Filip Almqvist: The Stolen Part

Why “stolen”? We’ll let Filip explain:
“Basically for about a year I skated for a massive motocross/snow/skate company called Ride Store. I didn’t have a contract so the whole time I was in the dark regarding what I could get and what I had to do. I was just skating and working on a new video part. After disagreeing with the direction the company was taking I decided to leave, even though they were paying me and I didn’t really have anything lined up behind it. At this point I’d known the guys running the brand for 13 years so I knew we’d stay friends, that there wouldn’t be any hard feelings.
I’d stacked up quite a lot of footage with these guys and when I initially asked them if I could use it for another project they said yes, as long as it was for something independent as opposed to something that would promote a competing brand. Seemed fair right? Only when it came to actually getting the footage, the TM of the “skate department” told me I had to pay at least 1000€ for it as they needed compensation for the money they’d paid me when I rode for them. I know for a fact that the filmer, the TM and everyone working for this company gets paid good money. I couldn’t believe they’d act that way, especially since I’d known them for so long. They were basically trying to punish me for leaving… So I went all James Bond on them and downloaded a preview of my footage that the filmer had forgot to take down from youtube (a private link). The footage already feels quite old and shitty but whatever, after the way they acted I just wanted it out. You may know some people for 13 years but as soon as it comes to “business” they’ll act like it was 13 minutes.”