Bigger Spin / EP 015 - David Manaud
Finally, the Bigger Spin is back! The hard-hitting (as far as sweet info goes) complement to French skateboarding podcast Big Spin, punctuating each new episode as to illustrate the guest's words with still and moving pictures, plus various useful links. And the guest on the latest season two, episode three of Big Spin just so happens to be, this time, a name that should be familiar to the French scene: David Manaud, a longtime activist from the region of Bordeaux, albeit mostly on the cosier side of the lens. A renowned skate photographer whose works have been printed in magazines aplenty throughout the past decade, David's schedule also comprises the role of the team manager for DC Shoes, and his past the one of a witness of miracles authored over the years by the likes of Tom Penny, Bastien Salabanzi, or the local Jean-Philippe Trioulier (who once had a mislabeled switch kickflip shifty in a TransWorld Magazine 'check out'), Leo Valls, Guillaume Dulout, Ben Chadourne... Needless to say, David is quite experienced with managing skateboarders, making for a background he just covered in full in the aforementioned Big Spin episode - which we are, in turn, covering now - smooth!
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Vincent Cassarangue / Alexandre Audebert
Two O.G. Bordeaux skaters who were already making appearances in those barely post-prehistory magazines from pre-1990.
Vincent was already clearing the famous Meriadeck 'fourteen', that one massive set with a hubba that's regularly prominent in videos (really, that should help).
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Claouey / Izon
Two classic skateparks from the Bordeaux region: Claouey is legendary, with its forest-like settings, and Izon was the place where a determined, young Seb Daurel first started out trying tricks.
David spent a while with Seb there; marking the start of a long story.
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Opus
In the mid-2000's, Opus was a French board brand with a neat team: Jean-Philippe Trioulier, Gauthier Rouger, Guillaume Dulout and many more that David used to drive around in the van...
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Jean-Philippe Trioulier
“The phantom menace”, according to a certain Lucas Puig.
Jean-Philippe is pure kindness, and skateboarding of the type that makes the U.S. take a second look.
Switch and regular, he had the perfect balance of power, style and ease. Incredibly smooth on the eyes.
He quit pro skating early, much to the dismay of his fans. Maybe a @cultofjeanfi, soon?
Here he is, featured kickflipping down the Meriadeck 'fourteen', and in portrait form just a wee bit above.
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That Nike ad
The first ad David shot, featuring Jean-Philippe improbably frontside feebling atop a rough D.I.Y. spot.
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Benjamin Chadourne
A great Bordeaux skater turned videographer, for Converse mainly. Check out his remarkable Vimeo account, here.
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That Almost ad
Torey Pudwill visits Bordeaux once; David shows him around, shoots some photos and sequences and next thing you know, the results find their ways into U.S. magazines.
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Bastien Salabanzi
Should need no introduction by now.
He lived in Bordeaux for a while with his two kids, and skated spots nobody else would during that time.
David captured some of that action; one can sense the speed and power just from the still images.
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Thomas de Bordeaux, A.K.A. Tom Penny
If you aren't familiar then what to say - maybe you should check out @cultoftom, right now.
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Leo Valls
The next Bordeaux mayor - you read it here first.
Leo has been skating for a while, fast and out of the norms.
Pro for Magenta, he wears DC's on his feet.
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"Back To The Future"
A popularly celebrated trilogy of films by Robert Zemeckis on the classic theme of time travel, co-featuring a confused teenager and a crazy scientist.
Relevant to our interests here: the skateboarding scenes (and maybe the DeLorean).
That's the movie David references as his inspiration, reasoning that he's more easily captivated by moving pictures as opposed to stills.
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Leo Valls meets Musée Du Louvre
Quite possibly the only day of the year skaters could frequent the spot for over ten minutes. Leo backside powerslid through said window of time.
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P.J. Ladd in "Wonderful, Horrible, Life" / 2002
A skateshop video out of Boston, featuring a young, motivated and frenetic P.J. Ladd redefining the game with a fast-paced, super tech part.
A transition era for skateboarding which suddenly saw many talented fresh names come up on the scene.
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Wilfried Vincent
When asked to name just one skater, Wilfried's name comes up from David, as he was the first one he ever saw ollie and made him realize the wide array of possibilities inherent to skateboarding.
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David has his own website in addition to the mandatory (?) Instagram.
Igor - David's new cat - even has his own hashtag...
