“My philosophy is that if you land a trick right away, it’s not your personal best,” explains Kilian Martin (@kilianmartinsk8), a freestyle skateboarder who lives in Carlsbad, California. “There's something else you can do with that trick to make it harder. A new variation, an extra flip, a spin.” Kilian moved to the United States from Madrid, Spain when he went professional. His unique blend of freestyle and street skating, which requires extraordinary strength and coordination, is made possible by years of gymnastics training. What looks effortless on video is actually the result of endless practice. “A lot of my new tricks take me hundreds of tries,” he says. “Often I am ready to give in to physical exhaustion before I end up landing it.” To see more of Kilian’s masterful maneuvers, follow @kilianmartinsk8.
Video by Juan Rayos