Words by Dave Morgan
Photos by Panke Nicolat (@pankesk8)
On the outskirts of Germany’s Capital lies Potsdam – a former home of the Prussian Kings and German Emperor until 1918. A city draped in ornamental grandeur and elegance, a true example of ‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it’, this is especially the case regarding the Sanssouci Palaces – often compared to Versailles in Paris.
The same can also be said for a recent addition to an already mighty structure lying not far from the aforementioned city. The Spade Bowl first came into reality in 2022 through the combined efforts of Jan Winkens, Amit Vardi, and Florian Rühle. After the sad demise of Potsdam’s former DIY spot, built by Jan & his brother, Flo and the guys managed to secure state approval in 2022 to build on Skatepark Drewitz and swiftly created an absolute monster of a bowl. A deep end for a shallow end, and a 3-meter crater of a deep end. Piano key coping and all sorts of interesting transitions to wrap your head around.
The years that have passed have led to some heavy sessions here, and that isn’t about to stop anytime soon. The guys have just finished the second installment at Skatepark Drewitz, with a pretty much perfect clover bowl now standing next to the spade. Switching things up with this bowl, it doesn’t tower above you like the Spade; instead, it invites you into its shallow, whippy corners and pristine pool coping. This pool coping is adorned by Franzi Datz’s spider web designs, which add a special touch to the bowl. One mellow, one tight & one ‘deep’ end peaking at around 2 metres, so it’s much more accessible to those wanting a taste of good pool coping when compared to its neighbor.
This past Tuesday marked the official inauguration of the ‘Other’ Bowl, accompanied by some live punk shows. A surprisingly good turnout for a mid-week raucous. Crews from Potsdam and further afield joined for a sweet and sweaty evening of coping crunching, and pogoing.
Mexican food was cooked up by Panke, who also shot the photos in this article- a man of many talents, I must say. Three punk bands- Hellthorn, Zwang & Los Kikes closed off the night, with some bowl-side crowdsurfing. No health & safety checks here.
Berlin locals came and joined in the madness, with local legend Roland Hirsch casually doing what most could only hope to achieve after hours. Augustina, a quad ripper, showed us how to skate a pool on 8 wheels, whilst Nico – another Argentine powerhouse cleaned things up in the new bowl, whilst vert young-gun August Junge made the big bowl look like a mini ramp – spinning 540’s and floating indy grabs over the hips with ease. Special shout-outs to Jan Vardi – the youngest ripper of the day!
If you’re ever near Berlin and craving some serious transition, make sure to check out the great work these guys have done. Big ups to Jan, Amit, Flo, Lele and everyone else who’s contributed to the park! There’s more to come this summer, too, so head on over, lend a hand and have a great time.
Big love! – Dave Morgan
And photos below of the older SPADE BOWL
Spider Bowl details
