The concrete bowl at Berg Fidel in Münster, Germany was built in 1989 and marks the early development of concrete bowl skateboarding in Europe. It was the same year Titus held the first skateboarding world championship in Germany, and pros from America like John Cardiel, Matt Hensley, Chris Miller, Christian Hossoi and Danny Way all have skated the Monster Bowl in it’s early beginnings. 22 years later, the bowl still stands and with some recent renovations by Minus Pools there is now a second bowl which connects to the old one which has also been resurfaced and the small channel is now a huge channel. Some people will no doubt be sad that the old skate park got a face lift and that it wasn’t left rough and raw the way it was, but, that’s the way it goes – out with the old, in with the new.
You may be thinking that Confusion Magazine just loves skateboarding competitions, but you would be wrong. We have ended up going to quite a few contests across Europe in the last couple of years, but we go for the good times with skaters from all over europe and the world and to witness some sick skateboarding, talk some shit, and drink beers and cause some chaos with our brothers (and sisters) from other places. We couldn’t care less who wins the contest, and no one loses (I guess unless you get really hurt).
Ripping skaters from all over Europe showed up for the event, as well as part of the U.S. Circa team (Ben Hatchell, Robbie Brockel, along with my homie from Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Guzman). The way the day went down was: skateboarding all day long in sunny skies. As the contest wrapped up with the best trick contest, followed by Jarne busting some kind of 180 across the channel, the rain began falling, everyone was drunk, people were throwing beers, cripples were slam dancing, half the audience were on the stage at one time or another for McRad and especially for US BOMBS. Everyone was soaked by beer and rain and then headed into town and scattered here or there and others went to the after party where Ray Stevens II got to spin a few records until the kook that was spinning already kicked him off the tables and the show was more or less over…. the battle raged until the wee hours of the morning… something about a shot of Jagermeister with E-man and then everything went black…..
Photos: J. Hay
(except where noted on photo, taken by Mr. Bookwood)
BERGFEST VIDEO: Battle of the Monster Bowl [full screen]
Jarne Verbrüggen (BELGIUM). Stand up 5-0 grind.
Johannes Heist (GERMANY). Judo air foot tap.
Lennart Efsing (GERMANY) ripping the deepend with this 5-0 grind.
Ben Hatchell (USA). Boned out air over the hip out of the deep end into the shallows.
Ben Hatchell (USA). Hurricane grind.
Jens Wagner (GERMANY). Stand up 5-0 grind in the deep end.
Robbie Brockel (USA). Backside air.
Tim Bijsterveld (HOLLAND) likes to go upside down.
Laurent Venohr (GERMANY) busting a frontside air in the shallow end
Anders Tellen (GERMANY) high speed grinding the deep end in the Masters heat
Jason Parkes (USA/GERMANY) backside airing the deepend during the masters
Mattias Nylen (SWEDEN). Backside Air.
Noah Phillips, Dave Toms and Jezza rolled down from Sweden on their way to Basque country. Australian ex-pats hiding out in europe. Noahs skin says: FUCK PADS.
Kevin Wenzke (GERMANY) has won this contest in previous years… but a bad knee injury has Kevin sitting on the sidelines for a few months more. Gute Besserung.
TITUS, someone who is probably a big deal to someone somewhere and Matt Grabowski (GERMANY). Different generations of German skate king-pins.
Matt Grabowski. 5-0 grind in the shallow-end, in the park he ‘remodeled’.
DJ RAY STEVENS II barely made it to the contest, after missing his flight the first day…. but, where there’s a will, there’s a way…. Ray came to Cologne for the next week where we premiered the Tim Brauch documentary: SUPERCHARGED and played an acoustic set. Good times! Ray Rules.
Matt Grabowski. Feeble to Fakie.
Anders Tellen (GERMANY). Built for speed. Too fast for me this day…
Julius Dittmann. Front smith in the shallow end.
Mattias Nylen (SWEDEN). Frontside ollie in the deep end.
Ben Hatchell (USA). Front blunt in the deep end.
Bjorn Klotz (GERMANY). Front rock.
Mattias Nylen (SWEDEN). 5-0 grind.
Robin Mentrup (GERMANY) has got some super long styled out smith grinds… he’s only been skating for 3 years! Shocking.
Unknown to me… but he wins some style points nevertheless!
Tim Bijsterveld (HOLLAND) styles out an invert in the deepend during the best trick contest.
Not sure who this guy is. But he was going big with these stylish stale fishes across the face wall.
Ben Hatchell (USA). Trick of the day. Rodeo.
Emmanuel Guzman and Matteo van der Hell.
Chuck Treece from McRad
Minus one more from the slam pit.
Classic slam pit. No holds barred. Crutches are a go! Thrash and Destroy.
Chuck Treece
US BOMBS
An extract from a bad dream I once had. Matteo and Duane Peters together forever.
Duane Peters the living legend…. too bad he didn’t skate this day. Some people were pretty bummed about that.
Mr. Peters
DP
Duane Peters and the US BOMBS
Duane Peters singing to Jeff Podolski
When I arrived at the Münster Bowl, I was wondering if it were possible if anyone could clear the channel. Then when it started raining, Jarne Verbrüggen, after most people were too wasted to stand straight, busted the gap. He didnt really make it all the way across the whole channel, but this kind of 180 roll out through the shallow end was super impressive. CLICK PHOTO FOR SEQUENCE.
Photos by: J. Hay & Mr. Bookwood
Video filmed by Tobi Hees
Edited by Jonathan Hay