James (revolution): Jochen... This year at every event Revolution has been to, from the GAME in San Diego, to the Hoedown in Texas, to the Bittercold Showdown in Ohio - we have seen more and more skaters wearing UCON. How does that make you feel knowing UCON is growing in the US?

Jochen (ucon): It's just amazing. A lot of friends from the US told me that lately, so yeah we are all very happy about it. It's growing slowly and I think from time to time people know more about us and what Ucon is all about and that makes me really happy. We never wanted to let Ucon blow up in the wrong way. Big team, big ads, etc. Our main focus is to do the best we possibly can in all aspects. Make the best clothes possible, and then all the rest will come with time. It just takes a while to build up a brand exactly like you want it. We have progressed very well the last few years, and so I just hope that we can help to bring rollerblading back in business.

James (revolution): Revolution has imported UCON for 4 years now, before you had US distribution, etc. Now, this year you’re set up with a US Distributor, working w/ JERO - tell us how that came about & how that is going so far?

Jochen (ucon): Revolution and Matt at Intuition were the very first shops carrying Ucon, so yeah that's great, and we are very thankful for all their support over the years. Working with Jero is very good so far. He helps us with contacting shops, and keeps them informed about what's going on. Because concentrating on Europe is already very hard for us, right now a lot is going down here. It's great to have some help from somebody who shares our thinking and feelings about rollerblading. Jero is a great guy, a down to earth rollerblader, and we're all looking forward to working with him in the future. I am very excited about that, because for us this is like a new start. Almost as hard as when we started five years ago with Ucon in Europe.

James (revolution): The New UCON Collection is about to be released in the US - skaters have been asking us daily when it’s going to arrive. There is a lot of hype around the line, and it is your biggest line to date. How much work went into creating this new line?

Jochen (ucon): That's good to hear that people are excited about the new line - yeah. But I really can't answer the question how much work went down to make this line happen. I just can remember we spent like one month doing that catalog. Honestly, it went down like this. Getting up at 10 a.m then going to Martin's school and working until 3 or 5 a.m. That was probably the worst time, haha. It was great for sure, but really a lot of work. No daylight, bad food, hardly any sleep - horrible. But it all came out cool, so it's worth the time and effort, no doubt. I would guess we worked for a whole year on all that stuff, from the idea to the very finished product.

James (revolution): UCON is known for it’s high quality. Rollerblade clothing companies are moving into this higher standard, it seems like UCON was and is at the forefront of this movement. What is your motivation/philosophy for UCON?

Jochen (ucon): We have a short test we wrote the other day, and I think this pretty much says a lot. It goes like this:

"It is far more than purely an interest, or passion. Since day one we have relentlessly pursued our dream to become one of the most innovative clothing brands on the market, and we have created our own unique brand, which we invite you to become a part of. Our goal is not to make interesting clothing, it's to make clothing interesting. We cut no corners, spare no expense, and are relentless in making sure we bring the absolute best we can to the world. The true test of a great company is not sales, not fame, but the test of time. We'll be here forever."

If it comes to motivation, I think it's just that point we want to see rollerblading portrayed in the light to which it deserves. Rollerblading has had some very bad times in the last few years, and I don't like to have people talking sh#t about it without knowing anything. With Ucon we want to show that there is something cool outside. High in quality, comfort and style. Clothing skaters can indentify with and are proud to wear, and show people outside of rolling.
I personally found Ucon the thing I want to contribute to rollerblading. And I know for Martin it's just the same. So we work on that everyday. It's a great thing to build something up again from nothing. Rollerblading was almost dead, and now we have some really cool stuff going on and that feels great. Barely Dead, ONE Magazine, Be-Mag, etc. That motivates me a lot, to see that also other people put a lot of energy in their projects. Everybody who reads this can be that little piece of something great. I know this sounds pretty stupid, but it's true. Every single skater out there has to know that this can just happen if we all help together. I really don't want to sound too "Jesus" but this is what I think.

James (revolution): UCON’s garments are very custom, cut n sew items. You incorporate fashion with function as well for the garments. What is the process of designing one of the items? Who are those involved in the design process?

Jochen (ucon): It all starts wiht an idea. You have something in mind and then you draw it down and think about proper material. Get the first samples done, and then improve it from sample to sample. Thinking about all the details, choosing the colors and so on. Some pieces take really a lot of time, some of them are done really quick. Just depends on what item it is.
Martin really knows a lot about all the production processes right now. He knows (more than I do) how all the machines work and that is very important for the designing process.

James (revolution): Out of all the items that UCON has created so far, from all the lines, what are 2 of your favorite items? Something you were really proud of?

Jochen (ucon): Hard question, but personally I would choose the windbreaker and the J2. These are products with a lot of features, new technology and very cool material. I freaked out when I wore that windbreaker the first time. I can still remember the reaction of my friends when I walked down to them the first time wearing the blue/light blue windbreaker. Yeah, that felt good. Same with the J2. The laser technology is very new in combination with denim material. And I just think these jeans look really cool!

James (revolution): This year.. UCON has expanded it’s team, adding Jon Julio, and creating an Allies Team. We’re excited because you made the choice to work with one of our team riders Damien Wilson. Damien was blown away to be sponsored by UCON. Tell us about those who represent UCON? You also have a new website.

Jochen (ucon): We added Jon to the Ucon Team, which is just amazing because he is one of our all time favorite skaters. It's unbelievable to have him on the team. It's really just a dream come true for all of us, and it's great working with him. We added the allies team this year which consists of our best friends, and people who really believe in Ucon and want to help us realize our dream. The best way to check them all out is to go to ucon-acrobatics.com and read all the interviews and check out all the pics. We have a lot of info on there right now.

James (revolution): Recently, 3 of your friends from Germany were here in Arizona to skate. One night we were all chillin at DL’s house, your best friend BJ was talking about UCON. He was telling us how UCON is such an influence in Europe, it was really interesting to listen to him. How was the european scene helped UCON grow, and develop into the company it is today?

Jochen (ucon): Bj used to be one of my best friends back in the day. He was the first guy I skated with, and we had crazy sessions back in the day. Then we just moved to different places but we are still in contact a lot and he helps us sometimes with Ucon stuff. He is really worried about the company, and is our biggest critic. He knows almost more about Ucon than I do and besides that he's also a great supporter.
No doubt without the European scene Ucon would not exist. The people make you into the "thing" you are. What would Christina Aguilera be without her young fans, Chelsea without crazy soccer fans? Exactly - nothing. If you don't have people who think and act in the same way you do, nothing's gonna happen. We really know that, and we really care about our "fans." I try to stay in contact with as many rollers as possible. Answer all my mails, myspace, etc. It is a very important point for us all at Ucon to work together with the people. Doing something together with the team riders, skaters, shops, magazines. The better you work together, the better for everybody involved. I love the European scene and the skaters here.

James (revolution): We understand the work involved with running your own company. You’re involved with a lot, UCON, producing the CLIP series, and being a “voice” for Xsjado Europe, and also graduating from a university and completing your studies in sports medicine, then skating on top of all that. You must have found a balance between all that you do. Explain what a typical perfect day is like for you?

Jochen (ucon): It's not really as bad as it sounds. It's all cool stuff to do. I have a lot of fun doing all this, so that's really no big deal. I get up between 8-9 a.m and get work done for Ucon. Then doing some sport before lunch is what I really like. Go mountain biking or whatever. I pretty much do a lot of sport. Then work again on some stuff, because I really like to do that. Have a good skate session with my best friends, and then hang out with my girl or party somewhere. Everyday is a good day. I think it depends on you, if the day is gonna be good or not. The key is to find something you really like to do. Definitely the perfect day would have a lot of sport and my girl in it!

James (revolution): Lastly, we’re very happy to see UCON grow to where it is today. Revolution is always down to offer our support. UCON is an amazing brand, as a rollerblader, I’m proud to wear UCON. Let us know what your plans are for this year? Who do you want to thank?

Jochen (ucon): Become a brand which is respected. Become a brand which produces the best clothes on the market and never sell your soul. Ucon is a down to earth rollerblading company. And we will never deny our roots. Stay true and work hard everyday to make our dreams happen. There is a lot to improve and learn and we are ready for that. Just improve everything- the website, the clothing, etc. There is always a way to make it better, and it's all about not just talking about it - but doing it.
To keep it short, I want to thank everybody who takes our sport seriously and all the supporters of Ucon and Clip. Feels good to get the respect back!

Thanks - Jochen Smuda

www.ucon-acrobatics.com