Madars is one of those guys who makes your life as a magazine editor easy. A true professional, with a unique style, mad skills, and, on top of that, a brain. Though Madars is now 34 years old, and it would be fair and not disrespectful to say most of his career is behind him now. I had a quick chat with him the other day about all this.
By David Turakiewicz
„THE PEAK IS STILL YET TO COME!“
Did you ever lived in the US?
No, I only stayed for 3 months or something.
You never applied for the visa?
No. I wanted to stay closer with the family, back here in Europe.
When did you start earning money with skateboarding?
In 2008, but officially 2012!
How long did it take to live off skateboarding only?
I don’t know, because when I started getting paid, I would go to university, and paid for it. But that wasn’t even enough, my parents would help me and I had a discount at my university because they knew I was short. Actually in 2008, because of the financial crash, I was gonna quit school but Element and Redbull helped out with that. And then I got on Vans for one year which helped too…
Have you ever had an agent?
No.
So you would manage everything by yourself?
Yeah. Management. Banger management!
What were you studying again?
Business. International marketing.
I guess that helped.
They taught me a little bit about the “agency problem”, yeah!
Did you make mistakes throughout your career?
Probably all the time! Or like 50-50.
You mean one time out of two you take the wrong decision?
Yeah, maybe!
Ha ha ha! What kind of mistakes?
I can’t think of any, I’m very grateful for what I have and what I’ve done, everybody who I worked, skated and travelled with, it’s been super nice. I’ve always had a good team around, so I don’t see much mistakes. No regrets. Do you see some mistakes from me?
„I COULD MAKE SOME SAVINGS“
It’s hard to say…
Too many handstands?
Ha ha ha, you know what, I thought about that!
Too many firecrackers too? Too many pole jams?
No, but it’s true that you’re the handstand guy. But I don’t see it like a mistake. It’s ok.
It’s all for fun.
There could have been some cheesy stuff, I mean you’ve put out so many parts and clips but I can’t think of anything… When was the peak of your career?
The peak is still yet to come!
Ha ha ha!
Ha ha ha! Or I guess now. Now I start to look back and look forward and understand that it’s not that easy to keep on skating and traveling, and staying up with that body, to be strong. So you have to learn to let go… So the peak could have been when I was 17, or 22, 28, or maybe now, I don’t know.
No one has a clue about how much money pro skaters make. I don’t want to force you to tell exactly how much money your earned or still do, but could you give an idea?
DC was a nice pay check. I could make some savings, help the family, get some apartments in my hometown. It’s cheap there! My mom takes care of them. I did that for my parents.
You never had a pro shoe but had a colorway. Did it make a difference?
Two times, yeah. It didn’t make a big difference but I was stoked that they did that.
What about the pro board?
Yeah, it came out in 2014 or something, and Element does a good job with royalties and photo incentives too, it’s a nice surprise at the end of the year, I am really thankful.
What about the smaller sponsors?
For the bearings and wheels, I get like a symbolic pay check at the end of the year. Indy, nothing. Gopro has been helping out.
Has the most stable one always been Redbull?
Yeah. They help out when I need to get surgery, insurance, stuff like that.
Would you have survived without it?
I think so! But it definitely makes things easier.
Has corona changed the game for you?
Actually for me it as nice, that’s when I spent 3 months in California. So I went there and finished my video part, I could go back and try some tricks on several occasions…
Because it was all empty?
Yeah. Then I got back home and stayed there for a while, which was kind of nice too.
And business wise?
After that DC dropped me, not because of corona, but they were shrinking the company, and they always get bought by bigger corporations, and when a new one buys it, they always fire a bunch of people…
How difficult was it to bounce after that?
I was fine because I had other sponsors. But I was looking for a new shoe sponsor for a while and I found FP. Joey Brezinski was down. He was on tour in Barcelona right when I got laid off DC, and (Thomas) Winkle told him I needed a shoe sponsor. Then Joey hit me up but I couldn’t fly out to Spain then because I had another trip, so it took a year and half to finally reach a deal.
Is there a distribution here?
Enrique Lorenzo is working with that, sending me some shoes from Barcelona.
How old are you and how do you feel these days?
I’m 34 and my ankle hurts, some cartilage thing, bone against bone that hurts sometimes. I need to take a few days off because I have to go hit the streets again next week for Element and FP. I need to balance the rehab process and skating.
How do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years the ankle is gonna hurt even more probably!
Or you’ll have it fixed.
I went to have it checked recently and the guy said “oh this is very bad!”. And then I was like “no, it’s the other one that hurts”!
Ha ha ah!
He gave me some cortisone injections and now it starts hurting again. I didn’t even roll it, I was just jumping down some stairs. But I had surgery on it before, they put me 2 new ligaments but I know that I ripped one of them already.
In 10 years, what will you do? Start your own brand?
No. I don’t want to be a skateboard coach, I don’t want to do politics…
Judging contests?
I don’t know about judging. Organising some events would be sick, though! Or start a sock company?
I mean you have the diplomas and the experience…
I’ve just been skating, man, I don’t know about experience… But maybe team managing would be sick, keep traveling, book some hotels and drive the van…
Definitely staying in skateboarding.
Yeah, I would like to!
You can follow Madars on Instagram HERE.