Hello, I'm Thorben, and since 2024 I've also been part of the SkaMiDan Team.
I was born in 2009 and live in Schüttorf – a small town located at the intersection of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Netherlands.
The starting signal
I got into inline skating through my older brother, who already had a lot of fun skating. That's why I got my first inline skates when I was just 4 years old. We used to skate a lot on our street, play hockey, and generally spend a lot of time outdoors on our skates.
A highlight for me was when my parents took us to a skatepark during our vacations, since there weren't any nearby.
Due to Corona, I ended up spending more and more time inline skating.
The first aggressive inline skates
In 2020, in the second Corona winter, I got my first aggressive inline skate: the USD Aeon 60 Basic.
At first, I skated without a helmet, but after a severe concussion that led to a hospital stay, both quality protective gear and a stunt skate helmet have become part of my standard equipment.
The first contact with SkaMiDan
At that time, I also had my first contact with SkaMiDan while searching online for inline skate courses. There, I discovered SkaMiDan’s tutorials, such as “Learning to Grind with Inline Skates” and “Drop-In While Sitting.”
Additionally, Daniel, the founder and owner of SkaMiDan, advised us via email when I needed new wheels and explained the differences – a tremendous help.
The following year, I attended a blade session in Duisburg for the first time. It was impressive to meet so many bladers all at once.
There, I also met Jakob and Marcel, who were already aggressive inline skaters on the SkaMiDan team back then and still are today. Since then, I’ve been heading to the Wicked Woods Skate Hall in Wuppertal and attending blade sessions as often as possible.
In addition, I often travel in the Netherlands and have already made friends with many bladers there. In 2023, I started participating in contests, and a major success for me was reaching the finals at Winterclash 2024.
I think it's awesome when I try a new trick, and after a lot of practice and falling, it finally works. I also really enjoy helping others and supporting them in their progress with inline skating.
The community
What I especially love is the camaraderie and community among the bladers: No matter where you come from, bladers always greet each other and often skate together. It doesn't matter how good you are, who you are, or how old you are – you're always welcome.
Everyone is friendly, helpful, and excited when you land a new trick. I've met people from all over the world through blading and made many new friends. I truly enjoy blading – especially when many people are involved.
Even within the SkaMiDan team, the focus is on community and the joy of the sport, rather than pressure or skill level.
That's why I'm proud to now be part of the SkaMiDan team.
