Switch Big Spin / Stefan Janoski
U.S.-based professional skateboarder Stefan Janoski's popularity blew up in the mid naughts, subsequently to a switch flip rampage over, across and down literally any set of stairs he would find on his way. In two thousand nine, he picks a simple and uncluttered silhouette for his pro model shoe on Nike SB; now, fast forward to just a few years later and said shoe is established as an all-time best seller in skate footwear.
How did the Nike Janoski become iconic?
"How does a skate shoe gain iconic status?" is only a logical question to ponder upon the witnessing of such an explosive destiny. To try and address it, the French Big Spin Podcast crew went and interviewed pro skaters, designers, a fashion theorizer as well as Stefan himself - all streamable in English. And in the usual fashion, here is the complementary Bigger Spin article for even more info!
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Benjamin Deberdt (& Thomas Campbell)
LIVE editor-in-chief Benjamin Deberdt (also formerly behind SuGaR, Kingpin, Pause…) and artist Thomas Campbell's friendship dates all the way back to the nineties.
A first encounter at the skateshop Street Machine, long talks and projects - it is on the phone that Thomas recounts Stefan.
Benjamin was the guest on episode 5 of Big Spin Podcast.
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Savier
A shoe brand that started in 2000, then was quickly acquired by Nike, and used to sponsor Stefan for a while.
The shoes were bulky and weird in the same vein as most everything else that's contemporary to that era in skate footwear.
The whole story came to a stop in 2004.
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“Le switch flip de Janoski sur le trois-plat-quatre du Dôme à Paris”
Sequence: Benjamin Deberdt
Also known as Janoski's switch flip down the fat three-flat-four (not the classic three-flat-three...) at le Dôme, Paris. 2001 it was, Benjamin Deberdt and Oliver Barton were shooting film point blank, and Elias Bingham cuts a good portion of the trick on the footage.
It can still be seen in the Expedition One video, but kind of flys by.
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Paul Rodriguez
The California-based pro skater was also the first to have a pro model on Nike, and although not as successful as Stefan's, nothing can take away from the man's sheer talent.
Right now he's recovering from a knee injury, and surely we can expect to catch fresh glimpses of his clean style on Instagram, soon!
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Eric Koston
The O.G., popularly regarded as one of the best skateboarders in the world in his time, who did pretty much every trick he could force to fit inside the book.
Along with Guy Mariano, he is the co-founder of a board company: Numbers.
Here's Eric's part in the classic One-O-One video from 1993, "Falling Down".
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The Sacramento triple set
Stefan switch flipped it and again got people talking. “A.B.D.”, would tell Paul to Keenan, later.
A 'biggest hits'-type of compilation of tricks at the spot can be watched here!
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James Arizumi
A designer, he started out at Clae, then moved on to work for Lakai - for which he drew the Manchester model.
After which he relocated to Oregon to work for Nike, and design the Janoski. Yes, the one.
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Yann Garin & Toni Brossard
Both Yann and Toni have been Paris skateboarders for… thirty years?!
The former being from Évry, le latter from Sèvres.
They can be spotted at various skate spots around the City of Lights quite frequently, to this day.
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Alex Wise
Alexander first took up skateboarding in Boston, in the eighties.
Upon arriving in France, he became a Troca, La Fontaine and Street Machine local, before calling it quits in early 1990 to focus on becoming a graphic designer.
Amongst many other things, he notably created the éS logo, as well as the cover art for “95200” by Ministère A.M.E.R.
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Yue Wu
Yue is an artist, illustrator, and streetwear specialist.
He especially knows his Nikes, a topic he is frequently consulted about.
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Pascal Monfort
Pascal skated for a while and still skates to this day, actually; he's also a specialist in sociology of fashion, and a consultant for many clothing brands.
In this new episode of Switch Big Spin, he delivers with a sharp analysis of the Jano phenomenon, and provides us with some clues as to the reasons of its commercial success.
Pascal also writes and sings for The Shoppings.
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Bonus: Stefan in the 2003 Habitat video, “Mosaic”!
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See you soon for more things Big Spin!
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