To kickstart the year’s skate trip season early French used an art commission with Team Trouble to piggyback a DUNGEON trip, taking some of his top moshers over to Switzerland to skate whatever was in their path. Enjoy the edit and a selection of photos right here, alongside some words from French, and then go out and organise your own trip.
YOU ARE WEAK, YOU NEED DUNGEON
Words by: French
Photography by: Alan Maag
Videography by: Rybo
This whole trip sort of happened organically. Laax is a village / ski resort in the Swiss alps and every year they have a big comp / event / skate jam. This is called ‘Team Trouble’ and teams compete to win. It’s not like a serious comp where people seem to actually care, it’s more of a laugh and has a good vibe. The teams aren’t like a ‘Vans team’ or anything, it’s more like a crew of mates who have to skate together, a bit like the swimming.
At the moment the main indoor park has been taken down as there’s a new one getting made for the Team Trouble event in 2025, so there is a temporary ramp in the Indy Bar in Laax. Vans have supported the event and the ramp, Alan Maag looks after the Team Trouble stuff and arranged for me to make some artworks to decorate the new indoor spot. We then realised we had to get them there and it would be easier for me to take them and install them, so Alan asked Stefan Floss at Vans if maybe we could bring some of the Dungeon guys out and make a little edit at the ramp and shoot some photos. Stefan hooked up two nights at the hotel in Laax and then I worked with Alan to organise a small team trip. This budget was very minimal, but luckily Luca Andermatt said that he could hook us up to stay in his local indoor park for a few nights just outside Zurich. Alan spoke to Cedric and Livio, who said they would love to join the trip and both had vehicles to help us get to Laax and skate some other spots.
The fact we had two hotel rooms at Laax and two cars minimised the number of DUNGEON crew that could come, a number further whittled down by who could get time off work or was down to sleep in an indoor park in the middle of winter. Rikk Fields loves an indoor park so he was very keen, he got Rybo to come and film. Charlie Gush, Max Roton and Zombie also joined us on our easyJet winter getaway. Luca and Ramon, both Swiss nationals and DUNGEON prisoners, were keen. It’s always good to have local knowledge, like where the best cheap takeaway curry place is, which trains we don’t have to pay for and what CO-OP does takeaway coffee, as well as making sure we got only cheese with holes in.
Alan Maag shot all the photos and acted as tour guide, Rybo filmed it, I edited it and drew some stuff, Livio cooked the best meals, Luca took us to a great traditional brewery and restaurant, the Riders Hotel had the best breakfasts, Ramon had the best hair in the game and Zombie brought all the travel board games.
Cedric Ooster – Backside 50-50 Grind Gap Out ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Charlie Gush – Frontside Air Transfer ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Livio Gritti – Layback Block ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Luca Andermatt – Backside Nosepick ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Max Roton – Backside Hurricane ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Ramon Notz – Layback Backside Smith Grind ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Rikk Fields – Frontside Melon Grab ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Charlie Gush – Layback Air ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Livio Gritti – No Comply Wallie ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Luca Andermatt – Frontside Crailblock ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Ramon Notz – Frontside 5-0 Grind Gap Out ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Rikk Fields – Backside Nosegrind ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Charlie Gush – Frontisde Nosegrind ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Livio Gritti – Drop In 5-0 Grind Yank Out ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Luca Andermatt – Frontside Rock & Roll ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Max Roton – Layback Wallie ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Charlie Gush – Frontside Tree Bash ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Zombie Stu – Polejam ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Rikk Fields – Backside Crailslide ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Charlie Gush – One Foot ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Livio Gritti – Plank No Comply Wallie ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Ramon Notz – Andrecht ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Rikk Fields – Backside Tailslide ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Max Roton – Wallride Nollie ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Zombie Stu – Layback Wallride ~ Photo: Alan Maag
Charlie Gush – Wallride Nollie ~ Photo: Alan Maag
French – Backside Feeble Grind ~ Photo: Alan Maag
