includes about hundred people on the event.
For how many years has been this event going and how did it evolve?
GrandPrix Beroun started as a small event supporting opening of our skatepark. During a few years we managed to get the competition to the national Czech TV and since 2015, our GP is one of the stops of the world cup. Skateboarding will be part of the Olympic games in 2020 and the mention world cup series unfortunately does not meet the OG qualification status so we decided to go on our own and aim to become part of the official qualification for the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
How did you manage to attract world’s skateboard elite into such a small town as Beroun?
It is possible because I have been competing in most of the biggest skateboarding competitions all around the world for the last 10 years and I dare to say that most of the professional skateboarders are my close friends. Of course, Beroun is ideally located, as it is only 20 km from Prague International Airport, where you can get from literally the entire world.
What are you looking forward the most to the GrandPrix Beroun?
The news, we are preparing, progress in skateboarding with breaking limits of the possible and impossible and also the incredible atmosphere during the competition finals. This year we will have Internet live stream, possible TV live stream and we are currently discussing some more ramps to the park. After the race, there will be hip-hop music festival including famous Czech and Slovak rappers and DJs and the famous GrandPrix Beroun afterparty.
What are the chances of local competitors and who do you have the greatest hope?
Richard Tury, from Slovakia, managed to win last year and I dare to say that he has a huge chance of medal positions even this year. My personal tip is again Rišo Tury from Slovakia, because his skateboard skills are indeed on the extra-world level and I also trust him for the Olympics in Tokyo :-)
Where were you and your team preparing for this season?
We were at many international competitions since the beginning of the year and on many skateboarding trips where we were apart from other things preparing the GrandPrix Beroun 2018. I believe we did not underestimate the preparations and we gave it all we could :-)
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