Chemnitz - Mecca for skateboarders

Pierre Graupner

On Saturday, around 80 skateboarders from Germany and several European and non-European countries will be demonstrating their skills in Konkordiapark. The Bring Da TruckaZ competition is taking place in Chemnitz for the third time. Born on a whim rather by chance, the event developed into a fixed date in the scene's calendar and even displaced the state capital. An affair of the heart for organiser Pierre Graupner.

How did you come up with the idea of organising a skate event?
Pierre Graupner: It's actually a funny idea. The idea came from listening to a record by the American hip-hop band Wu-Tang Clan. They have always been associated with skateboarding. After the song "bring da ruckus" came the idea of the name and the skate contest. But the first skate events were not in Chemnitz, but in Dresden. For the first three years, we were in the state capital. Because Chemnitz didn't yet have the skate park in Konkordiapark. At some point, I realised that the skate park was being built in Chemnitz.
The people from the skate hall in the AJZ approached me and said that they were organising their international skate camp in the city in the summer and that the contest would be a perfect closing event. The Konkordiapark was to be opened at the same time. That's how it came about. The response was great.

What can spectators look forward to on Saturday?
Around 80 riders who will certainly give their all. We have different categories in which they compete: the under 12, under 16, over 16, under 18 and sponsored riders, including the top ten from Germany. The prize money also attracts the professionals. We also get positive feedback from them. They are more annoyed by the classic commercial competitions in Germany, where everything is planned down to the smallest detail. They are happy to take part in our contest. With us, it's just like a small family.

What is your budget for Konkordiapark?
I'm talking several thousand euros. A lot of work goes into it.

What is special about Konkordiapark?
It has a great location. It's a bit like the centre of the urban areas. You have Kaßberg, Schloßberg and the city centre. So it attracts a lot of people. Even older people who just want to watch. And the skate park is, of course, great. There is no better skate park in Germany that combines everything from young to old. You can hold kids' categories in the same skate park as the big ones without having to build anything extra. The support from the skate hall is great. If it rains, we can hold the contest in the skate hall.
But so far we've always been lucky with the weather. Let's hope the same this time.

Riders from Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Macedonia, the Czech Republic and Austria give the "Bring Da TruckaZ" an international flavour. "The AJZ always organises an international skate, BMX and inline camp during this period - the United by Skate camp. Our competition is on the final weekend," says Pierre Graupner. The AJZ offers various projects and workshops in which the participants can take part. "It's very sustainable. For example, an earth house was built there and a ramp was constructed," says Graupner. "The international flavour naturally enhances the contest." The event is set to grow further in the coming years. An East German championship is also being considered, as the standard in eastern Germany is very high. "The enthusiasm for fun sports is higher the further east you go.

What else do you do when you're not organising skateboarding events?
I have my own agency, SAZ INC, I do social media marketing and media production (product photography and image clips). My clients are retailers in Chemnitz, but also newspapers and event organisers. It's all a one-man operation.

Chemnitz generally seems to be well positioned in the field of urban sport.
Yes, definitely. I wrote my Master's thesis last year in March. I analysed the entire tourism sector in Chemnitz and drew up a feasibility study for the city in relation to Konkordiapark and the construction of a new skate hall on the site. In the process, I realised that sportspeople are tending to move into individual sports. They are moving away from popular sports.

Is Chemnitz a city with a lot of open spaces?
Fortunately, there have never been any obstacles in my way. Of course, more would always be possible if large local sponsors were involved. The funding only comes from sponsors from the scene. If we had support from the Chemnitz business community, then the whole thing would be even more successful. Then we could attract even more international riders through higher prize money, for example.

What do the foreign participants at your events say about Chemnitz?
They are definitely positively surprised by Chemnitz, the skatepark and the scene. We have so many great spots here. We have a great park, the city itself is cool and green. The Konkordiapark really attracts a lot of people in the scene who simply come to Chemnitz for a weekend. Many Czechs, too.

Pierre Graupner originally comes from a small town in the Ore Mountains, close to the Czech border. "It was pure coincidence that I ended up in Chemnitz," he says. After his apprenticeship, he was interested in studying sports at the TU. "As a passionate snowboarder, I found the fact that you could also study this as a sport in Chemnitz interesting. In the meantime, the SNOSKA club and I still look after the fun park in Oberwiesenthal on a voluntary basis and also organise events there." After his basic studies, he specialised in sports marketing. "My studies gave me the idea of setting up my own agency."

You've travelled a lot, you've been around professionally. Why is it always nice to come back to Chemnitz?
Chemnitz is just beautiful. I've travelled a lot in Berlin and other big cities. I spend three or four days there. That's great. But then I just don't feel like it anymore. It's just too much hustle and bustle for me. In Chemnitz you just have this in-between. And I think Chemnitz has a lot of potential. That's also one of the main reasons why I stayed here. I firmly believe that Chemnitz will definitely grow even faster in five years at the latest. The Kosmonaut Festival and other events are an extreme added value for the city. People are talking positively about Chemnitz again.
Leipzig is full, Dresden is full. Chemnitz has plots of land, empty houses and people who want to do something creative. A good mix. And things are moving. People are moving into the city. When I was a student, there was definitely less going on in the city than there is now.

Can you go out well in Chemnitz?
Well, I think for the size of the city, the people of Chemnitz really have nothing to complain about in terms of clubs. There are definitely at least two different parties with different styles of music at the weekend. Mostly you have dancehall/hip hop or techno/hip hop. At the Weltecho or the Atomino. Since this year, we've also been organising more live hip-hop events at the AJZ.

What's your favourite place in Chemnitz?
Bernsdorf is pretty cool. I really feel at home here. Even though I live in the middle of a building site. But everything is here. The university, my friends. You're quickly in the centre, but not in the middle of everything. Then there's the AJZ, which is really cool. You can sit outside there.

Do you have to encourage the people of Chemnitz?
I often hear people from Chemnitz apologise for their city. I'm often asked why I'm here and not in bigger cities. Many people say that Chemnitz is boring. But I only hear that from people who grew up here. I don't hear that from people who moved here or studied here. The nice thing is this in-between: you can do something in Chemnitz if you want to. But you can also have your peace and quiet here.
I wouldn't apologise for Chemnitz under any circumstances. I definitely don't plan to leave in the next five years. Why should I move to another city when you have the freedom to be creative and participate in the city's growth. Many people should not lose sight of that. We have our Bring Da TruckaZ events here, the Bully BBQ in Augustusburg (snowboard & freeski) and the Buck Wild HipHop Jam.