“Tomek Przybylik has been making a name for himself on the competition circuit and in the streets, with podium finishes at both Winterclash and FISE events and a bunch of street sections to his name. For the latest episode of Platform, he talked about being on the pro team for Gawds, deciding to step down to return to USD Skates, FISE, his experience at Blading Cup, what he is doing to build up his national scene in Poland and more.” - David McNamara
Platform is also available on Spotify and iTunes.
Platform #22 - Martina Svobodova
“For the latest episode of Platform, I speak to one of my favourite female skaters of all time and arguably one of the best female skaters of all time, Martina Svobodova. Despite the fact she quit professional rollerblading over 12 years ago, there are still very few female skaters who can compete with her on handrails and her style and control is awe-inspiring. Martina talks about what it was like living in Philadelphia and skating with some of the scene's most famous faces, being on the Rollerblade team and being paid generously to street skate with her friends, winning the X Games and Gravity Games and earning enough money to buy a home. She also explains about what drove her away from professional skating, her professional golf career, her comeback and her plans for the future.” - David McNamara
Platform is also available on Spotify and iTunes.
Platform #21 - Eugen Enin
“Eugen Enin was one of the first people I wanted to get on the podcast because the last time I interviewed him was just such a great laugh. Despite being a professional in every sense of the term, he doesn't take himself too seriously and he is quick to poke fun at himself. I knew he would be an entertaining guest that people would enjoy listening to as much as I enjoy speaking to. Unfortunately, the timing was terrible and he was in hospital recovering from surgery, so he wasn't in the best place of mind to answer a bunch of questions. Fast forward a couple of months and he finally took me up on the offer.
Last year Eugen dropped Shadow Chronicles, a massive free section that puts most VOD parts to shame, then he went under the knife to correct a longstanding ankle problem. Now that he back on skates and working towards being able to perform to his incredibly high standards, it seemed like the perfect time to ask about his latest section, his upcoming pro skate, his views on the industry and more.
You also get an insight into Eugen's relationship with his brother Danny, who corrects him, tells him off for talking too fast and remembers blading trivia that he forgets at various points throughout the podcast. Listening to the two of them interact is entertainment in itself!” - David McNamara
Platform is also available on Spotify and iTunes.
Platform #20 - Bobi Spassov
“Bobi Spassov made a name for himself thanks to numerous impressive, and sometimes confusing, instagram clips and his cult following has only grown from there. He now has an admirable back catalogue of street sections to his name and Roces just announced his second pro skate. However, he is a divisive figure within the sport, with many people quick to criticise certain aspects of his skating and his outspoken views on the industry. Love him or hate him, Bobi is now a prominent figure in blading, with a strong work ethic that is an asset to the brands he rides for. His honesty and transparency is refreshing in a sport that is still largely secretive about the deals that exist between brands and skaters. In this episode of Platform, Bobi talks us through a productive 2020 that saw him release two VOD sections, he gives an insight into the process that was involved in creating his new pro skate, his thoughts on not placing at Winterclash 2020, how he overcame addiction, his thoughts on the current state of the sport and more.” - David McNamara
Platform is also available on Spotify and iTunes.
Platform #19 - Jake Eley
“Jake Eley started Loco Skates at the age of 21 and has built it into one of the most respected shops in the world. In the latest episode of Platform, he talks about the highs and lows of the coronavirus effect on his business, the various ways he is expanding the shop to make it more sustainable for the future and the reason behind launching his Go Project and Revolver brands. He also discusses his time as a sponsored skater for K2, his incredibly random pro frame, and his take on the now very public disputes between skaters and their sponsors.” - David McNamara
Platform is also available on Spotify and iTunes.
Platform #18 - Words the Brand
“A slightly strange episode this time round, this podcast features the man behind Words The Brand, the mysterious Mindgame-inspired clothing and accessories company that emerged without much information last year.
The masked owner discusses how he sought the blessing of Mindgame co-owner Dustin Latimer before proceeding with his vision, a stacked team that includes John Bolino, Eugen Enin, Austin Paz, Dominic Bruce and more, and his very ambition plan to pay out high royalties to his riders, when we can expect new products and more. ” - David McNamara
Platform is also available on Spotify and iTunes.
Platform #17 - Joey Lunger
“Joey Lunger has been killing it for years now and his trick selection and spot choices have always been impressive. He is one of those skaters that is always able to throw a few surprises into each part he puts out and it is very much appreciated. Also, his toe roll game is insane. I don't know if it's because it was the first podcast after new year, but I kept completely blanking when it came to names and places. I got the city wrong that he filmed his VOD - Montreal instead of Vancouver - and I kept forgetting people's names! Thankfully, he stayed patient with me and helped me fill in the blanks! I also completely forgot that I unwittingly got him into trouble when I last interviewed him because I said that New York City hasn't produced a pro since Austin Paz and Billy O'Neill. To the people of New York, I didn't mean the city hasn't produced any great skaters, just that no-one has turned pro since. Now that we've got that cleared up, enjoy an hour and a half of us talking about everything from living in California, filming for various projects, skating for USD and what we can expect from him in the future.” - David McNamara
Platform is also available on Spotify and iTunes.
Platform #16 - Leon Humphries
“Leon Humphries is one of the UK's more productive skaters and has established himself as an icon of the national scene. He has developed a prolific habit of creating street sections over the past decade, which far outnumbers the amount of parts he released when he was in the so-called prime rollerblading bracket of 15-25. Last year's Devotion section was testament that, even in his late 30s, Leon's skating continues to mature and improve, resulting in his best street profile to date. He has just released another gem, Holding Weight, so it seemed like the perfect time to have a chat with him.
The London mainstay divulges the most amount of money he has received from VOD sales, how Razors messed up the release of his pro skate and accidentally paid him over £33,000, and why he believes his skating is the best it has ever been. We covered so many topics that this discussion went on for almost three hours, so we had to make it into two parts.” - David McNamara
Platform is also available on Spotify and iTunes.