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 :-)