Grisha Barbashin, boardslide.
The locals? Hungry. Starving. Ready to shred. They eyed the big names with the kind of reckless confidence that only comes from skating those same streets year after year. They weren't just participants; they were gladiators, and the park was their coliseum. The international crowd? They were about to get the Estonian welkom ceremony.
Ralf-Rasmus Raal, boardslide.
New blood hit the scene with Grisha Barbashin and Ralf Rasmus Raal throwing down serious runs, the kind that leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering how the hell they just pulled that off. And just like that, a couple of new legends were born, ready to come back next March and light it up all over again.
Rain Lindemann, catching his kickflip.
Aleksandr Tubin.
But let’s not forget the old guard. Rain Lindemann led the charge, his rides as mean as a bar fight at closing time. Jürgen Sarjas, Eivo Kisand, and Romario Siimer—these guys didn’t just show up to play; they showed up to own. Nils-Eerik Vesberg couldn’t wipe the grin off his face all weekend long, and who could blame him? Jarmo Kangro took a break from lurking in the shadows to tear the park apart.
Andris Kaldvee.
Jarmo Kangro.
And then there’s Andris Kaldvee, flipping and twisting like he’s got the laws of physics on his payroll. Aleksandr Tubin, the old wolf, showed up like the legend he is, delivering as always.
And then we had the local homies, Iago Bresciani from Brazil and Jakob Aruvald from Canada, stepping up and showing the locals they weren’t here for a vacation. Kristo Kusti ‘Oismets, the madman, was ready to ignite the park, but fate had other plans—he took a nasty spill during practice, and we were robbed of his fireworks.
Aleksandr Tubin, fs disaster.
Iago Bresciani, transfer to fakie.
Simple Session, man—it’s more than a contest. It’s a proving ground, where the local warriors get to throw down with the best, pushing the limits and setting the stage for the future.
Eivo Kisand.
Now, let’s talk about the legend himself—Meelis Erm, the Sk8mel, the man who didn’t get his fill of carnage last edition in Tallinn. He rolled into Tartu with one mission: to rip the park to shreds, leaving no corner untouched, no transition unclaimed. With those massive vert walls at each end of the park, he danced on the edge of chaos and came out on top, bagging a 12th place finish and the title of best Baltic rider. The crowd? Losing their minds. The skaters? Worshipping at the altar of Meelis. All hail the king! We’re already counting down the days until the next edition.
Meelis Erm (2nd L) getting ready for the finals.
Meelis Erm, flashing his coat of arms real high.
Sk8mel had his supporters behind him !!
Stick around. The international riders are next, and things are only going to get wilder. The full story drops tomorrow. Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss it.
Words and photos by Nicolas Bouvy.
Enjoyed the ride ? Meelis seemed to...
Meelis Erm, fs air.
After wrapping up his core duties, Meelis dives into the whirlwind bazaar of media madness, ready to spin his tale to the press.
Leave a comment