Skating in the slammer!
by Philipp Schuster
On the way to prison
Even if I can’t imagine a better place for a Red Bull Access All Areas, the idea of skating in the courtyards of Leoben Prison made me feel very uncomfortable. I had never been inside a prison before, and even before the first safety check was made, my initial thoughts were confirmed and a rare feeling came over me, a disquiet that I have never before sensed in this form.
The location
After taking countless other safety precautions, we were finally on our spot in the heart of the Leoben “slammer”. All manner of perfect banana curbs and the prospect of a good session, together with two of the best curb skaters in Austria, reduced my uneasiness a little. Although the building is more reminiscent of a modern school or an indoor pool from the outside, the prison atmosphere inside was made all the more intense by the fences, bars and high-tech cameras.
The session
Reini Ritsch and Daniel Spiegel delivered a top-class show that increased my own motivation almost limitlessly. A few inmates stood at their barred windows and watched the goings on in the yard, where they normally get their fresh air. As nobody here knew about this event, except for the guards of course, the sense of astonishment was writ large in the faces of the occupants. I asked myself how I would feel if I saw three young guys through my bars, having fun on their skateboards in “my” courtyard.
Evidently, however, some of them took the opportunity to come outside their grey everyday prison life and formed a small, intimate group of onlookers.
As expected, a great session broke out with every trick in the book, despite the somewhat modest variety of spots. We can all look forward to a good video!
Ultimately, I was very happy to get out of the prison complex again, but with another personal experience that I would now no longer like to miss.
Skaters participating:
Philipp Schuster (Austria)
Reini Ritsch (Austria)
Daniel Spiegel (Austria)
Links
http://www.bmj.gv.at/
by Philipp Schuster
On the way to prison
Even if I can’t imagine a better place for a Red Bull Access All Areas, the idea of skating in the courtyards of Leoben Prison made me feel very uncomfortable. I had never been inside a prison before, and even before the first safety check was made, my initial thoughts were confirmed and a rare feeling came over me, a disquiet that I have never before sensed in this form.
The location
After taking countless other safety precautions, we were finally on our spot in the heart of the Leoben “slammer”. All manner of perfect banana curbs and the prospect of a good session, together with two of the best curb skaters in Austria, reduced my uneasiness a little. Although the building is more reminiscent of a modern school or an indoor pool from the outside, the prison atmosphere inside was made all the more intense by the fences, bars and high-tech cameras.
The session
Reini Ritsch and Daniel Spiegel delivered a top-class show that increased my own motivation almost limitlessly. A few inmates stood at their barred windows and watched the goings on in the yard, where they normally get their fresh air. As nobody here knew about this event, except for the guards of course, the sense of astonishment was writ large in the faces of the occupants. I asked myself how I would feel if I saw three young guys through my bars, having fun on their skateboards in “my” courtyard.
Evidently, however, some of them took the opportunity to come outside their grey everyday prison life and formed a small, intimate group of onlookers.
As expected, a great session broke out with every trick in the book, despite the somewhat modest variety of spots. We can all look forward to a good video!
Ultimately, I was very happy to get out of the prison complex again, but with another personal experience that I would now no longer like to miss.
Skaters participating:
Philipp Schuster (Austria)
Reini Ritsch (Austria)
Daniel Spiegel (Austria)
Links
http://www.bmj.gv.at/
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