Interview: Falko Quinger, versatile skater

Fast facts

Name: Quinger
first name : Falko
Nickname: NC
Date of birth: 31st March 1986
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Country: Germany
Born in: Dresden (Germany)
Lives in: Magdeburg(Germany)
Begins to skate in: 2002
Category: senior Elite
Job/studies: Master Engineering Design
Strengths: think outside the box
Points to improve: time management so that I can gain more within the time I have
Other sports: MTB, cross-country skiing and Snowboarding
The last film he saw: Intouchables
Favorite music: everything except mainstream
Video games: I don’t play…
Readings: Mag’s
Like: People who live for their goals
Dislike: Ingratitude
Qualities: Ambitious, support others
Faults: Impatient
Club: Eisschnelllauf  Verein Dresden
Team: Cadomotus EV Dresden
Best memory: Siberian Icemarathon 2011
Worst memory: I hit the wall of a roundabout in a bobsleigh track at 70km/h, ripping a ligament and some other things in my shoulder :)
Languages: German, English
Alcohol or fruit juice? Alcohol with fruit juice
Ice-skating or roller-skating? Roller-skating
Road or track? Road
Sprint or marathon? Sprint
Hard or soft wheels? Hard or a combination
Beach or mountain? Mountain
Morning or evening? Evening
Cheese or dessert? Dessert
Rap or techno? None
Soccer or rugby? Rugby
Simple or double push? Small double push

Interview

Hello Falko, could you introduce yourself?

Hello, I’m 26 years old and from Dresden, I like to skate and look for the challenge to try new things. I do not want to duel or outplay anyone. For sure winning is a good feeling but it’s more like having fun with other skaters, meet interesting people, see some nice places and push me more to skate better.

How did you start roller-skating?

There was a night skating event in my hometown Dresden (Germany) and I’d like to do this, so I started practicing skating and improve my skating level step by step.

You seem to be a versatile skater… Is speed-skating your first practice?

No, I started with slalom-skating around cut open tennis balls with a friend of mine. We saw some videos of Sebastien Laffargue and tried to copy his tricks by watching, learning and doing.

When I started freeskating and speedskating, our small group fell apart and I stopped training for slalom.

Now, I can still skate through a slalom on one wheel and some other tricks, but now the level for slalom skating is much higher than when I started and I’m really impressed what’s possible now. So I changed my priorities of skating…

What are your other practices?

freeskate – skatecross, inline downhill, icecross downhill…

How did you discovered these other practices?

2009 at the night skate, the founder of the Beton on Fire event, Philipp Auerswald, gave me a flyer to visit the event at the bobsleigh track in Altenberg. I smiled and asked him if I can try it, he saw my skates and said: ” Ok we’ll see how you can skate… “

Why are you practicing different kind of skating?

Every kind of skating has its own features; it’s the tactical behavior, endurance and skating together in a row straight through a city or on a track and to use the slipstream of your opponent.

I like the speed and being highly concentrated at the bobsleigh track, it’s a incredible feeling to skate in a bobsleigh track with up to 90kph: you’re not really able to break and stop on the track.
It’s similar in speedskating: you must be concentrated and you need a perfect line to get a good time.
I feel free on freeskating, it’s possible to jump or slide over everything. The city or parks are like a big playground to have fun with friends, it’s the time when you’re in the air while you’re jumping together with the acceleration and other skaters at the skatecross what I like.

Did you try other sports?

At the end of 2010, Alex a good friend of mine called me and asked if I would run a half marathon with him in January 2011. I was the only one he thought of and I agreed with him without asking. I said: “Ok! Why not? It will be funny.”
Ok later during the call, he told me that the run would take place in Omsk. I was wondering and laughing and said that it’s cold there in this season. He said that it’s called the Siberian Ice marathon – the coldest marathon on earth. I started running training and we traveled together with a third friend Jens to Omsk. I finished my first half marathon without skates on my feet at 1:34:35 together with my friends at -31.5°C. It was officially the second coldest half marathon on earth. I was the 45th finisher and best foreigner. I still have a lot of precious memories of a really nice, hospitable and friendly country.  

I heard you were supported by Cadomotus? How did it start?

Yes, since last year we have a small local team. It’s a big honour and it was more a coincidence when Rolf from Customsport told me about the opportunity to be a part of or form a local team. So, me and other good skaters from my local club wanted to join and submitted our application to Cadomotus. We have a good and strong team and have fun and push each other for good results.

What are your goals?

To skate as often as I can, support my team and be a good example for younger skaters or others who want to try the sport.

Which competitions will you participate in?

I’m looking for the next skate season; the middle German skating cup and German inline cup are just two points of the list beside a few track competitions and regional championships.
I hope I can be qualified for the Redbull Crashed Ice 2013 again after I was qualified in 2011 already. And then, the World Skate Cross series and the Beton On Fire tour are other highlights for the next year(s).

Do you have a job next to roller-skating?

It’s hard to combine a successful study and skating on a level which is not as equivalent as the daily drive to the baker. Six years ago, I was a skating-instructor for kids and worked at a skate school. Beside my studies, I supported my friend Philipp for his event Beton on Fire 2011/2012 and I designed the trophies also for Paris Slalom World Cup 2012 and the suits for my local skate club.

What is your professional goal?

I finished my bachelor of Industrial Design and I started my master for engineering Design at the University of Applied Sciences in Magdeburg. I don’t know what will happen when I finish with my study, which direction I’ll choose. I prefer sport, pure industrial design and medical engineering but the world is a big playground and the mind is free.

Anything to add? (free expression)

I’d like to thank my sponsors and all the people who support me or make things possible for the sport. On one hand there’s the benefit and the marketing for the brands and on the other hand they support the skaters to reach their personal goals. In my opinion this is great. If someone offers you an opportunity, don’t think about it, do it :)

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By Alfathor
Photos : All rights reserved