Stavros Razis - Gastando Suela

How did the 'Gastando Suela' project start?

 

I like to put together my clips and look for good music that suits them so I can have a nice memory of my time in skateboarding; every second reminds me of many stories that happened around those days of filming. I showed this latest edit to the Monster Global Team Manager at breakfast while we were touring Copenhagen, Denmark, and he told me we should upload it to the Monster channel. I really liked the idea, and we had a good time adding and subtracting from the video! This is the result of some of my skateboarding experiences over the past two years.

 

What are some of your favorite anecdotes from the filming?

 

Since this is a video where we put together material from different projects with different purposes, thousands of things happened! There are clips with eleven skaters and filmers with whom we shared great moments, and I'm grateful that I was able to get it all filmed because sometimes my memory doesn't work. Even just strolling around, many miles of things will pass us and we'll look for different elements to have fun with and be able to record something that is interesting. 

 

There's a shot from the beginning of the video in which I carry a sign that we found in the street, "Attention Travaux," that was abandoned between some garbage cans and I thought it would help us to skate some spots. We were finding different things throughout the day that we couldn't have skated without it! It's great to be able to salvage and take advantage of things that others left behind; I don't think most people would imagine that a Chilean tourist and a French filmmaker would recycle a piece of tin to express themselves through skateboarding.

 

Where did you film?

 

In the video there are clips of Paris, Moscow, Copenhagen, Barcelona, and also Arica and Santiago, Chile, among other cities. Each place has its own special charm, and the locations spice up the edit so that the part is entertaining, I think. I really like traveling and seeing new places.

 

Where was your favorite place in the video?

 

As I said before, each place has something special, but what makes up my favorite in this video is the combination of the place and the trick, so I would definitely have to choose the “White Banks” of Copenhagen, Denmark, where I filmed the ender. I saw that spot so many times in videos before I went there, and I couldn't even find it the first two times I visited the city! But now, every time I return to Copenhagen I make it a point to skate there. Banks are rare and have many possibilities; that was a trick I've never done before and I think it's one of the best I've ever done.

What message would you like to highlight with 'Gastando Suela'?

 

I believe that the purpose of skate videos is to inspire and motivate you to keep going. It can also contribute to someone wanting to start skateboarding, or maybe inspire those who left for a long time to think about coming back to skating. I've always liked watching videos: it's entertaining to see new places, how the skater interprets the spots, how the filmer films it, and how the soundtrack complements it.

 

What's next for you?

 

I think I'll keep doing the same for much longer; just keep it moving. That's what I like: skateboarding and surfing. I feel comfortable sharing it with people in a unique and simple way.

 

How do you see the global COVID-19 pandemic affecting skateboarding?

 

I think, like most people, that you have to adapt and look for the positive side in everything. For these past six months, I have been in a town that does not have cement—a key material to be able to skateboard—but I adapted to the situation. I've been in the city all my life but during this time I was able to do other things: I have been more connected with nature; I have shared more time with my family; I learned to take my time, enjoy the calm moments; and at no time did I stop being active, so I am very grateful!

 

What is your motivation to do these projects?

 

Skateboarding and everything that surrounds it is my motivation. 'Gastanda Suela' arose from trips with friends, passing through cities where I was all alone and was able to be a part of local filming seshes, trips in Chile for local contests, filming trips to explore cities like Moscow, and videos to show Santiago or Valparaíso. It's a project within many other global projects in the search to share experiences in which I can express myself through skateboarding. It's basically what I've been doing my whole life: Spending Sole!

 

"I believe that the purpose of skate videos is to inspire and motivate you to keep going."