Alex Tank reloaded

Some riders become famous not only for their skills, but for their rockstar image, too. I always didn’t like that much those kind of riders, but I admit some of them where really good at snowboarding, too. Alex is not one of those guys. He appear to be a really calm typical german guy whose skills on a snowboard are higher than the average media. His recent placement in major Euro rail contest and his awesome part in the upcoming Let’s Go Get Lost video by Isen Seven crew put him under the spotlight. We found something in this skinny guys that fascinated us, at the point we felt we’d interview him to know more about his life, loves and projects.

Hello Alex, do you really feel like your surname says, a tank?
Haha. Sure not! I’m just a skinny boy! Everything else than a tank.

Your name is popping out on mags and web almost everywhere, because of your late podiums and video appareances..Are you comfortable with spotlights?
It depends. I’m not really into that whole contest thing just because I’m fucking nervous as soon as there is a big crowd. I only like a few contests like the frontline railjam, where it feels more like good session instead of that 2 run competition shit. That’s why I love to film. No stress, only a filmer and some friends. That’s way more comfortable than riding contests.

nite steel work – ph. Steffen Kornfeld

You’ve been enrolled in the ISEN SEVEN ARMADA for their latest work; is really so damn funny like it appear or is Vincent is a severe director?
No…It really is damn fun hanging with those guys. You’ll always have a fun time and when it gets too loose, Vincent and the boys are there to get us back to “work”.

You went on snow trips with ISEN SEVEN in Canada, you came with Head in Italy, and you’re German; which are the main difference between those three countries that make ’em so different in snowboarding?
Puuuh, Especially in North America I’d say that snowboarding is way bigger than it is here in Europe. Look at all those perfect parks they have and even in summertime the parks are still better than the majority of parks here in Europe. Take a look at Whistler, they are concentrating on snowboarding bigtime in winter as well as in summertime. In contrast to that, here at home in Germany the resorts still don’t give a fuck about snowboarding and think they have build a park by pushing 3 speedbumps in a row. I don’t really know, how the situation in Italy is, but I think it isn’t much difference to Germany. But there’s some hope. At least some Resorts like Laax, Dachstein or even Prato Nevoso see the possibilities of concentrating more on snowboarding and start to support it. We’ll see…

In the intro of your let’s get lost video part, you walk forward while all other people are going backward: knowing Vincent, Felix and Ales Habits, they usually hide a secret meaning in the intro of their rider; which is yours?
I don’t really know. I didn’t really want that typical Storyintro. I’m not really a big fan of that. So we had that idea of creating a little scenery where crazy and extraordinary things happen around me and I don’t really notice all this, because I’m somehow in my own world. Then Vincent had the idea of letting that whole thing run backwards and we all thought that’s cool. I think that’s it. No deeper meaning in here.

Alex can fly! – ph. Steffen Kornfeld

Where is that awesome jib line you ride in the video in the night time?
Haha. I can’t really tell, otherwise everybody goes there…naah, just kidding. It’s just about 10 minutes away from my homeplace, it is a little forrest, where the nearby resort puts all its trash. And nobody really cares what you do in this junkyard. Hehe. So me and my friends always have pretty dope sessions there since you can build a lot of cool things with all those rails, benches, tubes, walls and poles laying around.

Let’s talk about your project, Atagge. What’s all about? Who’s in it?
Atagge is a little project of my best friend Jagge and me. We’re just fooling around on the hill with all our friends, film each other with fisheye-lenses and try to put that in a little video. 10 minute full length snowboardvideo. Hehe .You can check out our second video at www.atagge.blogspot.com or www.atagge.com. A little Advertisement…hehe

Searchin Alex Tank on google, we can see mainly awesome rail combo, ’cause you’re on of those kids who’s innovating rail riding after the JP Walker generation. You actually feel on of those? What is there in the steel that attract you so much?
Thanks, but I don’t see myself as one of those. I’m just a kid that loves to shred and have a good time with his friends. That’s what it is all about. And since I’m living in an area where the resorts mainly build up rails I just got into that. It’s way easier to go to the next cool rail anyway than paying for way too expensive lifttickets, organize a ride and stress yourself in the crowded liftline with all the tourists. Hehe.

pipe fun – ph. Steffen Kornfeld

What is there in Alex heart beside snow riding?
Definitely my girl Carmen, my skateboard (even though I suck at skating), and my golf clubs.

And in Alex dreams?
World peace

If you could talk to Obama, what would you ask (or tell) him?
Are you a real president or just a marionette?

All pictures courtesy of  Steffen Kornfeld.