German (not Claus Grabke) wins European vert championship.

Jürgen Horrwarth won the vert and was winning the mini-ramp-bowl portion of the European Skateboard Championships in Basle, Switzerland when it was rained out. There’s an interview with Jürgen on the Red Bull site. It’s supposed to be a direct link, but it’s wacky. Once the page loads you have to click on the “Visit Red Bull International” option and click the “interview” button. Another case of superfluous Flash Development gone awry…  The interview is really dry. Your time is better spent blowing it off and reading this excerpted  Claus  Grabke  interview from Juice Magazine. If you’re a die hard Jürgen Horrwarth fan, we’ve poached the whole thing after the link.

Here’s the interview from the Red Bull site. They’ve got more pictures too. Don’t forget to follow the directions from above. There’s no clue as to when this happened other than “last Saturday.” They must have been using a funky Swiss watch.

“… a very good day.”

That’s what Jürgen Horrwarth had last Saturday at the European Skateboard Championships in Basle, Switzerland. After the 29-year-old German convincingly won the Vert competition and the Miniramp-Bowl final was rained off, Horrwarth – placed first in the qualification – crowned himself double European champion. In the following interview, the athlete from Berlin reveals how he celebrated his two victories, the reasons for his success, and how much the two titles mean to him.

Did the two European Championships titles surprise you?

Definitely. I’ve always wanted to place at the very top in a major event, but to succeed now – after all these years – that was really a bit unexpected.

So what do you think – why did it work this time?

Difficult to say, the only way I can explain it, is: this time, I put myself under less pressure than in previous years. I used to want to win at all costs, but at these European Championships I was a bit more relaxed. And it seems this laid-back attitude was the key to success.

And did you celebrate the two gold medals properly?

Sure, that’s part of the deal. We had a spontaneous, little but exclusive party on Saturday evening. I have to admit that alcohol flowed freely – but all within normal limits.

And who was at this party?

Colleagues, that’s the tradition in the scene. Whenever there’s something to celebrate we hang out together. And I also followed the unwritten law of the scene, despite it not really being necessary.

Which law?

We skateboarders have agreed that anyone, who wins a contest or a major event, must spend 10% of the prize money on drinks for his mates. I was pleased to do that on Saturday, but by late in the evening my friends had already had so much they didn’t need any more.

How long did the party last?

Not that long – it was all over by 3:30 a.m.

How important are the two European Championships titles for your career to date?

This sounds a bit stupid, but the two titles don’t mean as much to me now as most people might think. It may have been different if I’d won five years ago. But in general it must be said that skateboarding titles are nothing special.

Why is that?

Titles don’t mean that much because victory always depends on how the skaters feel on the day – I just had a very good day on Saturday, that’s all. But of course it’s a great feeling for me personally to know that I was the best at the European Championships. Success is good for my self-confidence.

What are your plans for the next few weeks?

I’m taking part in five major contests before the season ends in early November. I have set the bar quite high for the next competition in Berlin, especially because I’m also organizing the event. Then I’m off to Paris and Zurich, before flying to a contest in Canada at the end of September. My final appearance this year will be in Dallas, Texas.

What are you hoping to achieve in the sport in future?

The main thing is to stay healthy. I just want to continue to have fun skateboarding, and if I can achieve a good result now and then, I’ll be satisfied.