Adam Vakulin Profile

Shep talks with Adam about Skating, Travel and the Spelling of his name!

Shep: So how's your second name spelt anyway?
Adam Vakulin: everyone always gets it wrong, wats up? Vakulin.

Shep: How long have you been skating?
Adam Vakulin: I first started after I watched the 1996 X-games on TV, so probably about 4 and a half years or some shit like dat.

Shep: As most people wouldn't know you originally come from RUSSIA , when did you come to Australia?
Adam Vakulin: I only came to Australia about 7 years ago, I couldn't talk shit all English.

Shep: Did you skate in RUSSIA?
Adam Vakulin: Nah man, I had no idea what skates were until I was about 9. My mum went on a holiday to Australia and brought back some skates for me and my bro. they were dodge skates and even though I couldn't skate for shit, everyone thought I was cool cause no one has seen boots with wheels before.

Shep: Are Russian chicks sick?
Adam Vakulin: Russian chicks are fuking fine man. u guys seen all those james bond movies havent u?

Shep: This year you made it to the open street finals at the AUSSIE TITLES, but you injured yourself half way through the finals, what happened? (click here to see footage)
Adam Vakulin: Well, I was having a bit of a bad day skating due to lack off sleep and whatever, but started warming up just by the end. I knew I could do a corcscrew 900 over da box on to the flat so I gave it a go. As soon as I launched of the box I was totally in the wrong angle and knew I was gonna die the whole time. I made da distance but landed very weird on my ankle and actually thought I might of broken it. I'm spewing about that but Dave Fukin won that shit, mad props to him.

Shep: How is your ankle feeling now?
Adam Vakulin: It's actually a lot better, I still cant do heaps big gaps and stuff but its coming along nicely. I'm just happy I didn't do anything worse.

Shep: You have recently just got back from Melbourne again after traveling there with Dave Wilcock, what did you guys get up to over there?
Adam Vakulin: Well, we skated, actually Dave skated and I filmed cause of a slight problem wid my skates, or should I say I didn't have any. We chilled wid da Geelong crew and partied a little. OH yeah one more thing I have to say about Melbourne, Dave threw up first night we got there, fukin alcho.

Shep: Do you have any other plans to travel anywhere else in the near future?
Adam Vakulin: Well actually I'm doing a shit load of traveling this year. I'm going to da states for the world champs, going all over Australia for numerous comps and just holidays. I'm leaving for a tour around Australia in 2 days actually. I'm going wid matty and I think were going to Canberra, Sydney and Brisy where I think I might compete in the last man standing comp. Should b sweet.

Shep: You where recently featured in the recent 32#1#6 Video (avaiable for sale in da shop) how did that come about?
Adam Vakulin: Matt came to Adelaide on a tour for his vid, so we did a bit of filming when he was here, but I didn't get to chill wid everyone who came down cause I was busy. But yeah he filmed and then made a section and then sold it, dats how it came about.

Shep: I've also heard on da grape vine that you are starting to recive a bit of fan mail through the email section on da klinic, whats up with that and how do you feel about the attention?
Adam Vakulin: I think its kinda funny, but don't know why its happening, I guess being in da vid and on the website gets you promoted and recognised a fair bit. I like it when people email me and shit cause then I know all the goss and crap from all over Aust. but really I haven't been getting shit all emails so I cant really answer you.

Shep: Who are you current sponsors?
Adam Vakulin: My current sponsors are USD skates, Hyper wheels, Protec helmets and Daklinic

Shep: Do you think it's important to have sponsors or is it merely a bonus?
Adam Vakulin: Sponsors are of course only a bonus since I started skating not to b sponsored but because of the love for skating. Or though they do help a fair bit wid da products and stuff, especially if they look after you well then it's a real bonus. But I skate because I think its da best thing in the whole world and sponsored or not I'm gonna keep doing dis shit because I cant describe da feeling that I get when I pull something sik, its all about da love.

Shep: Apart from skating you also breakdance, how long have you been breaking?
Adam Vakulin: Well its been well over 1 and a half years since I've started, but I have been real lazy wid dat for the last 5 months or so. My ankle isn't helping much either but I will b back in the scene soon.

Shep: Ok lets say you have just hooked up a date with Madonna and the time has come for you and her to get FUNKY ! what track would you choose to make that moment that little more special?
Adam Vakulin: alright.... let me think, I know, I would play dat trak from dres new album, I just wanna Fuk u. and cause Madonna would get really dirty to dis trak I would pull out my camera and film all the kinky shit shes doin and den sell da tape for millions and live happily ever after.

Shep: Are you working on any new tricks at the moment?
Adam Vakulin: Yeah, I'm always trying to do new stuff but I want to learn more shit on street, hand rails and stuff, I also wanna get bak into vert when the monster vert near the airport is finished, and I want to do like 720 flaters and bigger spins than wat I can do.

Shep: Who do you normally skate and hang with ?
Adam Vakulin: The crew, the daklinic crew, Dave, Daniel, Cale, Frazer, Dale and Drew. That was the skating crew but there's also a lot of people in the daklinic crew who just chill and party wid us, u know who u are and you all rock the house, mad props to da daklinic girls who have been wid us for years(Margot, Tori and Irene) u guys rock, and of course Sheppy and jj and Ashley who r like big bros of da crew or some shit, if I forgot anyone, you can kick me next time you see me.

Shep: What do u think of DA KLINIC?
Adam Vakulin: DA KLINIC is the bomb, Ilove it. its a company totally owned and run by skaters for the skaters, and because we have a such wide variety of interests within the crew the company also focuses on other things apart from skating witch I think is sik cause most skaters can relate, I will support da klinic and other skater owned companies all da way.

Shep: Do you wanna do some burn outs in my paddock tonight?
Adam Vakulin: yep shure thing sheppey, just after I'm done wid ur mom.

Shep: What is your current skate set up?
Adam Vakulin: Yo I love my skates at da moment, I just got a pair of the new throne 2 randy spizer skate, they have an anti-rocker set up witch I like, 50/50 frames.

Shep: Any advise to young up & coming skaters?
Adam Vakulin: Stik wid it guys, you never know where it will take you. Skate hard and don't get into stupid shit, skating is such a positive thing because when you skate ur wid ur friends and you have fun and always improve and whatever. Don't ever quit cause its not cool or whatever ur friends say, cause skating is one of the most hardcore things out there and its only new, imagine how far progression will take skating in a few years and then you can b a part of it.

Shep: Any Shout Outs?
Adam Vakulin: shout outs to all of the DA KLINIC crew who are mentioned above, shoutouts to all my other friends that I never get to see any more cause I'm always skating, shout out to my girl Brooke (she's hot).... and a shout out to Robbie for hookin shit up and to Paul from USD for actually looking after me and respecting me as a skater, also my parents who have supported me so much especially recently, without them I wouldnt even b alive, everyone who is skating, I'm out.

Email: adam@daklinic.com