[ JAPANESE / ENGLISH ]

Photos courtesy of Red Bull Skateboarding
Special thanks_Red Bull Skateboarding

VHSMAG (V)：　What were your expectations of Kento before meeting him?

Madars Apse (M)：　I always try not to have too many expectations, but I guess I was expecting Kento to be nice and welcoming and that’s exactly how he was, big smile right from the start!!!!

V：　Kento is known as the “Japanese Super Rat” and definitely has a wild presence. What was it like skating with someone so unique and unpredictable?

M：　It was definitely exciting, because you know he is going to do something cool and also every trick, he does it with so much consistency. I felt like I wanted to learn every trick he does, it’s so sick! And it was instantly visible how talented Kento really is - handrails, tech ledges, wild bonelesses and super interesting flatground. There is only one way to get that good - skate a lot!

V：　What was your impression of the skate scene in Japan? Were there any major differences you noticed compared to other countries you've visited?

M：　I just noticed that everyone is really good at skating, at least the skaters that I got to hang out with anyways. There are a lot of kick outs, but people are not phazed and all the skaters seem to know each other. Also I notice that people are down to skate really hard in a small area, like the Spotaka in Osaka, or the smallest mini ramp in a bar. It is skateboarding either way.

V：　From your global perspective, what makes Japanese skate culture stand out?

M：　I think it's the japanese style, the unique tricks is what makes it stand out for me. Perhaps the Japanese are more open minded and they just know the skate history really well, what is cool and what not. There is a lot of competition between the locals, so when they step on the global scene, everyone just needs to catch up honestly!

V：　You’ve traveled all over for Skate Tales. What made this episode feel different from others you've hosted?

M：　I feel like this episode is the continuation of the Osaka Daggers（www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eYmExnnDLk） & Takahiro Morita（www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1MZacblhBM） episode, all punk skaters, just in a brand new body and Kento is a great continuation of the same tradition. I guess this episode had a little bit more night skating than the other ones and I had a board on fire!!

V：　As the host, you're constantly entering unfamiliar worlds. What did you personally learn from your time with Kento and his crew?

M： Well I learned that Kento is a super awesome and respected skater by his peers, he knows what's cool and he sticks to it with his whole being. Also I perhaps learned some new bonelesses, backside and frontside. He is a master at those! And also it’s just inspirational to see the raw energy of a punk skater that doesn’t really care what normal people might think of him. ANARCHY!!!

V：　Were there any moments during filming that completely caught you off guard or made you rethink the plan?

M：　Not this time, Kento was very easy to communicate with, he is reliable and sticks to his story and he was down to hang out after the filming was done too, he is a super rad human being and I’m honoured to call him a friend, for real, best energy!!!

V：　Was there something that didn’t make it into the episode, but left a strong impression on you?

M：　I haven’t seen the episode yet myself, so I can’t really tell if there was anything that did not make it in. Perhaps screaming some swear words off the bridge into downtown Tokyo with Kento & Shake Junz that probably didn’t make it in, but we sure had a lot of good giggles =D and then also drinking some sake later at Kento's friend's fancy restaurant was funny as hell!

V：　Beyond what the camera captured, was there a specific moment or conversation with Kento that stuck with you?

M：　It was more an exchange of the energy rather than words, as we had a little bit of a language barrier, but skateboarding has no barriers and laughing and making jokes neither! The most memorable moment for me was when we were standing on the bridge in the park where kento used to sleep and talking about our love for skateboarding, and he used the word “emotional” when talking about the memories there, skating with friends on the bridge at night time and having the most fun ever. He was 17 at the time and full of wonder and joy of the world of skateboarding. I can relate to that.

V：　The core of Skate Tales is the idea that skateboarding is a lifestyle, not a sport. How do you think Kento represents that philosophy?

M：　He embodies it fully, I don’t think Kento participates in competitions, he just stays creative in other ways, he can inspire people with his style & mystique all over the world. He is a mystery to a lot of people and he surrounds himself with the coolest skaters out, his level of skateboarding is abnormal and beyond judgement. I’d say his skateboarding is more like a philosophy. Isn’t that cool?

V：　Of all the skaters you've met through Skate Tales, does Kento remind you of anyone else who's really pushing their own local culture forward?

M：　Well in this season we did Tiago Lemos and he really inspires a lot of Brazilians on what is possible to achieve. Andy Anderson is unique in himself, Milton Martinez is an Argentinian hero too!

V：　Has working on Skate Tales shifted the way you see skateboarding and its role in people’s lives?

M：　100%!!! It’s so cool to go around the world and learn in person from all these different skaters of different styles and ways to make skateboarding a lifestyle, ways to make a living out of skating or just ways to enjoy it in a completely different manner. Every character we have done so far is super unique and every one of them seems like they have put in their 10,000 hours of work to get to where they are now. It’s cool to see what a little will power and determination can do and also focus! The bottom line is that these stories are true, you better believe it!

V：　After this trip, is there someone you now really want to skate with—or a place you want to explore for a future episode?

M：　I really would like to meet Antonio Durao, his skateboarding is just next level these days, same about Tyshawn Jones and Na-Kel Smith. So I must say New York again. It’s just a cradle for skateboarding. Also I’d like to go back to Africa, there must be some cool new untold stories there. Perhaps even in South Africa? Also I have been in Australia only once, so it would be cool to go and meet up with the Pass~Port crew or perhaps Chima Ferguson. But honestly my list of potential Skate Tales episodes has around 50 ideas! So it’s literally endless!

V：　If you could choose the next destination for Skate Tales, what skate culture would you want to dive into?

M：　Hmmm, if I could choose then perhaps we should cover some vertical skateboarding, because so far we have only done Peter Hewitt and also Beaver Fleming and I feel like Peter is more of a Bowl skater (obviously he is a vert skater too) and Beaver is a Nitro Circus mega ramp athlete. But it would be nice to do some modern vert skaters or perhaps a skateboard filmer or photographer too. Options are endless if you ask me!

V：　Lastly, what’s the one thing you hope viewers take away from the episode with Kento?

M：　Don’t take it too seriously!!! Skateboarding is about laughing, for real!!!

Madars Apse
@madarsapse

A pro skateboarder from Latvia and the host of Red Bull Skate Tales. He's known for his unique style and deep dives into local skate scenes around the world.