Epic Innsbruck 20-02: Skateboarding

I started skateboarding in Hemel Hempstead, England when I was kid. We didn’t have much choice of where to go; supermarket car parks were the best places to practice where we weren’t moved on by security or the police.

The closest skatepark was about a 20 minutes drive away and not cheap, so for a young teenager, I couldn’t go that often.

When moving to Innsbruck, it was like stepping into a skater’s paradise. Yes, things have moved on back home, skaters are more accepted in the community and there are more skateparks, but nothing like here in Innsbruck!

Before we get into the locations of this new episode of Epic Innsbruck, let me introduce you to the wicked athletes:

SKATEBOARDING CREW

Anna-Sofia Messner is half Guatemalan and half Austrian living in Innsbruck. Her favourite place to skate is Landhaus Plaza and many street spots where she feels free to be creative and challenged. Anna-Sofia is sponsored by Creamstore.

Simone Kirchebner is from a small town near Innsbruck. She fell in love with skateboarding after watching skaters at Landhaus Plaza. Simone is sponsored by pfeilsk8, Homeboy.

Nadia Scherer is from Schlitters, her fav place to skate is Landhaus Plaza and Sane Plaza. She is sponsored by Etnies, Vamos, Stance, Gloryfy, The Zine.

Andreas Bui is from Vorarlberg and moved to Innsbruck two years ago. His favorite spot to skate is Landhaus Plaza.

Merlin Nigsch is also from Vorarlberg and his favourite spot to skate is Landhaus Plaza.

Leon Kügler is from Rum and started skateboarding at a very young age of 4 / 5 years old. Leon’s go-to place to skate is also Landhaus Plaza.

Peter Mader is from Innsbruck and also started early in life. He doesn’t have a favorite place to skate, but if he had to choose one, it would be the street spot at Sparkassenplatz, he tells me it has a perfectly flat ground and smooth curbs.

Now let’s check out the locations chosen for this skateboarding Epic, starting with the favourite…

LANDHAUS PLAZA

Where in the world can you skate and hang out in front of the city’s parliament building? The legendary Landhaus Plaza is one of favorite skating spots in Innsbruck and is also known as Landhausplatz or Landi.

Check out the official Instagram account, the vintage footage is amazing!

We also shot the night scenes here.

TIVOLI SKATEPARK

I like Tivoli because of the swimming pool and has a nice mix of park and street. It is part of the Olympia World and the first scenes were filmed here with Andi and Merlin.

UNI

Anna-Sofia and Simone chose this location, it’s located in between the river Inn and Innsbruck’s University. One of the many street spots in the city.

SKATE HALLE

We were lucky enough to get the whole place to ourselves before it opened. The Skate Halle is a great place to skate when the weather is bad and they host some epic skate and BMX contests (pre-COVID).

SANE PLAZA

This is a brand new skate park in Rum right next to the river Inn and just across the bridge from Baggersee. Sponsored by local snowboarding crew Sane Snowboarding and designed by MichiSchatz, RomanAstleitner and Ingo Schulz
and built by Fancy Concrete,  IOUSNOW and Alex Lutz Bau Service

There are plenty of other locations and parks in and around Innsbruck, where’s your favorite spot?

Thank you to fellow skater Martin Kink who took some amazing photos and assisted the shoot.

All photos © Ashley Wiggins unless otherwise stated.

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