Stepan Bares – Loner
Can’t get over the fact that Stepan essentially shot this interview in a weekend. From a purely physical, skateboarding ability standpoint, it’s wild, but then looking at it from a logistics, spot mapping perspective, think about how well you’d have to know your city to line that up. Something which feels extra commendable when the imprint of the city in question has always been defined by one spot and the talents it’s nurtured: Stalin Square.
Because let’s face it, Prague has always been known for the confident pushes and effortless tech of people like Petr Horvat or Jakub Osten, skateboarders who honed their crafts over years of meticulous repetition, getting to know their glistening marble paradise inside out – not for the efforts of its gritty back-alley spot hunters…
Until now.
Knowing very little of this new-gen spot-scavenger ourselves and loving the fact that he had the backing of the plaza’s OGs (despite clearly focusing his energy on places well hidden from the watchful eye of the Metronome), we decided to solicit the help of Marek Kocak, a Lavar McBride-obsessed university professor, who despite being the ultimate embodiment of the Czech Republic’s ledge skating legacy, has always had a soft spot for Stepan and the unorthodox missions that lead to him rocking up to Stalin in the evenings completely filthy…
– Arthur Derrien
Backside nosegrind revert, Prague. Photo: Kubo Křížo.
Marek Kocak: You grew up in a pretty unconventional environment – your parents raise animals for the film industry. Can you tell us what it was like growing up basically in a private zoo?
Stepan Bares: Yeah, that’s true. Honestly, it never felt weird to me. I was surrounded by animals from the very beginning, so it
just felt normal. My parents’ place is on the outskirts of Prague and the backyard is massive – that’s where a bunch of animal movie stars were basically raised. Inside the house, we always had the usual stuff like dogs, cats, a snake or a parrot flying around. I still remember my first little job. We were at our cottage as kids, catching frogs for a commercial. Five bucks per frog! That was my first paycheque! A lot of the animals my parents actually own, but for most film or ad projects they also bring in animals from
elsewhere. They’ve got a big network of people who work with animals, so it’s always some wild mix depending on the job.
That’s cool. Were you ever tempted to get into the film business yourself?
I helped out on set a few times, but honestly, I was never really drawn to the film industry.
What was the wildest animal you ever had at home?
That’d probably be Mathylda, the jaguar. My dad raised her from when she was a cub. Over the years we’ve had some pretty crazy animals around – penguins, a zebra, and even venomous cobras (which are literally my worst nightmare).
Do you remember any specific movies your animals were in? I heard you had some of Hellboy’s cats at your house? And maybe something from Nosferatu?
Haha, yeah – Hellboy and Bureau for Paranormal Research shot scenes at Vítkov in Prague. The rats from Nosferatu were more my older brother’s project. He’s super involved in animal work now. Other big films our animals were part of include Mission Impossible, Antichrist, and Child 44. Loads of foreign productions shoot in the Czech Republic. The film industry here is strong and pretty affordable compared to the West.
Ride-on 50-50, Prague. Photo: Kuba Baczkowski.
Apart from hanging out with wild animals in Prague, where did you skate growing up? Did you start at Stalin Plaza?
I started skating at the schoolyard of my elementary school. There was an old-school metal skatepark right on the property. I spent a lot of breaks and after-school time there with some older guys who were already skating properly. Sadly, not long after I started, that metal kingdom got torn down. So I ended up moving with that crew to Stalin.
I know the older guys at Stalin were gatekeeping the spot back in the day, regulating left and right. Ever get that treatment?
Yeah, for sure. I started skating the lower section like everyone else. You had to earn your stripes before you could even think about stepping up to the top part. That was just how it worked, it wasn’t even a question. Nobody dared to just roll up to the three-block ledges up top. And yeah, I got kicked out too, by one of your close homies actually, haha. Looking back, I’m kinda glad it happened. I took it as a challenge. I wanted to level up to the point where I could skate up top with the people I looked up to. I made so many good friends at Stalin, a lot of them I still see to this day. It’ll always be the number one place for me.
Hah, got kicked out by one of my friends? Too many to guess from… Stalin’s still got its regulators, even if it’s a little looser now. The other some French scooter crew had to be chased off. What’s your take on that?
Yeah, the groups at Stalin have changed a lot over the years. So have the key people. Some don’t even skate anymore, but there’s still a core group who look after the spot. I think that hierarchy is actually important. It’s part of what makes Stalin what it is. That said, it’s not the same as it used to be. Every nw and then, someone decides to run a scooter comp or bring some janky wooden ramp to the plaza—that’s definitely not it. I get that everyone sees things differently, but I think we gotta protect Stalin’s vibe.
It’s a unique spot and it deserves respect.
Drop-in, Černošice. Photo: Kuba Baczkowski.
Word. Apart from skating Stalin, I’d say you’re probably the most active street spot hunter in the Czech scene. People say you’ve got hundreds of spots saved in your phone. Is that true?
Yeah, I’ve definitely got a ton of spots, but it’s not like I go out with some master plan. I just look around, that’s it. If I’ve got some free time, I like to wander into random areas and see what’s out there. There’s always something to find. Even at old spots, you can suddenly get a new idea or find a new approach. Sometimes it’s about fixing something up or making it skateable.
So how much time do you actually spend each week scavenging for new spots?
I don’t have a set schedule or anything. A lot of times I’m just cruising through a hood and I might come across something. Or I don’t. I also spend quite a bit of time on the Czech map app—way better street view than Google’s. Super useful.
Boardslide, Prague. Ph: Kuba Baczkowski.
Besides the spot hunt, you’re still skating a lot. Used to be 10 hours a day, right? How do you even manage that now that you’ve got a job? And what do you do?
10 hours? Damn, that’s a stretch. Not sure where you heard that.
Your filmer told me.
Haha, he’s definitely hyping me up. But I do skate almost every day, even with work.
What’s your work when you’re not helping out with the animals?
Me and a friend run a workshop. We make all kinds of light signs, neon stuff and lightboxes. It’s sick, hands-on, creative, fun. I’ve learned loads: soldering, welding, CNC milling, all that. Super grateful for it. And I’m doing it with a friend I used to skate Stalin with.
Outside of work, I try to take care of myself. I’m working out regularly, going to physio.
Sounds like you’ve got a full plate. If you’re short on time and just want to get a quick session in, where do you usually go?
I almost always find time to skate. I try to keep my sessions mellow, just enjoy it. There’s loads of new spots in Prague and the surroundings, and more keep popping up. I like mixing it up, but most often you’ll find me at Stalin. It’s also the closest spot to where I live now, and nothing really compares.
True, I see you there all the time. What about filming at Stalin? You’ve already had a bunch of clips and photos there. Still worth it, or is the spot exhausted?
Yeah, when it comes to filming at Stalin, I try to take a different angle now. I look for new stuff, not just on the main platform but also down by the bridge. The spot’s massive, there’s so much more to it. I really liked working on the SID STA video.
We were coming up with all these different ways to approach the spot. I’m not exactly the most technical skater, so I try to make up for it in other ways. I’ve definitely got ideas for more Stalin clips. I’m just waiting for the right moment. I love filming stuff for @khm.air—shoutout to Hans for keeping it real!
And it’s not just the Stalin stuff, you always put thought into your parts. The tricks, music, locations, little references… There’s a concept behind it all. What’s your thought process like?
Yeah, I definitely think about that stuff, but it happens naturally. I like when a project has some hidden meaning or story behind it, even if I’m the only one who knows what it is. That’s one of the things I love most about skating. I don’t usually start with a full concept though. It kinda builds itself along the way. I love pulling older Czech music that people don’t really know about. For example, that METRON part we filmed in the Prague metro.
Once you limit yourself to a specific kind of spot, the music, the tricks, everything starts coming together naturally.
Ollie to frontside wallride, Prague. Ph: Kuba Baczkowski.
Do you approach photo missions in the same way? What about the photos for this interview? What was the thinking behind picking them?
Yeah, it’s the same kind of process. It all goes hand in hand. Like that roof drop, that’s the same rooftop where my best friend had his first band’s gig. And that grind pop-over the rail, that’s from the neighbourhood where I grew up. They’re small details, but they mean something to me.
It sounds like a lot of thought goes in. How long did it actually take to shoot this interview?
Honestly, we shot all the photos in like one weekend. It was super intense but productive. Mateusz Kowalski and Kuba Baczkowski came over from Poland, and I wanted to make the most of it. I’m stoked on how it turned out. Big thanks to them.
A weekend? Some of those spots are in the middle of town. How hard was it to actually get the tricks with all the people around?
Bro, the worst was the backside nosegrind revert shot. That spot’s right in the centre, next to the National Theatre.
Total tourist highway. Every try, I had to wait like ten minutes for the crowd to clear, and then someone would stop on the landing to stare at me. Took me ages. I’m proud of that one for sure. Shoutout to Kubo Křížo for shooting it. We shoot together a lot here in Prague. The rest of the spots weren’t too hectic, except a couple rooftops where I couldn’t afford too many attempts.
Frontside nosebluntslide, Prague. Ph: Kuba Baczkowski.
All the tricks are from Prague. Tell us about the Czech scene. What local brands are you involved with? Anything new coming up?
First off, my local skateshop Darkslide. Mirek, the owner, really pours his heart into it. We do different projects with the whole team. I’m also part of SID, which is all about making quality stuff and bringing people together—artists, skaters, creatives. It’s all inspired by Eastern European roots. They do clothing collabs with local artists and even make natural drinks with teas and fresh juices. We’ve already dropped a few skate
edits through SID and there’s another one dropping this year.
You skate for Darkslide with your brother. What’s that like?
It’s dope. Though at Darkslide, everyone’s basically fam.
Backside 50-50, Prague. Photo: Kuba Baczkowski.
Haha. Outside of you and your brother, who in the Czech Republic should we keep an eye on?
I feel like a lot of skaters from my generation kinda drifted into other directions. When I started skating, I think Czechia had more of a presence in the wider scene. I’d love to help put us back on the map. That said, Vojta Freitag for sure, we’ve skated loads together and he rips. Also got to mention Fanda Havránek and Tonda Záhorka. I’ve seen them progress since day one, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from them. I think it’s important to pass things down. That’s also why I decided to film this Free part with young Nathaniel Větrovský. He’s got a lot of potential. Hopefully this pushes him forward.
I heard you went to Africa in December to skate. How did that come about?
That was through Martin Loužecký, who started the non- profit Skate World Better. They’re building skateparks all over Africa. He hit me up in autumn, saying he wanted to take a crew to some of the countries where they’d already built parks. Couldn’t say no to that. We ended up staying in Eswatini. Mozambique wasn’t an option with all the chaos going on. The Vans South Africa crew joined us, plus Joubert from Session Mag. There should be an article coming out soon. It was my first time in Africa and honestly, I’m still buzzing from the whole thing. It was pure joy. Put a lot into perspective.
Frontside 50-50 ollie over, Všenory. Photo: Kuba Baczkowski.
I heard your filmer didn’t make it out there. What happened?
Yeah, big fuck up at the airport. Turns out Slovakia is the only EU country that needs a visa for South Africa, even just for a layover. He was the only Slovak in the crew, and there was nothing we could do. He just handed us one of his cameras at the airport and that was it. Super unlucky. But we’ll definitely go back again, with him next time.
Even without him, did you manage to get some footage? When will we see it?
Yeah, we still filmed quite a bit. Obviously not as clean as if Mitch was behind the lens, but we made it work. Some of it’s already out. I think the first proper edit will drop this summer. We filmed stuff at the Swazi park that SWB built two years ago, and some street clips too. The street clips are being saved for a bigger SWB documentary that’s in the works.
Martin’s got crazy drive, he says he won’t stop till there’s a skate- park in every African country. I’m hyped to be part of that.
That’s dope. Thanks for the interview. Any last words?
Yeah. Today, the day we’re doing this interview marks exactly one year since a close friend of mine passed away.
It really reminded me how important it is to tell your friends you love them. Life’s fragile. I want to dedicate this interview to him. JR.
