GRIP
GRIP

Tuomas Ritola

WHO

Tuomas ”TUPPU” Ritola from Helsinki. I’m a dad and a friend and a tattooer.

MEMORY LANE

How and when did you get involved with skateboarding?

I grew up in small city called Seinäjoki.. I got my first complete when I was 8 years old in 1987.

I got to see some older kids skating in the city and I was blown away… At that time I was just messing around with bike and  maybe my parents thought that skating could be nice thing to do. I got a variflex board with whatever wheels and trucks.

I was the only kid in that neighborhood who skated.. kinda young and not allowed to go to city to see other skaters by myself.

First trick you learned or struggled with the most?

I think the first one was boneless. And with me.. skating was all struggle, but fun still.

Best/worst memory in your skateboarding history?

The best memories are those long endless summer nights when you were just free and hanging with friends and you knew that next day will be exactly the same. I don´t have something like THE worst memory, but maybe those days when you just hated skating and your ankle got wrecked and nothing was going the way you wanted or something like that.

Ever been in a skategang? What is/was it called?

We had a solid group of friends, but we didn’t have any name or gang.

STYLE

How would you describe your skating?

Struggle of life.. hahaha.

What kind of spots do you prefer?

At the moment.. flat in front of my house.. hahaha. And slappy grind curb.

What kind of a skateboard setup do you have?

Board 8,35” or bigger with indy to fit 52mm spitfire with reds.

Favorite trick?

Rolling and fs boardslide has always been my favourite.

PHILOSOPHY

How has skateboarding changed the way you perceive the world?

This one. Man.. I think that skating was really the best for me. Especially growing up in the late 80´s / 90`s in a small shitty town it really saved me from being an uptight, shortsighted asshole. When as a kid Thrasher was my window to see totally different world than that place had to offer to anybody. I really think that skating kinda ”saved" my life and really guided me to be different from the others.. from those who like no one really wants to be. And skateboarding has been the main part of my life with friends and job and with everything since 1987. Well.. 14 years ago I started tattooing and that started to be a bigger part in my life, but I never lost that passion to skating.

Has skateboarding affected the way you make music or other things?

For sure.

How do you see skateboarding as a culture now or compared to when you started skating?

Definitely as a culture.. 1987 there was nothing and no one skated comparing to these days. I love it. I love to see kids supporting skating even if they don’t skate or don’t know what they are wearing.. and just like that, someday they might.

ART

What music have you discovered through skateboarding?

Wow… Almost all those ”old” bands that I still listen. Skatevideos were the only way to get to hear new exiting music. I basically discovered the whole punk/hc thing from old videos. I placed a tape recorder next to the TV and that’s how I had new music to listen. Didn’t know what it was, but I was stoked.

Favorite song to skate to?

Can't point out one.

Who are the skaters/musicians you look up to?

Timi Valo, Arsi Keva, Quim Cardona, Pontus Alv, Moa Zander.

Favorite skateboard graphics of all time?

In the early 90´s there was a company called BLUE with Jason Lee and Chris Pastras. Jason Lee had a board out with a sketchy drawn group of men on it and I still love it.

Favorite skate video or part of all time?

Real real to reel. And Quim Cardona on that one.

GRIP

HEALTH

Have you had any bad injuries?

Nothing too bad.

Beverage of choice when skating?

Water.

How do you take care of your body before and after skating if you do that at all?

Little stretching before.. and I love to ride a bike and run.

Final words of wisdom or motivation for the young ones?

We were doing this company called Melodica with my best friend for years.. That was so much fun and it gave me so much.. it was hard, but still fun.. we got old and families and thought that young ones should be the ones that are doing companies in Finland. What I hope is to see that new generation will start their own things, open their own shops and just take lead of that whole thing here. There are already really cool Finnish brands out there and would love to see more of them. So ”kids” just go for it! Do what you love and want. 

Love and peace and compassion.

↑

Tuomas Ritola

WHO

Tuomas ”TUPPU” Ritola from Helsinki. I’m a dad and a friend and a tattooer.

MEMORY LANE

How and when did you get involved with skateboarding?

I grew up in small city called Seinäjoki.. I got my first complete when I was 8 years old in 1987.

I got to see some older kids skating in the city and I was blown away… At that time I was just messing around with bike and  maybe my parents thought that skating could be nice thing to do. I got a variflex board with whatever wheels and trucks.

I was the only kid in that neighborhood who skated.. kinda young and not allowed to go to city to see other skaters by myself.

First trick you learned or struggled with the most?

I think the first one was boneless. And with me.. skating was all struggle, but fun still.

Best/worst memory in your skateboarding history?

The best memories are those long endless summer nights when you were just free and hanging with friends and you knew that next day will be exactly the same. I don´t have something like THE worst memory, but maybe those days when you just hated skating and your ankle got wrecked and nothing was going the way you wanted or something like that.

Ever been in a skategang? What is/was it called?

We had a solid group of friends, but we didn’t have any name or gang.

STYLE

How would you describe your skating?

Struggle of life.. hahaha.

What kind of spots do you prefer?

At the moment.. flat in front of my house.. hahaha. And slappy grind curb.

What kind of a skateboard setup do you have?

Board 8,35” or bigger with indy to fit 52mm spitfire with reds.

Favorite trick?

Rolling and fs boardslide has always been my favourite.

GRIP

PHILOSOPHY

How has skateboarding changed the way you perceive the world?

This one. Man.. I think that skating was really the best for me. Especially growing up in the late 80´s / 90`s in a small shitty town it really saved me from being an uptight, shortsighted asshole. When as a kid Thrasher was my window to see totally different world than that place had to offer to anybody. I really think that skating kinda ”saved" my life and really guided me to be different from the others.. from those who like no one really wants to be. And skateboarding has been the main part of my life with friends and job and with everything since 1987. Well.. 14 years ago I started tattooing and that started to be a bigger part in my life, but I never lost that passion to skating.

Has skateboarding affected the way you make music or other things?

For sure.

How do you see skateboarding as a culture now or compared to when you started skating?

Definitely as a culture.. 1987 there was nothing and no one skated comparing to these days. I love it. I love to see kids supporting skating even if they don’t skate or don’t know what they are wearing.. and just like that, someday they might.

ART

What music have you discovered through skateboarding?

Wow… Almost all those ”old” bands that I still listen. Skatevideos were the only way to get to hear new exiting music. I basically discovered the whole punk/hc thing from old videos. I placed a tape recorder next to the TV and that’s how I had new music to listen. Didn’t know what it was, but I was stoked.

Favorite song to skate to?

Can't point out one.

Who are the skaters/musicians you look up to?

Timi Valo, Arsi Keva, Quim Cardona, Pontus Alv, Moa Zander.

Favorite skateboard graphics of all time?

In the early 90´s there was a company called BLUE with Jason Lee and Chris Pastras. Jason Lee had a board out with a sketchy drawn group of men on it and I still love it.

Favorite skate video or part of all time?

Real real to reel. And Quim Cardona on that one.

HEALTH

Have you had any bad injuries?

Nothing too bad.

Beverage of choice when skating?

Water.

How do you take care of your body before and after skating if you do that at all?

Little stretching before.. and I love to ride a bike and run.

Final words of wisdom or motivation for the young ones?

We were doing this company called Melodica with my best friend for years.. That was so much fun and it gave me so much.. it was hard, but still fun.. we got old and families and thought that young ones should be the ones that are doing companies in Finland. What I hope is to see that new generation will start their own things, open their own shops and just take lead of that whole thing here. There are already really cool Finnish brands out there and would love to see more of them. So ”kids” just go for it! Do what you love and want. 

Love and peace and compassion.

↑