Beyond Boards

By Beyond BoardsSociety & Culture

Beyond Boards episodes

March 07, 2022Episode 18 - Fred Mortagne
Episode 18 with Fred Mortagne aka French Fred, skateboarder, photographer & videographer from Lyon, France.
Together we talked about him growing up skating in Lyon, picking up a camera to film his friends, making his first local scene videos, sending footage to 411vm, meeting with Pierre-André Senizergues (founder of Sole Technologies) and getting offered to film the éS footwear video project which became Menikmati, going straight into the Flip "Sorry" video, coming back to Lyon in the early 2000's and accepting Jérémie Daclin's offer to become the Cliché Skateboards filmer, getting into photography and developing his own style with the help & advice of Ed Templeton, collaborating with Leica & Element, helping out with the logistics & filming Jaws ollieing the famous Lyon 25 stair set in 2015 (attempted by Ali Boulala in 2002), his many current projects...
Intro (00:13)
Growing up skating in Lyon (01:27)

Starting to film & shoot photos (08:26)

First skate video ever watched (11:25)

Making “the magical mystery video”, Fred’s first local Lyon video (20:45)

Starting to work with 411vm (21:26)

Starting to work on Menikmati (24:48)

First trip to California in 98 (30:53)

Jumping on the Flip video right after Menikmati (41:04)

After Sorry, moving back to Lyon (45:15)

Becoming the Cliché filmer (46:00)

Getting into photography (51:56)

Ed Templeton inspiration (56:10)

Fred’s style of photography (01:04:29)

Element advocate (01:07:30)

Collaboration with Leica (01:10:26)

Lyon 25 stair set (01:12:16)

Current projects (01:19:50)

Best lesson learned from skateboarding (01:24:16)

Friends questions (01:26:29)

Conclusion (01:36:59)

For more information & resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 38 min
February 21, 2022Episode 17 - Julian Dykmans
Episode 17 with Julian Dykmans, man of many talents.
Julian grew up in Belgium where he started skating, but has spent most of his adult life traveling around the world, first as a singer for the punk-rock ska band "Looking Up", then as a pro skater for iconic brands such as Consolidated or Antiz Skateboards, which he co-created in 2002, while also working as a team and marketing manager for various brands in the skateboarding industry such as Carharrt or RVCA to name a few, and also acting in short films, commercials and plays.
Eventually he settled down in Berlin, Germany and it only made sense that he would use his high energy, rich experience and endless creativity to co-launch the creative studio "Cascade" with his partner Lou Andrea Savoir.
They both direct and produce documentary work and commercials for brands such as Nike, Hermès, Leica and many more.
Intro (00:13)
Growing up (01:26)

Sponsors (09:08)

Ska-punk band “Looking up” (22:33)

Founding Antiz with Hugo Liard (35:23)

Mongolia trip for Carharrt (39:18)

First team & marketing management experiences (44:22)

Retiring from pro skating (54:09)

Transitioning into production & founding a creative studio (01:04:14)

Ongoing/future projects at Cascade (01:23:44)

Perspective on skateboarding today (01:25:29)

Friends questions (01:30:37)

Conclusion (01:40:23)

For more information & resources: https://linktr.ee/beyondboards

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 42 min
February 07, 2022Episode 16 - Oliver Percovich
Episode 16 with Oliver Percovich, skateboarder and founder of NGO Skateistan. Together we talked about him growing up skating in Australia and Papua New Guinea, moving to Afghanistan in 2007 and introducing skateboarding to local kids, how he developed that idea into the successful and highly acclaimed global skateboarding, education, girls empowerment program that is Skateistan, their expansion strategy for 2022, the "Learning how to skateboard in a warzone (if you're a girl)" documentary...

Thanks for the nice chat Oliver!

Thank you Julian Dykmans and Louisa Menke for sharing surprise questions for Oliver!

You can help Skateistan to reach their 2022 goals of expanding to 20 different locations and reach up to 4,500 students each week by donating on their website skateistan.org.
Intro (00:14)

Growing up (01:28)

Studying chemistry in college (10:55)

Launching Skateistan and what Oliver was doing prior to that (12:21)

Documentary “To live and skate in Kabul” (30:23)

Were parents sometimes reluctant to have you teach skateboarding to their children, especially girls? (31:33)

Finding/recruiting staff (36:05)

Moving the HQs to Berlin (38:51)

Situation in Afghanistan nowadays (41:56)

A new chapter: aim of 20 locations and 4,500 students a week in 2022 (45:46)

“Learning how to skateboard in a warzone (if you’re a girl)” documentary (52:31)

Best way to help/support Skateistan (56:29)

Most valuable lesson learned through/from skateboarding (58:38)

Questions from friends (01:00:18)

Conclusion (01:03:47)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 5 min
January 24, 2022Episode 15 - Jonathan Mehring
Episode 15 with Jonathan Mehring, photographer & film director from Richmond, Virginia. Together we talked about him growing up skating in Virginia, picking up a camera and shooting his friends skating, studying photography in college, his first photography gigs for Slap and Skateboarder Magazine, traveling around the world shooting photos with some of the best skaters of the last two decades, publishing "Skate the world" with National Geographic, getting into more commercial work for brands like Vans, Nike or Converse to name a few, his latest documentary "Walls cannot keep us from flying" about skateboarding at youth empowerment program SkateQilya in Palestine... and as usual a few bonus questions from friends!
Intro (00:12)
Growing up in VA (01:07)

Studying photography (10:46)

First photography jobs after college (22:59)

First few years in NYC (34:50)

Starting to travel (36:25)

Most memorable trips (48:33)

Vietnam trip with Visual Traveling: “the killing season” (50:32)

National Geographic book “Skate the world” (53:19)

Favorite photos (01:01:04)

Favorite people to shoot with (01:03:13)

"Walls cannot keep us from flying" documentary (01:08:38)

Questions from friends (01:14:40)

Conclusion (01:35:04)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 36 min
January 10, 2022Episode 14 - Danijel Stankovic
Episode 14 with Danijel Stankovic a.k.a. Jugga, pro skater, entrepreneur, marketing specialist and Malmö legend. Together we talked about him growing up skating around Malmö, his early influences, skating for and working at Nike SB for many years, filming parts for iconic videos such as "In search of the miraculous" (by Pontus Alv) and the Grey Area videos (by Kuba Kaczmarczyk), his passion for Korv (Swedish sausage), launching and running his headwear & clothing brand Post Details (with associate Martin Ottosson), the Malmö video he recently made with his good friends about the local skate scene, joining associate Jonas Dalesjö to work on Shinner, the ultimate skateboarding digital tool, his go-to karaoke songs...
Intro (00:13)
Presentation (01:27)

Where does the nickname Jugga come from? (02:24)

Sponsorship (04:36)

Board sponsors (13:45)

Getting on Nike SB (23:01)

The National Skateboard Co. (32:14)

First jobs at Nike SB (apart from being a team rider) (38:45)

Involvement with Eva Skateboards (44:23)

Parts in “In Search…” & Grey Area videos (46:56)

Meeting with Kuba from Grey Area (53:21)

The Malmö video (55:14)

Post Details (01:06:00)

Korv love (01:17:58)

Shinner (01:24:11)

Questions from friends (01:46:15)

Conclusion (01:50:39)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 52 min
December 13, 2021Episode 13 - Ben Derenne
Episode 13 with Ben Derenne, former skateboarding filmer, videographer and team manager. Together we discussed him growing up in the Paris suburbs in the 80's, skating and snowboarding as a teenager, becoming a filmer for Puzzle (the European equivalent to 411 video magazine), joining forces with Jérémie Daclin (founder & owner of Cliché skateboards) and making their first full length-video Europa as well as a tour video in Spain for 411 which helped put the brand on the map, going over to Globe shoes to become their European team manager, leaving the skateboarding industry in 2008 and transitioning into digital marketing, communications and management, living in Villard de Lans in the French Alps and aspiring to build an organic farm...
Intro (00:13)
Growing up in Paris suburbs (01:38)

Nickname “King of downhill” by Marc Haziza (08:26)

Working at Puzzle (11:25)

Opportunity to go film Jérémie Daclin in Lyon (19:20)

How were you working with all the riders filming for Europa? (25:27)

How did you select the music for the video? (39 :39)

What about the sound? How did you work on it to make the skating sound better? (42:21)

Europa premiere at MCM café in Paris (47:03)

Interlude (58:00)

Spain tour section in 411 (58:13)

After Cliché, going to Globe (01:04:35)

After Globe, leaving the skateboarding industry (01:11:55)

Question from Greg (01:22:09)

Questions from Pontus (01:27:14)

Conclusion (01:30:18)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 32 min
November 22, 2021Episode 12 - John Dahlquist
Episode 12 with John Dahlquist, skateboarding teacher and Vice Principal of Bryggeriets Gymnasium (high-school) in Malmö, Sweden. Together we talked about him growing up in Malmö, skating and filming with Pontus Alv back in the day, launching Bryggeriets Gymnasium as the first ever "skateboarding high-school" in 2006, the challenges of teaching skateboarding to teenagers, the concept of classroom, the incredible talent that has been coming out of the program and why skateboarding is a powerful educational tool.
Intro (00:13)
Growing up in Malmö (02:27)

Funny story about “In search of the miraculous” by Pontus Alv (10:01)

Bryggeriets: a skatepark first, then a high school (12:31)

Famous Bryggeriets alumni (20 :58)

Teaching skateboarding (25:00)

How to get into Bryggeriets (32:23)

Working individually with each student (36:59)

Question from Danijel Stankovic (42:10)

More and more girls at Bryggeriets (45 :55)

Teaching skate culture (49:00)

The concept of classroom (54:51)

Similar programs like Shifty in Bordeaux, France (58:34)

Last words (01:02:56)

Conclusion (01:05:06)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 6 min
November 08, 2021Episode 11 - Robert Brink
Episode 12 with Robert Brink, writer, marketing & PR specialist and overall storyteller
who has been working in the skateboarding industry for nearly two decades. Together we discussed him growing up in New Jersey, moving to California to pursue a career as a writer in skateboarding, collaborating with many brands and publications throughout the years, co-hosting Weekend Buzz on the Ride Channel for 5 years, launching and eventually selling his candle brand the Hundredth Acre, his recent work with USA Skateboarding as their marketing director, the new show he's about to launch with them...
Intro (00:13)
Presentation (01:27)

Growing up in New Jersey (05:45)

Studying writing in college and first writing jobs (11:53)

Working on Weekend Buzz for Ride Channel (25:46)

Launching The Hundredth Acre (37:10)

Working at USA Skateboarding as their marketing director (47:46)

Adaptive skateboarding in the Paralympics (53:02)

New show for USA Skateboarding coming very soon (01:00:42)

Working on projects with Ty Evans (01:14:42)

Book project in the works (01:18:17)

Conclusion (01:29:25)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 31 min
November 04, 2021Special Edition - Lucy Raemers
Special edition today, a quick chat with Lucy Raemers, sister of late British pro skater Ben Raemers, co-founder of the Ben Raemers foundation. November 4th is Ben's birthday, and to mark the occasion Vice is releasing their new documentary "Skating and talking" about Ben's life.
Intro (00:13)
Growing up (01:27)

Starting the foundation (09:59)

Actions of the foundation, SMiLe videos (11:08)

Barney Page skating across the UK for the foundation (15:23)

“Skating and talking” Vice documentary by Liam Martin (19:16)

Running the London marathon for Grassroots (21:26)

How can people help the foundation? (25:16)

Conclusion (26:20)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
28 min
October 18, 2021Episode 10 - Scott Bourne
Episode 10 with Scott Bourne, former pro skateboarder turned writer and poet. Together we talked his upbringing in North Carolina, his pro skater years in San Francisco in the 90's, his part in Pontus Alv's first film "the strongest of the strange", traveling around the world and eventually moving to France to write his first novel, how in recent years he's been sharing his time between writing, modeling, working with his wife in her parisian general store "Landline" and raising two kids together, his latest book "An act of imagination" illustrated by his friend Todd Bratrud, his relationship with modern technology...
Intro (00:13)
Part in “the strongest of the strange” (01:28)

Growing up in North Carolina (05:21)

Moving to San Francisco (13:38)

Turning pro on Consolidated (20:32)

Writing “A room with no windows” (26:51)

Meeting with Pontus and getting involved in his video the strongest of the strange (29:03)

Retiring from professional skateboarding? (37 :51)

Modeling (43:15)

Finishing “a room with no windows” and getting it published (46:01)

Living in Paris and starting Landline (57 :24)

Latest work “An act of imagination” (01:04:58)

Talking about modern technology (phones/screens) (01:17:06)

Ties to skateboarding today (01:24:41)

Conclusion (01:29:30)

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
1 hr 30 min