Red Bull Photofiles -Rutger Pauw
Red Bull Local Hero Tour Turkey - Rookies on rails
On the Red Bull Local Hero Tour skateboard talents get to show their skills – at places where skateboarders are still skeptically eyed as a pariah species. Recently in the spotlight: the best rookie riders in Turkey.
If you want to see charismatic athletes and amazing tricks you don’t necessarily need a ticket to the X Games. Often it’s enough just to a have peek into a courtyard or the next side street in your vicinity. This is what the Red Bull Local Hero Tour has maintained and attested to since 2003: At events held at locations that aren’t commonly accepted as the heartland of skating, local talent between the ages of 12 and 18 can strut their stuff in public. And the best of them not only get a whiff of what it’s like to be a pro from an emotional point of view– waving to cheering fans from the podium – but also materially: valuable prizes are also up for grabs.
First time in Turkey
It was the Turkish skateboard community’s turn from October 19 to December 1. At events in Bursa, Izmir, Antalya, Ankara and Istanbul local heroes were given a platform for their exhibitions – and the scene itself a fitting opportunity to celebrate. The last stop of the Turkish tour was Istanbul’s historical central train station, where Mert Kafalı won the title against Kadircan Vuruşkaner and Tuncay Koçal.
New stops in planning
Other blank spots on the international skateboarding map will be erased in 2008. Five stops are planned in Lithuania in May; in June and July just as many in Estonia. Running parallel to this in Ireland, a Red Bull Local Hero Tour is also planned in June. Previously the tour has flagged stops in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Kuwait, among other places.
