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The skatepark in Sint Niklaas burnt down and Jojo is standing infront of a pile of ash. Read here and now, what is going on and what will happen....
-Jojo yesterday, when the park in Sint Niklaas was still a live
Recorded on the 12. February 2009. Philipp Forstner interviewing Jojo Jacobi
1) Jojo, how are you doing? Alright...
2) To shorten it up, what happened today? We all got up in the morning. All excited about the last day what we already had finished. We were sleeping a little bit longer, and got ready for the day. We made us on the way to the skatepark in Sint Niklaas, when my homeboy Philipp Forstner called me and telling me that the skatepark was burning. Since he is the only person in the world who is able to do this kind of jokes I just continued to drive and didn't think anything bad. But than he called me again and I heard all the trucks of the firemen in the background and he told me that the whole skatepark is burning.
After I hung up, my phone rang every 30 seconds with people telling me it is already online and so on... After that I just called the Area 51 in Eindhoven asking him if it is possible to do the contest there. When I arrived at the skatepark, I realized that seriously everything was gone. Everything...that's how my day started.
3) Sounds funny.... Can you tell us the main changes for the Winterclash now, besides that it gonna take place in Eindhoven? Yeah, after realizing that the skatepark is gone, we moved the whole event to Area 51 in Einhoven in Holland. The changes are, that there are no Weekend Tickets. So you are not able to pay from Friday - Sunday. You just pay on Saturday and for that it gonna be cheaper on Friday and Saturday. 6 Euro for Friday and Sunday and for the Winterclash on Saturday it is 20 Euro. Also the tradeshow will be smaller, but it will take place - it took some phonecalls, but we made it happen. There will be a smaller booth area, but you still will be able to buy some stuff.
The skatepark will be different for sure. Less transitions, more banks and it will be more crowded, which will help the atmosphere. The entrance is limited to 1100 people, so better be early there. We cannot let more than 1100 people in. So if you are the onethousand onehundred and first person, we cannot let you in, due some regulations. I am really sorry, but we cannot change it for now. Also you are not allowed to park in front of the skatepark, due an event at night. So you have to park further away and walk to the park. The skatepark will open at 11 o'clock and will close the latest at 2 at night (but the contest should be over between 10 and 12 o'clock at night).
On Friday you will be able to skate till 2 at night, but I am not sure when it will open in the morning. But you arrive late and still will be able to skate.
on the way to Sint Niklaas - captioning the fire - Jojo on the way to Eindhoven
4) What gonna happen to the afterclash party? It is a bit tricky, because a lot of people changed there hotels to Eindhoven when the heart about the fire, but the most changed the reservation back to Antwerpen. So the official one gonna take place in Antwerpen, but there also will be a party in Eindhoven, but not the official one.
5) Are there still gonna be all the pros, which where listed on the list on the website? All the pros are already here in Belgium and are about to check out the park tomorow. So if you wanna see them, be at the park tomorow. 6) What was your feedback you got from all the people who where calling you every 10 seconds?
I could hear a lot of heart attacks...everybody was shocked, but I got a lot of positive feedback and everybody is happy that the competition is still taking place. And everyone is okay with the move to Eindhoven...
7) So the support is huge? Yeah, the support is really huge. That is also a good feeling....
8) Do you think the Winterclash gonna be a s big as the last ones? Especially do you think the atmosphere will be as good? The atmosphere will be even better, just because how the skatepark is build. It will be like a soccer stadium. And everybody feels more connected to the event now, than before.
- in the morning, everything was still fine
9) What did you personally lost in the fire today? Besides almost your life?
Basically everything and Yeah, almost my life. I have been really lucky when it happened. I lost my computer, my external disk with millions of old photos on it. I even got a backup, which stood next to the computer and burned down like the rest. Also my keys to my home apartment, my skates, Winterclash whristbands, Winterclash T-shirts, alot of Hedon stuff, Be-mag packages...basically everything which is important. Now we just try to move on...
10) Are you excited? I wasn't really at 12 o'clock today. But now, I just came back from Eindhoven, and now I am really excited because the park owners are really really great and helping me out a lot to make it happen. They just helping me to create something unique again. 11) Any last words and wishes?
I just wanted to say, that I really appreciated all the phone calls I got today and I could really see that everybody stands behind the event, which makes me really happy. It is just worth the effort I am putting in. I didn't thought a second about canceling the event or something, I just thought about moving on and your reaction approved that I was right. I am just really thankfull for everyone who is coming there and everyone who I am seeing at the event. I just hope, that you will make it there somehow. I am sure we gonna have the best time in the year.
-after 1 hour of burning... 12) Alright, to sum it up:
People should be there early. Entrance start on saturday at 11 o'clock Don't park infront of the skatepark Entrance limited to 1100 people Entrance gonna cost 20,00 Euro on Saturday for the Winterclash Entrance gonna cost 6,00 Euro on Friday and on Sunday and the park will be open till late at night Tradeshow will take place, so bring money if you wanna get some good deals Afterparty gonna be in Antwerpen, as planned
13) Thanks Jojo... Thank you guys and I will see everyone soon...
- on the way to Eindhoven
PS: We are sorry for any grammatic or english misstakes, as the i-view was recorded at 12 at night and tipped down 3 in the morning.
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