In this series of portraits, we introduce you to the best skaters in France who are or have been part of Old Skullz Skateboard in the framework of the Club and stays Skate Camps. Aujourd’hui Étienne Turnbull (aka Skater Player on Insta) shares a bit of his life with us. (Interview by Maxx Hat)
Here’s the rundown: if you follow the skateboard world at all, especially on Insta, you can’t have missed Étienne. To explain the phenomenon, he’s an incredibly productive skater who posts tricks you’d expect in a video part, but does it every day… Let’s just say he’s on fire. Étienne doesn’t need big contest results to be one of France’s most-followed skaters. Despite his nickname, this guy isn’t playing around — he’s crushing it. He’s just released a part for DC shoes, and everyone knows him as Skater Player.
Portrait
M. Yo Étienne, I think you're from the mountains, but we see you shredding city spots all the time. Can you tell us a bit more? How old are you? Where do you live?
E. I am 20 years old and I live in Lyon and I come from Morzine.
M. Which Skate Camp you’ve taken part in (Barca, Hossegor, Provence?)
E. I participated in the Skate Camp Barcelona !
M. How long have you been skating? Do you have any sponsors?
E. Just over 7 years, and yes, I have quite a few at the moment. DC shoes, Jacker, DGK, film trucks and Broski hardware
M. We've seen quite a lot of you in the media lately. As usual, really! You did an interview in the new Surgar Mag that's just come out. That's awesome, man!
M. Have you had any contest results?
E. A bit, back in the day (1st regionally, 10th at the senior French Championships 3–4 years ago)
M. Why did you want to do a Skate Camp ?
E. To go skating in Barca with the S, Joshi Josh and Lucca
M. Are you more into street, bowl, or both?
E. More street but bowl is cool too
M. Do you have any skateboarding goals? (For now or for later?)
E. Right now, it's making street video parts like this one. And later, going pro, of course—why not?
M. Your favourite French skater? Your all-time greatest skater?
E. Honestly, among French skaters, it’s my G Andrea Dupré, and for the GOAT, I’d say Gabriel Fortunato
The Pros | See more interviews
M. What memories do you have of your Skate Camp In three words?
E. It’s absolutely insane!
M. What did you enjoy most during your stay ?
E. Discover the spots of Barca
M. Which spot(s) did you love skating?
E. Macba, fondo, there's plenty of others too!
M. Did you learn any tricks during your stay that you couldn't land before? Which ones?
E. I managed to land a laserflip on the blocks at Macba, and back then I really wanted to do that there!
M. I remember you also landed a switch frontside flip in 2 attempts… haha. Do you have any skateboarding projects you’re working on right now? (Contests, video parts, sponsors, studies…)
E. I've just released my part for DC Shoes, and soon I'm going to England for the championship there. Otherwise, I'm not that into contests anymore, so I'm focusing more on street parts and just filming.
M. We shot quite a few cool photos together. I remember you were really productive and skated really well!
M. In a few words, what does a typical day look like for you?
E. I get up and go buy stuff for lunch. After eating, maybe we’ll play golf with friends if the weather’s good. Then we go home, grab our boards and usually head to Hdv, before moving on to street spots to film things on our phones. Then it’s home, plenty of chilling and eventually sleep. The usual.
M. Living the good life, mate. So if people want to follow you on Insta to see what you get up to, what's your handle?
M. Oh, and one last question: would you recommend that your friends or younger skaters do a Skate Camp with us? Why?
E. Yeah, it's so cool. You get to discover places you've never been able to visit before. When you're a kid and can't really travel on your own, it's an amazing opportunity. It's really cool!
M. Thanks for your time, mate. It's been great having you with us and now seeing you develop and keep progressing! We've got our fingers crossed for you!
Watch Étienne Turnbull in action during the Skate Camps
More Skater Player!
