Dúvidas
"Dúvidas" is a new full-length video from Brazil (we keep telling you how boiling hot the scene is there...), by Guarulhos, São Paulo-based Cleverson Maniglia - notably a friend of Murilo Romão's, whose incessant, quality Flanantes productions (of a certain introspective kind) LIVE regularly features.
(Talking São Paulo, now may be a good time to remind you about this ongoing petition aiming at saving one of the locals' most iconic spots!)
The video serves as the first audiovisual output of Cleverson's brand Tupode (that mostly produces garment, but also the occasional, exceptional one-off such as "50-50 Grind", the skateboarder's perfume - unfortunately out of stock). The film features parts for, and footage of Leonardo Fagundes, Marcos Augusto, Lucas Cicolo, Lucas Antônio, Diego Ramos, Diogo Ramos, Cleverson Maniglia himself and many more local heads, going hard on some regional spots those of you familiar with the Flanantes videos might recognize, and then a bunch more of others, all quirkier and rougher than one another.
Leo Fagundes, gap to 50-50. Ph.: Lucas Cicolo
The whole deal wasn't without sparking our curiosity, which Cleverson was patient enough to address:
"Since I first took up skatebording in 1998, I've always had injuries; I had to undergo surgeries in both knees, so around fourteen years old I'd say was when I was at my peak as a skater; I was learning a lot, evolving, very excited about skateboarding. Then barely a few years later, around 2002, I started getting injured and from 2004 to 2008 I was not skateboarding. Instead I had to undergo several surgeries in the both knees, which totally disconnected me from this dream to go work and study in other sectors, so I started considering office and salesman jobs. I couldn't walk, let alone push on a skateboard at all, and I remember my mother was in so much joy to see me without skateboarding for some reason - mothers will be mothers.
"All the "can't"'s I've heard and been subjected to my whole life were summed up into this project"
My thoughts sent me into a spiral of doubts that I could ever skate again one day; it was agonizing to have to go without walking. Dark places but eventually in 2009, I was finally able to somewhat walk again, so I took the opportunity to walk myself out of said dark times and onto a more positive path, considering family and whatnot. But to this day I still suffer from knee problems, they swell when I walk a lot, the cartilage is gone, my left knee sometimes dislocates and I have to manually put it back in place but I'm so used to it it no longer hurts.
Cleverson Maniglia, no-comply late back foot flip. Ph.: Lucas Cicolo
If there is one thing that I thank every day for, it's just that: all this difficulty I've endured eventually resulted in me creating something to pass on, something that is true to part of my life, all the "can't"'s I've heard and been subjected to my whole life were summed up into this project - a project of positivity for anything you love to do and want to do until the last day of your life. When in doubt, listen to what the heart says.
"The brand name means "you can", which is a message about the power of thinking"
Tupode was born in 2014 in the city of Guarulhos, which is very close to the city of São Paulo, and is a small brand that produces clothes for the underground skateboard audience, and is also aimed at the public who's into hard-tail choppers. The brand name means "you can" which is a message about the power of thinking, positivity and energy.
"Dúvidas" means "doubts". The name of the video is about our thoughts, indecisions, doubts.
Lucas Cicolo, ollie. Ph.: Michel Almeida
The video was filmed over the span of about one year, and each skater is a friend; because of how it's a small brand, everybody involves also works other gigs on the side and whenever we get spare time, we leave on a session. Of course I would like to be able to live just off the brand, but right now Brazil is in crisis, many skateshops have been closing around here and the local market doesn't value the small brands.
We are trying to do the most, and doing it for the love of skateboarding, which is more than just releasing products and videos. Whenever there is money left over from work, I make some clothes. I believe this first video brought us all one more wish to continue." - Cleverson Maniglia
