Not every 16 year old wants to call his skate video in the name of a culturally significant location next to his home town, and, most importantly, do it unironically. Svētavots (rougly translated as Holy Stream) is a small nature park Cīrulīši, which is a district of Cēsis, Ralfs’s home town. You can chill there and do some rituals involving holy water from the underground stream. Also, Svētavots is a video series by Ralfs and his friends. The first one is a phone video, the second was so bad it is not online, and the third is done with the help of RajonTV and we present it today. Enjoy!
Last couple of years Riga’s older heads took care of Go Skateboarding Day organization. This year it’s all going to take a different turn as the young crowd (mainly the World Takeover collective) take the responsibility to make GSD happen. So what is it going to be? We already had some Maxlas meet ups with World Takeover crew, so we know they can make stuff rolling. GSD 2023 is going to be a mix of classic, modern and new spots. So far the program looks like this:
14:00 Meet up at Barax Ledges Roberta Hirša iela (pin)
16:00 Kongresu Nams(pin)
18:00 Olimpija rail (pin) 20:00 Bridge to Nowhere aka GTA bridge 😀 (pin)
Kristaps Horns was a skateboarder from Cēsis who loved and valued his scene. He skated hard and always supported his fellow skaters and community. Kristaps sadly passed away in 2020, but his drive for skateboarding is remembered by his peers and friends. So, on 17th of May we headed to Cēsis to celebrate a day of skating in the name of Kristaps Horns and also celebrate the official opening of Kristaps Horns memorial that was developed by Karlis Bogustovs. The event was organized by Jurijs Lupančuks a friend of Kristaps. Thank you everyone who made it to Cēsis.
For the second year in a row, RajonTV Awards presented trophies to the most active skaters in our scene. On the one hand, it might seem a bit cheesy to hand out awards in a small scene like ours, but on the other, it is a great tool how to reencourage locals and shows that their work is appreciated. The main goal of the awards is to reinforces the idea that everything, even the smallest step a skater make, pushes the big rusty wheel of Latvian skateboarding forward. We celebrated the awards at Lokal house in a small cosy setting. Our friend Edward Sulja made the some heavy trophies for the awardees, so they know this is serious.
Photos by Nauris Dollins
Organization of The Year 2022: LSK
Movement of the Year 2022: Puss8 Grab
Local Hero 2022: Edgars Kalns
Edgars didn’t make it though, but the trophy will travel to Liepaja soon.
Crew of the Year 2022: Trank Boys
Slam of The Year 2022: Big Mac
Filmer of the Year 2022: Roberts Krums
Cesinieks of the Year: Ralfs Sermukslis
Rookie of the Year: Ruta Grinerte
Skater of the Year 2022: Rudolfs Rorbahs
Thank you for coming! Thank you for supporting! See you in the streets!
This year is already quite intense for Latvian skatescene. We are only couple months in the new season and there’s already a second proper video premiere. RajonTV’s crucial staff member Roberts Krums (@mobilafilms) is releasing his new video project called Riga City The Experiment on the big screen next Saturday, 13th of May. We talked to Rob about the vid, Riga streets, and his vision. Make sure to come by!
Hey Rob, congratulation on getting Filmer of The Year 2022 award last Saturday! How do you feel about that?
Yeah thanks man! How I feel about it? I don’t know, man. I think it was rigged. Feeling good that I’m able to do these things and it’s cool that someone appreciates it in one way or another. You know how it is. Your work is your greatest award.
Well deserved man! I was happy to give you that award. Can’t wait to see the video on 13th of May. The teaser looks sick. Can you takes us through the process of making this vid. How did all began?
Thanks man. As I remember it all started when my old camera broke down, and I was recovering from another surgery. I was talking some camera stuff with Rudzītis… and we got to a point where he sorted me out with a camera from his work which was in a mint condition. The words he said when he gave it to me I remember to this day “use it. if you fuck it up, it’s ok. just don’t lose it”. Thank you Rudolf. I didn’t have a plan to stack so much footy and to make a full length. The idea was just to film some street stuff and get out of a routine of skating at the BARAX every day. Slowly it grew into an obsession, and it didn’t end till the last clips we filmed with Armands last year. Through out this period of time I kept having problems with my knees and I wasn’t able to skate but in a weird way it kind of pushed me to film more. It’s crazy now when I look back at it. I was possessed. I was just stacking tapes and wasn’t even capturing them straight away. I didn’t make a timeline for the video until last summer. That’s when I realized that it’s gonna be a proper mission to edit all of it.
How is this video going to be different from your previous projects?
It’s gonna be longer than any video I made haha. But yeah I guess this time I tried to put more attention into each individual. I tried to create my perspective of the subject. it’s definitely not to be taken too seriously. As things how I see them are not always how it is in reality.
I’m pleased with how it turned out. It all makes sense now.
We went filming with you a couple of times. I remember some sessions in November haha. Fricis was crazy killing it then. Is he going to have a part?
Yeah man I really like skating and filming in early winter time. I feel that it’s more productive and you kind of appreciate every dry day and every session a lot more. And it’s less of torčīšāna at a chill spot. And Fricis, well man you know how it is filming with Fricis. I really like his approach to skating. I like that he doesn’t really doubt himself about “oh is this worth filming or is this worth skating?”. He has a vision of his own and I really respect that. And yea he’s gonna have a part hehe.
Fricis got a trick at Maxima stairs on his birthday. November 15th 2020.
I know you like to put some subliminal messages in your edits. How about this one?
Yeah man that’s what it’s all about haha. You know you always have a story that not everyone knows or you share a joke with your friends and to some people it wouldn’t resonate. It’s like a puzzle the more you get to know the subject the more things unfold and piece by piece you can put it all together. Not everything has to be black or white. I guess it just makes it a bit more interesting. As you get to know something or someone for the first time it can be misleading . But if you pay attention to it sometimes you can get a lot deeper in the thing of interest and it all starts to make sense after some time.
You worked on editing for a long time. Are you stocked with the results and what was the hardest part about editing?
The hardest part was to get it all together in one piece, so it would make sense in my head, and getting the right sound for the video. Before I started editing, I had a clear vision of how I wanted it to look and I had some sort of expectations towards this project. But yeah in reality, I wasn’t able to create that vision. I was missing some important tools, so I procrastinated on this project a lot. To a point of flipping the scenario and going a different route. I would say that I’m pleased with how it turned out. It all makes sense now.
Why is the video called the experiment?
It’s kinda funny I guess. I don’t know but I think that skateboarding in general is an experiment. You have to deal with your mind and your physical abilities, put it all together and do certain things. The experiment is what each individual can find in the city. In a way it shows your mindset, your creativity. I can bet that most people have heard these words, “Oh, there is nothing to skate here” or “I’m bored and have nothing to do”. Well, I guess that’s the mindset I’m going against with this project. I want to show that there are spots here in Riga, and you can always figure out something new if you’re willing to put some time and effort into it. Create something out of nothing kind of thing, and also the experiment because I’ve never done such a big project and I’m playing with different things to get it all together. It’s basically my little study of Riga’s architecture and the humans that are located here.
Alright. Sounds sick and I can’t wait to see the video. Tell about the night of the premiere. There are some surprises planned? Well the plan is to watch the movie at K.Suns. And after that everyone is welcomed to come to Tikari Skateshop. Can’t really give out too much information on what’s gonna be happening there. But one thing I can say there gonna be some visual surprises from Rajon.
Skaters want to see themselves skate. Good, bad or in-between (where most of us reside), you just want to see how you look on the board. I remember my first clip, a line with a kickflip, a couple of pushes and fs 5-0 bonk on ankle high flat bar we’d taken out for a sesh. Although only my legs were captured and my skating looked so much worse than I had imagined, it was the closest to being a real skater I had ever been at that moment. I am on video, I do what skaters do—I film clips!
Since then video has always been a big part of what skateboarding is to me.
Now, it’s May outside. It is also the time a lot of skaters (myself included) start to have strong aspirations for the upcoming summer. “This year I am going to film that video I have been wanting to film forever” we tell ourselves. Some of us even indulge in claiming stuff that never gets realized. Like the video below called “Private Party” that me and my mates were “working on”. The video had a trailer. A trailer for nothing.
We didn’t film our video and maybe you and your crew didn’t too, and it is not only because we all are lazy or have a great deal of real life responsibilities, but also because we doubt ourselves, we run out of motivation, we don’t have anyone to film with, and after all—when everyone is so good, who am I to claim a part in this?! But whatever is the thing that holds you back from filming, rest assured that all of us at some point (or many, many points) have the same inner struggles.
Do I know how to overcome anxiety or self-doubt? No. If I did, I would probably organise some sort of a New Age-infused mindfulness retreat for skaters and travel the world as a motivational speaker. But no, I have no idea why most of us even after years of skating and wanting to film have the same bad results.
But it is okay to not know how to fix it. Sometimes the only way is to—yes I am going to quote Nike—just do it. Having clips of your skating is better than not having them. Even if you can’t skate good that day,(it is highly unlikely that you are pro and need to hold to certain standards + you don’t even need to show it to anyone if you don’t feel like it) film it anyway. Stack some clips. Make a phone edit with a tripod or your water bottle. Do it and enjoy being a skater.
I am always stocked to see more videos. Like last year we saw the Trank Boys video. They talked about making a video for some time and finally made one. Was it perfect? I am sure the Trank Boys themselves see a lot of room for improvement, but I liked it a lot. I am happy that I can go back and rewatch what Trank Boys were up to in 2022. Having that vid is much better than having nothing and just talk about making a vid at night out in the bar. Linda Lindenberga’s “The Baltic Connection” is another example of that—it is so much safer to plan, dream and brag than to actually film it and share it with others. BigMac’s videos are also there. The kid is figuring out how to film, but already made so many sick vids. Meelis Erm’s “Ou, lähme streeti!i” and Fully Ghetto vids are also examples of skaters going out and doing it. There’s obviously more examples like that. The point I am trying to make is that it is May, the sick skate season is ahead. Let’s film.
P.s. – I wish I still had that first clip of mine.
P.s.s. See you all at Vef and Lokal house at Saturday 06.05. For Tikari skateshop’s season opener and RajonTV awards.
We are only two month in the new season and the World Takeover boys have already managed to organize two meet up sessions at Maxlas. For each meet up they brought new obstacles to skate. The first meet up had a manny pad (money pad) that survived for around two weeks. For the second meet up, they went a bit further and constructed a mini skatepark. The set up included a kicker, box, rail, and a barrier. If the manny pad was not missing, Maxlas could have been a miniature version of G-Tiim. The second meet also had a best trick format with gear prizes from Tikari. Let’s see what’s next.
Our Vilnius counterparts over at always-expanding Fully Ghetto gang are skating and chilling at their classic local spots. Plus the crew hits that big circular planter thing which looks fun and impossible to skate. Enjoy the vid!
Last week on Thursday, the 6th of April, we spent a pleasant evening in K. Suns. Linda Lindenberga was presenting her first big skate movie, The Baltic Connection. The movie featured footage from a trip that Linda and the girls went on around Lithuania. So, since the vid was international, we had some girls from Estonia and Lithuania visiting the premiere. After the movie the crowd moved to Lokal house where Liidia Maier had an exhibition with photos from the trip. We also celebrated Linda’s 33rd birthday. Unique night. Stay tuned for other premiere dates as The Baltic Connection is coming to Vilnius and maybe to somewhere in Estonia too.
Linda Lindenberga, RajonTV contributor and Latvian skate scene activist, is releasing her skate documentary called “The Baltic Connection”. The film premieres next week on 6th of April in skater’s favorite cinema K-Suns. As far as we know this might be the first all girls skate vid in Latvia maybe in the Baltics to have a full blown premiere and all that. We caught up with Linda before a session at G-tiim skatepark for a quick chat about the movie, her thoughts on women skate scene in Latvia and broken trucks. Make sure to get a ticket to the premiere in Tikari or Clockwise skateshops. See you all there!
I’m currently in G-Tiim with Linda. She’s putting a new truck on her board because, apparently, she broke it during Isolator Madness. Linda, how was Isolator madness? Did you like the event? It went really well, I liked the vibe. I had downed two cups of coffee and a Redbull. Forgot about doing some ollies and shove-its, but I surfed around. I just wanted to cruise through the whole park. I wanted to do a wallride, but had trouble with getting enough speed. But it was nice, I enjoyed myself. I left at around midnight. What about you Gaba? How was it?
I was filming a lot. Was pretty intense. Got super tired. That’s basically all I did. I left at around 2:00 AM. So yeah. You broke your truck? How did that happen? Think they were super old. That’s why. Probably hit its G spot or something and it broke. (Laughs)
Photo: Nauris Dollins
Could you speak a little bit about the film itself? Give us a small synopsis of what it’s all about. I can’t say for certain, but I think it might be the first girls skate video in the baltics. Of course there are also guy’s in the video, but primarily it’s girls. The concept isn’t to point out problems in the scene, it’s more like showing the world that our vision is indeed moving forward. I wanted to show that we are skating, traveling, having a good time and moving stuff in the right direction.
Laura Birša:What are your inspirations behind the video you made? I think that action sports is a beautiful thing. Not just skateboarding, the whole deal. I think that all the girls that are involved in action sports are all super special and interesting and I guess I wanted to show that to the world.
How long did it take to film this project? We filmed it over the course of two trips. Starting in June with a trip to Tallinn, where Emilija (Stoka) and Robina (Zvirgzdina) got injured and ending with the Baltic connection tour. Basically the entirety of last summer. I just had a feeling that I needed to make something. It’s all filmed on Toms Bika’s VX by the way. I started editing in August and I have just finished.
Photo: Liidia Maier
Toms Bika is a legend. I have his fisheye and you have his camera. (Laughs) I think that it has always been like this in Latvia where filmers have always passed down their gear, influence, ideas to the next person willing to put in the work. But maybe you can talk a little bit about the girls skate scene. It has grown a lot lately. Perhaps you could tell us how it looks from your perspective? It’s rad! Maybe a little bit shy still, but it’s definitely growing. For example in the Isolator event I met some girls from Cesis that skated. They were saying that they didn’t want to compete in the contest and they changed their minds in the name of solidarity. It’s super cool. I think that we are no longer as insecure as we were. I guess we’ve realized that if you embrace the skill level you are at and trust the process, you’ll naturally progress and evolve. It’s cool saying this now because even like a year ago I would get panic attacks when competing in events.
So you see a difference looking back at yourself a year ago? Yeah. I just feel more free. For example, when coming to Isolator madness I didn’t look at it as like a super big deal or anything. Like: ‘’Oh my god, I’m competing in a contest and I’m gonna’ be judged!’’ It was more like: ‘’I’m just going for a session because I haven’t skated all week.’’
About the film – could you tell me some fond memories from the filming process? Just some highlights that stood out and stayed with you. This one time in Tallinn. We were walking past this karaoke bar and had a quick idea of playing rock paper scissors and whoever loses has to go in and sing a song. Emilija and Robina ended up singing ‘’I Want To Break Free’’. That was pretty nice. (Laughs)
Also on the Baltic connection tour – the moment we all linked up and met for the first time was super magical. And, also on the Baltic connection tour, when we were in Kaunas. After skating street all day we gave out some product for tricks. That moment made me super happy. Got teary eyed.
Photo: Liidia Maier
What did you learn from filming this project? It’s hard to say. I guess there was a moment when I realized that you can’t please everybody. There is always going to be someone who isn’t down with whatever it is that you are doing. Maybe I’ll be able to elaborate more on this one after the premiere.
What do you think is the direction in which you would like to see the Baltic women skate scene evolve? Maybe some things that are missing or something? I don’t know. I think the scene develops naturally with a few wild ones pushing the scene to go on trips, go film and make events. It all ads on one another. Some people just want to skate alone and not take part in anything. To each their own.
Ok. Could you tell us about the premiere. April 6th, 7:30PM at K. Suns. We’ll be presenting a documentary/short film called ‘’The Baltic Connection.’’ You can get the tickets at Tikari skateshop and Clockwise skateshop for 5 euros. If there will be any left over tickets maybe you’ll be able to get them at the door of the event. Stay tuned for updates and news about that on instagram. After the premiere there will be an afterparty at Lokal House, in which you’ll be able to get in for free if you use the same ticket. DON’T THROW OUT YOUR TICKETS!
Photo: Liidia Maier
Follow Linda on instagram Interview by Ed Gaba Transcription/ translation by Edijs Plume
