"Go East" - Roadtrip Story
Photos and text by Monika Stellwag

The Crew: Max Gaertig Tobias Tilgner Patrick Gross Robert Kroening Dennis Kicza Jan Bekurtz Markus Wilke Kay Clauberg Monika und Thomas Stellwag

Friday, November 3rd, 2006
Wow, I can’t believe it! The AllRide tour is finally happening...and I, Monika Stellwag, I am coming along. Thomas asked me to help with filming, taking photos and general organizing. I hope that I’ll get to ride a little bit myself. I’m definitely bringing my bike! Now, if I could just find a way to get Thomas off of his computer...We were supposed to leave half an hour ago and he’s still sitting there. Come on, let's go!!

Finally...we’re off and on our way to Aurich for the Lumberjack comp. This is our first tour stop and general meeting point. After nine endless hours in the car we arrive in Aurich. I’m not going to go into detail about the contest here, as there will be a full report about it in the next issue of freedombmx. I’m only going to say this much: the skate park is huge and the atmosphere is great. Thanks, Aurich! We are having a lot of fun!

Sunday, November 5th, 2006
We take off pretty late on Sunday evening for our next destination: Brauschweig. At this point the crew consist of Jan Bekurtz, Markus Wilke, Kay Clauberg, Thomas Stellwag and myself.

In Braunschweig we’re staying at Dirk and Nico Brandes house – old friends of ours. Well, they actually life just outside of the city in Wolfenbuettel. Here we also meet up with Paddy Gross and Max Gaertig. We stay up late and make ourselves at home. Thanks to Nico, Dirk and Evan Brandes for their hospitality!

Monday, November 6th, 2006
We don’t get up before 10am the next morning, but once we’re up, we’re greeted by dry weather. Let’s go street riding!

We ride a pretty cool tranny wallride spot, right in downtown Braunschweig. Max thinks that this spot has way too much tranny and shades off to look for other spots, while the others session the wallride. Robert and Thomas go the highest and occasionally take out light poles and photoflashes.

Max has found a pretty high flat rail that you can only approach from a curb. The rail is really tricky and when Max gives it a fewer feeler runs, it doesn’t really look like he can get on that thing. Max isn’t sure about this, but then he makes himself to give it a go and pulls the trick first try. He totally caught me by surprise, so of course I messed up the photo. Sorry, Max!

Florian and his friends from „Bikestation Braunschweig“, the local bikeshop, show us a couple of interesting spots on the university campus. Thanks, guys! Robert and Markus are checking out this curved wallride, Max goes tech on some curbs, and Jan and Thomas 360 down a couple of stairs.

It’s getting dark by now, so we head over to the local skate park: Wallhalla. Paddy has just recovered from a really bad crash a couple of months ago, but tonight he’s making friends with the spine again. Kroening is boosting big airs and Jan pulls a bunch of super technical lip tricks. Around 10:30pm everyone is tired out and ready to go back to Wolfenbuettel. It’s Markus’ birthday tomorrow, so we party a little…

Tuesday, November 7th, 2006
Unfortunately Markus has to go home today. He has to go to school tomorrow, but Tobias Tilgner is already waiting for us in Berlin. We’re racing across the Autobahn towards Berlin, so we can arrive their as early as possible and catch some daylight for a quick session.

Once we arrive in Berlin, Jan takes us to some of the famous spots the city has to offer. First off we ride this concrete quarter with a pillar right behind it. This is modern art or something, but it is also quite good for lip tricks and wallrides. Thomas does high Fakie Wallrides and Verical Smithstalls, Jan pulls a 270 Tailtap To Over-Ice and Robert comes through with some Footjam Nosepicks really high up on the pillar. By the way, Toby has his first flat.

Afterwards we check out this kinked rail just around the corner. Thomas tells us that he’s known this rail for many years...but only from videos. So know he wants to put his theoretical knowledge to practical use, and he isn’t satisfied until he has –despite the darkness- ground each and every inch of the rail.

Well, it’s gotten pretty coldby now, so let’s head over to the skate park on Warschauer Strasse. Gregor Podlesny has told everyone we’re coming and a lot of heads show up for the session. Thanks, Gregor! We have a really good sesh. The Berlin locals rock like crazy – everybody should know that by now. Nevertheless it’s always a treat to watch those guys ride. Respect, Berlin! Furthermore Dennis Kicza is joining our trip here. We are staying at the Mellowpark tonight. Thanks for hooking us up with a place to stay, Kristl!

Wednesday, November 8th, 2006

After the crew has filled up on candy, we can go riding. Today we hit up the Iltis Park first. I like this place a lot, because the ramps are situated in the middle of a forest. Great atmosphere! Robert shows everyone who’s the boss with his incredible high Wallrides. We take a quick group photo and then it’s unfortunately time to move on. Jan has another great spot for us: banks, jersey barriers and a couple of rails have the guys riding their bikes until sundown. Toby’s 270 Whip over the banked hip and Max’s Whip transfer over a rail and pedestrian path into a sketchy grass-bank stick out the most.

We ride this abandoned school around the corner from the other spot that has a few rails. But not before we get our pliers out, so we can move some barricades. It’s pretty much dark by now, but local shredder Bjoern still pulls a clean Crooked Grind and Max fires out a Peg Grind to 180 to Fakie Barspin.

We were supposed to go to Wittenberg next, but last night a marten chew through some wires in our van, so we have to get it fixed first and can’t move on. We end up staying at the Mellowpark for another night. (Thanks again to the Mellowpark und a special thanks to our friends in Wittenberg, especially Steven, who busted their asses for us. We apologize and we’ll be back some other time for sure. Promised!)

Thursday, November 9th, 2006
You won’t believe it, but we got up at 8am today, so we could make it to Leipzig early for some street riding. Well, wishful thinking…it is pouring when we get there. This sucks! So we take of towards Chemnitz, where we’ve heard of an indoor miniramp.

Some guys from Chemnitz have built a mini on the second floor of an old warehouse. Dennis, Paddy, Robert and Toby immediately start busting and Kay and Thomas have a hard time keeping up with them and getting everything on camera. Icepick Grinds To Fakie, 540 Tailwhip Tailtaps, huge Airs, Tailwhip To Disaster To Nosepick/Barspin and a lot of other tricks are pulled. Oh yes, I almost forgot, Toby has a flat. We can’t thank Christoph enough for letting us ride his ramp! Later we stay at the AJZ, an alternative youth centre on the edge of town. The guys organize a lot of things around and about the youth culture here: shows, workshops, etc. And they have a huge outdoor miniramp as well. Respect and many thanks go out to Alex and Joerg, who run this place.

Friday, November 10th, 2006

The ramp is even better than we had expected it to be after checking it out last night. It’s actually three ramps, joined together in a triangle shape: the Bermuda-Triangle. All we have to do is sweep some leaves from the ramp and dry a few puddles and soon enough Paddy and Robert can have a session. Flip to Manual? No problem, that’s our special today. Flip transfers over the 60degree-hip? Of course…Where would like to have it served? Paddy and Robert are at your service.

The street riders already took off towards the city, looking for spots. We meet up at the Karl- Marx-Monument downtown. But not before Toby has another flat tire. Max goes off right away: Manual to opposite 360, Smith Grind 180 and many more lines and nibbles. We ride until it gets dark. Yeah, Chemnitz rules! We’ll be back, this city kicks ass. I have to thank Ronald at Titus Leipzig for hooking us up big-time!

I would also like to thank the team and Kay from Freedom Magazine. Guys, I haven’t had such a great week in a long time! I’m just getting over my bellyaches from laughing so hard. And I’m already looking forward to the next AllRide tour. I won’t even mind the farting... THE END!

 

Be sure to check out the January 2007 issue of Freedom Magazine for an in-depth story and a lot of nice photos on the AllRide "Go East" trip. Thanks a lot to www.bnqt.com for supporting the trip, too. Check out their website - a web clip of the trip will be posted there in the near future.