At the turn of the year, Christoph Friedmann and photographer Friedjof Feye travelled to Athens to escape the cold and wet winter in northern Germany. Originally, a third party was supposed to accompany them, but he had to cancel last minute due to a heavy coronavirus infection.
So it was a rather lonely, but also relaxed trip to the capital of Greece, which we would like to recall with the following pictures and words.
Christoph Friedmann ~ Photo by: Friedjof Feye
Words & Photography by: Friedjof Feye
Christoph Friedmann- Crooked Grind ~ Photo by: Friedjof Feye
This place is the best example of Greek hospitality. The Slut Boardshop and the stroller crew provided us with plenty of locations, just like this ledge to bank spot.Once there, the owner of the house came out of the building and congratulated us on skating his house. “It’s the best spot in Athens! Good luck with your trick.”
Although he wasn’t quite right – the crooked was a real struggle – this situation was emblematic of our entire stay.
Christoph Friedmann- Frontside Bluntslide ~ Photo by: Friedjof Feye
Street cats and street art: another example of typical Greek. There are beautiful and less beautiful examples of both all over the city. You can get kicked out at this spot, so Christoph and I had to be as quick as cats to produce this piece of street art.
Christoph Friedmann- Noseslide ~ Photo by: Friedjof Feye
In Athens there are large industrial areas where you can do the things you love quite undisturbed. In general a good initial position for us, but in this case not for Christoph. While he had to remain under a dusty bridge fighting his angst and a serious hangover, I simply took some pictures from a safe distance. In the end we both got rewarded with a nice souvenir from New Year’s Day.
Christoph Friedmann- Frontside Noseslide ~ Photo by: Friedjof Feye
Car accidents are the main cause of death in Greece. Even if the reasons for this vary, taxi journeys in Greece are always exciting and somewhat cheaper than in comparable cities of the EU. Although there are around 15,000 taxis in Athens, we often trusted in our own four- wheeled vehicle and tried to get some photos in between.
Christoph Friedmann – Kickflip To Fakie ~ Photo by: Friedjof Feye
Featured in Issue 39 of Vague. Get a copy here!
This location was the epitome of a gift. A spot that was easy to find and reach, that could be photographed creatively and that was still pleasant to skate. Obviously Athens has a lot of spots, but many of them have their pitfalls. It’s usually like that in life: If you explore a lot and try, you’ll get lucky at some point.
In any case, we were shown a lot of love in Greece. Whether from the locals, in the tavernas or in the busy streets – even if you are alone, you never feel alone in Athens.
