When Kilian was 10, he joined a gymnastics school in Madrid, Spain. At the same time, he also found a passion for surfing (one that continues to this day).
however, with the ocean over six hours away, being able to practice everyday was a near impossibility. Surrounded by cement and asphalt, he realised he could take up skateboarding to help his surfing abilities.
So, at the age of 16, he started to skate mini-ramps and street. After a year of skateboarding, Kilian discovered freestyle skateboarding after watching Powell Peralta's Ban This skate video.
He then realised that this style of skateboarding would allow him to utilise his gymnastics abilities and, more importantly, expand his outlet of creativity.
He says, 'It is a more artistic way of skateboarding and allows you to be creative all of the time. I used to attend gymnastics school in Madrid, and freestyle is a kind of skateboarding influenced by gymnastics, dance, and a bit of ice-skating.'
When he turned 21, he decided to move to California, where he set out on a journey to master his skateboarding abilities. Kilian grabbed many of his freestyle tricks and adapted them to street skateboarding. Since then, he has developed his own unique style, and a level of technicality that has set him in a class of his very own.
It was around this time he met film-maker Brett Novak. The two struck up a fast friendship and they decided to make a video together.
The pair shot their first video, of pure freestyle, in just two and a half days high above California. It went on to get thousands of hits very quickly, and it became obvious the duo had a strong creative partnership.
Links
On YouTube
Kilian's Film-maker
