The Winterclash competition has been the premiere blading event for several years running now, drawing competitors and spectators from all over the world to Area 51 skatepark in Eindhoven Netherlands. We aim to highlight some of these individual adventures that brought so many incredible characters into one location to share in our common passion of inline skating.

We spoke with long time Winterclash contestant and Skatepro rider Daniel Nielsen about his experiences at the event and why attending the Clash is an event that he cannot miss each year.

Photo: Claus Rytter, @clausrytter
Daniel tru savannah during his Winterclash 2020 trip. Photo: Claus Rytter, @clausrytter

When was the first Winterclash that you attended and why was it special for you?

My first Winterclash was the second winterclash back in 2006, I have attented every single clash ever after. The first Winterclash was unreal, being a kid at the big park (my local park is only 1/8 the size of the Mühlhausen skatepark that Winterclash was at back in the days. Imagine seeing all your heroes for the first time, battling against each other right in front of your eyes. It was unreal, and unforgettable.

Since you have attended numerous Winterclash events, can you tell us which year was your favorite?

My favorite Winterclash must be the legendary battle between Brian Aragon and Julien Cudot in 2007. I was standing right next to the rail, when those two heroes killed it.

Aside from being an incredibly fun event, what is the main reason you make it a point to attend the Clash each year?

The reason why I go to Winterclash every year is simple. It is my personal favorite event during the year, plus I get to catch up with a bunch of friends.

Can you explain some of your favorite memories from this year’s Winterclash event?

My favorite memories from 2020 must be all the side events plus the pro finals. I very much enjoy watching Jump Street Podcast live at the clash, plus the pro finals never disappoint.

The Videogroove history lesson with Dave Paine
Here is Jon Julio discussing his iconic VG4 profile.

Out of all the incredible skaters that competed at this year’s event, can you say who was your favorite person to watch?

My favorite skater to watch this year… that’s a hard one. Nils Jansons trick selection and style is one of my favorites, so watching him kill it in the finals was rad. Also I liked Bobi Spassov, Dominic Bruce, Yuto Goto, Chihiro Azuma, Ren Fujiwara and all the THEM team skaters.
