Pacman – Titus Tour 2023
PACMAN
TITUS IN ROTTERDAM & THE HAGUE
PACMAN
TITUS IN ROTTERDAM & THE HAGUE
Photos & Text – Thomas Gentsch
With all the talk about open borders going on in European politics right now, I can’t help but think of the border between Germany and our beloved neighbor The Netherlands. Seldom have I ever crossed the Dutch-German border without seeing undercover cops just waiting to pull your ass over and direct you to a parking lot for an inspection. Open borders? Yeah right! On a Friday near the end of our TITUS tour we crossed the border only to have a cop on a motorcycle whip out behind us shortly after. He directed us to a parking lot and sure enough, it was filled with cops, cars with all their doors open, and tons of people sitting around on curbs being inspected. Now, our van was added to the pile and 5 cops approached our van packed full of people. With Jelle behind the wheel, Jesse squeezed in the middle and myself in the passenger seat, we looked undeniably suspicious. Not to mention, the significant age differences between us. So, it was no surprise when the first thing the cop said was “So what brings THIS group of people together?” while eyeing 14 year old Jesse. Well officer, that would be skateboarding!
Our inspection shenanigans happened near the end of our trip however and not too long after, we continued on our journey to Münster unharmed. We’d just finished a week-long trip to The Netherlands, more specifically to The Hague and Rotterdam. Great skate trips don’t necessarily have to happen so far away from home which can also make things a lot easier. “Can we park here, Jelle?”, “Can we hit up this spot next, Jelle?”, or “When are we gonna meet the real Maatman?” were all common questions as we toured through the homeland of Jelle. He actually comes from Arnhem located on the opposite side of the country. But, that’s only 120 kilometers away, so I think it’s fair to call him a local.
„Pacman is a good video game i was playing just before i started skating and came back with Jesse to our lifes in my late 40´s!“
Dani
Dani Lebron – Switch Crooks
Jesse Kloes – bs Kickflip
Jesse Kloes – Hardflip
With our AirBNB mansion located in a calm yet central location of the city, we had hit the jackpot. Regardless, the owner’s jaws just about hit the floor when they saw such a wild looking crew jump out of the van when we arrived. Hopefully, little Pacman helped calm their worries down a bit. Trampoline, Ping Pong table, BBQ, you name it, they had everything to make the stay as comfortable and fun as possible. “Don’t ever go into the basement“ was their only request. This surely made everyone a bit intrigued, especially Pacman.
„Pacmaaaaaaan, haha! It will stick forever, sorry Jesse!“
Jelle
„Pacman is the best example for the future of skateboarding: Skilled, learning fast and being super responsible!“
Gustavo
Having a true veteran pro like Dani Lebron with us was one of the greatest treats ever. Always in a good mood, making everyone laugh with hilarious quotes, he was the first person to coin “Tour words”. These mainly included things like “Gentschylife” for myself (and my layed back tour behaviour) and “Pacman“, referring to our youngest crew member, Jesse Kloes. It was Jesse’s first trip ever and surely the kid needed to get picked on. Not like back in the day, when the elders sometimes played really heavy tricks on the youngsters, but still a bit annoying in a funny way. Jesse is one of those people who are incredibly ticklish at his knees. Dani and soon after everyone else started to grab his knees whenever he wasn’t paying attention. This kind of grab, as you can picture it, could only remind you of one thing: Pacman!
Patrick Rogalski – Nollie Kickflip
„Never too much ice-cream for Pacman!““
Jost
Jost Arens – fs Nosegrind Pop Out
Jelle Maatman – Kickflip Noseslide
Gustavo Dos Anjos – Switch Kickflip bs Tailslide
Jost Arens – bs Kickflip
„The first and the best tour, with all these nice and supportive people – thanx TITUS skateboards!“
Jesse
Patrick Rogalski – Nosemanual Nollie Kickflip
This was and is what skateboarding tours are all about. Especially for younger kids joining a group of well-traveled skaters, these experiences will always be something to remember. From the awesome spots to the accommodation, the great food to the uncontrollable laughter, each trick that went down and all the great quotes of these trips will be burned into memories for life. No matter how many tours and skate experiences Jesse will have – he’ll always be Pacman!
„Hungrier than Pacman“
Rocco
Jelle Maatman – Lipslide to 5-0
