10 years of Nozbone, 5 W's!
"It is not just a sport that you do, without any sequels on who you are for the rest of your life, so you must treat it as that…"
When their newest video offering, Café Clope, is about to drop, it seemed important to discuss the place a shop like Nozbone can have on a scene, or even in our every day skateboarding consumer life.
Here is Alexis Papadopoulos, its founder and boss, facing past, present and future of shred sticks retail, in five questions…
Curtain design by 36RECYCLAB, in 2012.
When did Nozbone got started?
We have opened the store ten years ago, but it is a much longer story, as on top of working around and on the idea for four to five years, it obviously was a kid's dream, that finally happened in the neighborhood where I grew up, but also skated in the late 80's, around Place de la Nation. I'll take the opportunity to say hi to the Nation Skate Team: Jeff, Guillaume, Bruno, Stan, Laurent, Philippe, Beuks, Julien…
Why a skater, wether he is 12 or 35 should bother going somewhere when he can order pretty much anything he likes online?
It's a bit like when you buy fruits and vegetables, you'd rather have a close look, touch… Same thing for a board, you want to touch it, step on it before setting it up, plus our salesmen tips are worth gold, I believe. Skateboarding is like fresh produce. Plus, it's also in a shop that you can feel what is going on in a city, where the sessions start, where you meet and exchange between riders, photographers, filmers, etc… The shop is also conceived as a friendly location where you can chill for a bit, flip through a mag, watch a video, chat with Damien, a Bloby's, a team rider or a visiting foreigner…
Where do you get your inspiration to keep pushing the store and all the affiliated projects?
Frankly, I don't even have to question it. Every day comes with its envies and ideas… I must say that I see a lot of people walk by the store every day, in between the team, the friends, the visiting teams, the artists… One project brings another one, and you're never short of ideas. We still have so much to do, and so many projects are still on hold. Frustration comes more from lack of time and funds to do it all. We do have fixture projects, like the Benchmark Contest, which is the only Parisian contest. I am also lucky to have Muriel by my side that spralked the S.T.O.R.E though mmartproject and many collaborations with artists, which each year brings more meeting and exchanging with new people. We also work with our art director, Nicolas Malinowsky, on new board projects, plus some clothing, and even more collabos coming later this year.
Artist Series "Cozmic Deth" (2013), by Func 88. Limited edition to 7, each being unique, signed, numbered and dated.
What is important about having a team, and even producing videos, for a shop?
Fo me, the role of a skateshop is, first of all, to be a meeting point for the scene, but also a booster for the scene. We do this job from passion, above all. Reason doesn't get much in line, end of the day, it is about being motor for skateboarding in Paris and support a good vision of what is skating. It is an activity that has had its own culture for forty years, and expresses it through skating off course, but also with music, graphic design, etc… It is not just a sport that you do, without any sequels on who you are for the rest of your life, so you must treat it as that…
Filming mission in Portugal for Café Clope… photo: Alex Pires
Who would you love to have on the Nozbone team, if you could pick any one from any era?
That would be a really stacked team… Well, I think I'd take Ray Barbee, our “godfather”, first for his amazing style and his flow, Natas Kaupas for his pop, Mark Gonzales for his edge, Andrew Reynolds for both his frontside flips and backside 360, Koston for the virtuosity, Austyn Gilette for his speed, Lucas Puig for his raw talent and also his “french touch”, and Mark Suciu, just because I don't even understand what trick he he is doing… That said, I am really proud of our actual team and the spirit they carry.
Actually, I'd like to thank Converse for the support, mmartproject conceptualizing and organizing our birthday event. Thanks also to TRBDSGN (our collaboration Nozbone x TRBDSGN x mmartproject is now in store), to Ludovic Azemar for Café Clope and to the whole Nozbone team on boards and behind the counter, the DJs, the crew, Live, Soma, À propos, Graffiti Art and Shoes Up…
Vincent Touzery, Portugal. photo: Alex Pires
Café Clope is about to drop… Stay tuned, and in the meantime, enjoy once again the trailer:
