Approx. 3 years, I started because a friend of mine bought a penny board and I got a longboard because of him. He stopped riding but I didn’t.

What’s your favorite trick or thing to do on a board and why?

A grab that I’ve been doing for a long time but I don’t know what the name is, haha.

I just grab the nose with my thumb down when I pop the board in front of me and then just spin it a whole rotation.

How did longboarding change you as a person?

I guess I got more excited to try new things and not give up trying. Especially in the beginning I used to skate for hours and try the same thing until I could do it. I’ve also met a lot of people and got to travel because of it.

I’ve had my fair share of setbacks though, in the most recent time I’ve had the feeling of being very excluded from the community because I got inactive. University and jobs just took up all of my time and I feel like I slipped out of relevancy kind of haha.

Do you currently have a sponsor? How did that happen?

I do, I’m a flow rider for Kebbek Skateboards.

It happened in February 2018 at the ISPO in Munich. I was talking to one of the representatives of the company and it turned out it was the manager of the brand and he gave me a board asking me to review it. So now I test out the boards and give them feedback for the production.

What are the benefits or perks of being sponsored?

Having a sponsor and working with them makes you more productive in a lot of ways. There is a second reason for skating next to enjoying yourself.

Not gonna lie – it saves you a lot of money especially if you go through board a lot. But that’s not the main thing, it’s working with people that appreciate what you can do and value your opinion as a rider and take your feedback into consideration.

Do you have an everyday board, the board that you always ride with?

I usually stick to one board until I can’t ride it, I’m thinking about getting a cruiser for every day commute when I’m at university but right now I’m testing a lot of board from Kebbek Skateboards so I’m changing setups pretty quickly. Once they settle on a final design I’ll have a day to day board again.

Describe your setup, what’s good about it?

My setup right now is a Kalso 46 from Kebbek Skateboards. We’ve been working a lot to make it perfect for dancing and freestyle. There are some really cool features that haven’t been seen on other board until now but I’m going to have to keep it a secret for now haha.

My trucks are Paris, I’ve had the same pair for 2 years now, they’re super durable and I really love them. If I ever get new ones it’ll be because I just want then to look new.

As for wheels – I still haven’t found my wheels soulmate, sadly. I’m just going with Bloodorange Morgans for now.

Do you have friends you skate with regularly?

I skate alone at the moment, there aren’t any riders in Munich where I live, which is pretty sad. There used to be a lot of riders but they all quit for either getting bored of it and not developing more skill fast enough or they found new hobbies.

I used to be part of the Bulgarian Crew Lazy Riding Crew, I founded it with my friend Dan Petrov but we had some stuff that happened so I decided to leave, no hard feelings now though. Maybe I’ll join it again some day, if they’re up for it.

Who inspires you (longboarder or skateboarder) that makes you want to push your progression! Why?

All of my longboard friends. Every single one of them inspires me and makes me want to get better. Whenever I see them doing a trick or landing something new I get really excited for them and that makes me want to try it out as well. As long as I don’t bail on it haha.

How did this person affect the way you longboard?

They all affected me in trying to find my own style and only getting inspired by them, not copying their whole style. They have their style, I have mine.

Describe briefly what do you do outside longboarding?

Well first of all I’m spy for the Bulgarian Government. (jk) I’m a university student and I study Arts & Multimedia in my 3rd semester. I also have a steady job in a shop. I’m a brand ambassador for Gorilla Deutschland gGmbH, which is a state funded organization to promote healthy living for children and freestyle sports. I’m also really interested in art and do my own illustrations (@zetalph if you’re interested).

What would people be surprised to know about you?

Maybe that I’ve had bouts of depression for the past 7 years, as well as panic and anxiety attacks. I’m not ashamed to talk about it, I want people to know a person they can talk to if they ever need some advice or help.

What are your struggles right now?

Time management. Definitely finding time for everything I have to do and want to accomplish. It’s proving to be much harder than expected, haha.

One piece of advice

Don’t forget the good things in life, it’s easy to always remember the bad.

A personal quote that keeps you motivated

I think it’s a couple of words that my father told me once when I was having a lot of personal problems. He said that –

the three most important things in life for accomplishing something are : Work, Diligence and Perseverance.

Suggested Music

I listen to a lot to Metal and Alternative Music. Most recently I’ve been really into this Italian Band called Go!Zilla. I don’t know what it is, I just like the complexity and melodic range of the songs. Basically, if it’s over 120 decibel I like it. I do listen to slower music from time to time haha, Classical Music is a favourite of mine, especially when I study.

Social Media

@merilosity for my main skate account
@zetalph for my art related content