Danny Cerezini SKT Magazine interview. English version!!!

Text: Felipe Ventura.
Photos: Pablo Vaz.

Para conferir a entrevista em português acesse o site da Revista SKT.

1- You became professional in Brazil at age 16, but only now with 21 you became professional for the rest of the World, how was this meantime?

It was good, but long. Since i became professional in Brazil earlier, i had enough time to acquire responsability and experience as an ameteur in America. This helped me a lot because i was traveling the whole world with other pros, touring, filming, learning. Because of things like that i could become a professional ready to all the responsabilities that im gonna have to handle, since now the skate is not only fun, it´s also my job, and you gotta learn how not to mix these things such as contests, tours, photo sessions, parties and all other kinds of fun. Im glad i waited this time, because only now i feel ready to face the whole world as a professional and not only Brazil.

Switch flip b/s nosegrind in Warsaw, Poland.

2- 2-So the time you spent as a pro and Brazil was like a school before you become pro for the rest of the world?

I think so, because i had a chance to be with guys that were pros for a long time in Brazil, and i learned a lot with them. This time gave me an advantge to turn pro, since in America people are turning pro sooner and sooner, and sometimes they are not even ready for all the responsabilities.

3- 3-How come you conciliate 2 diferent careers, one as Pro in Brazil and the other one as Amateur in America?

To be honest it wasn´t that hard, because i was spending more time in the states back then, I was going to Brazil more for the professional contests, since i was really focus on filming and doing everything necessary to make it happen in America.

Switch 360 flip in Warsaw, Poland.

4- 4-So you became pro in Brazil more because you were kind famous there and because of your level at skating than for the work you were doing in your own country?

To be honest the idea of turning pro came from a sponsor i had back in the day in Brazil, and i tought it was cool because I was na amateur for a long time in Brazil, so i decided to step it up in my country.

5- 5-So nowdays, how do you feel being a pro in Brazil with american sponsors only?

It feels normal, because i have more support to go out and skate, the skate industry in Brazil is not that good at supporting the skaters. So having this sponsors and still be able to go skate in Brazil is amazing! The difference is that now i have to work my name all around the world and not only one country. But since the skate is growing everyday, the american brands are making their moves into the brazilian market, and it´s good cause i can help both, my country and my sponsors.

Cabaleriall b/s noseblunt slide in Frankfurt, Germany.

6- 6-Was it hard for you being na amateur in America for 5 years since you knew you were good as a pro?

Not really, because like i told before, i wasn´t ready for becoming a pro at the whole world at age 16. Time is the king. If you go pro at age 16 in America, you are not gonna enjoy your life because of all your responsabilities. At 16 you still a kid, you still don´t know how the industry works, how the behave yourself in some situations, so i think traveling and having fun during this time were essentials, i had a chance to learn new cultures, meet new people, get to know myself better. This time was important to grow up as a person and as a skater.

7- 7-For this interview you traveled around Dennamark, Poland, Lithuania, and some other countries not as famous as Spain when people go out to skate in Europe, how was that?

I was only trying to explore different places, different cultures, places i only knew from books and history classes in school. I was trying to show everyone until where a skater can go by himself these days, since me and my friends organized the whole trip, no demos, no nothing, just pure skating.

8- 8-So this trip was different because it was done by you and your friends, with no pressure, how does that helped for this interview and for filming the blind video?

It was something natural, because i was having fun with my friends and doing what I love, so the result was something 100% authentic. Was good to break the routine of tours with demos, signings, and do everything with no pressure, just pure love!

Half-cab flip f/s noseblunt slide in Prague, Czech Republic.

9- 9-The fact that you were born and raised in Brazil helps you to adapt into a new place and culture?

Definitly yes, the brazilians are really friendly, which is essential when it comes to make new friends, since the best way to learn a new culture is hanging out with the locals, see their lifes, and pick the good things out of it to apply in my own life!

10 10-When was the time that you realized that all the trips you have done because of skateboarding had such a huge impact in your life as a person and as a skateboarder?

I think i still haven´t realized everything that is happening to me because of skateboarding. And i hope not to realize anytime soon, because i want more! Because the more knowledge and culture the better! I don´t want my evolotuion to have a limit. I wanna be free to do what i love and keep my mind open to everything at all times.

B/S nosegrind in Villnius, Lithuania.

11- 11-In Denmark you won your first pro contest. How are gonna face the contests from now on??

I always liked contests, but lately cause of all the tours, filming, photos, I had no time to enter one, i had the focus on turning pro not because of winning contests. But after this contest in Denmark I kinda got excited again and i´ll try go to a few more contests, not for win, but just to have a good time, to be with my friends that i don´t have the chance to hang out and skate everyday with. It´s not that im gonna practice for a constest, if i´m having a good time i´ll skate good for sure, and if I can make some money out of it, even better!

12 12-Do you have plans to move back to Brazil now? Or do you wanna keep skating in America?

I wanna skate in the whole world, I wanna be everywhere skateboarding is! Maybe one day im gonna be able to stay more in Brazil with my family and friends and keep my american sponsors, but only time will tell what´s gonna happen, today i know that i need to be close to my sponsors. If i could do everything from Brazil that would be a dream, but right now it´s time to make things happen, so i´ll be pacient...

Nollie noseblunt slide in Villnius, Lithuania.

13 13-You didn´t skiped any steps into your professional carrer from am contests, interviews to video parts you have done it all, so do you see yourself as rolemodel for the kids who dream to be a world famous professional skateboarder?

I think so, cause i did everything in it´s time, you can´t skip the steps that are gonna lead you somewhere, It´s no easy to be next big young name in skateboarding. But i have choosed to go little by little, to build my way and to let my skate speaks by itself. Everything is up to you, but my advice is that you have to be pacient and do the things step by step.

360 flip to crooked grind in Frankfurt, Germany.

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