Our friends at Allaroundskate.com have featured a kick ass crew from Italy called Longskate Arbus. We’ve featured a few of their video’s in the past and they always receive great feedback, we look forward to their next video! Here’s the interview from AllAroundSkate! Fabrizio Ara tells All Around Skate about his local crew, and gives us some insight into longboarding in Italy! The first of many Italian features!

Hey Fabrizio, where are you from?
Hi, I’m from Arbus, a little Sardinian village in Italy.

Where did you start skating?
I started skating in Arbus, I was the only skater in this village, but soon a group of guys began to practice this sport. We didn’t know anything about longboarding, we had never seen a longboard, and we relied on the internet videos to learn something.

How did you get into longboarding?
I’ve always been fascinated by this sport, I was a surfer and 2 years ago my girlfriend bought me the first deck, from there it all began. From that moment I left the surf to practice only Longboarding. About a year after I started this sport, I got sponsored by a skate shop, Wipeout.it Boardshop.

Congratulations. You don’t surf anymore?
I sold all my boards for buying equipment for filming. I can say that is just a break, I will ride again!

How long will you be on a break from surfing?
I stopped for about a year, I hope to return next year.

To focus more on riding or filming?
As a matter of money! I am a student, and I had to choose between two things.

You’re a film-maker?
Yes, I like filming, I edit all the videos of my team and almost all of my videos are filmed only by me.

What team?
We are an amateur team, named Longskate Arbus, about 9 longboarders. Daniele and  Alessio Fronteddu, Luca Senis, Matteo Pani, Giacomo Sanna, Luca Orrù, Marco Garau, Stefano Serpi. They are my friends.

Is that your local crew?
Yes, it is, the team name is the name of the village where the team was born, but 4 guys are not from Arbus!

How was last season for you? where did you skate?
It was very positive, we have improved a lot and we produced a higher quality video. We skated in Sardinia, especially in the south-west coast.

About two years ago I got my first board, I had never used a skateboard before that.
In the first year I tried to learn the tricks on flat while learning to use a camera. After one year I was sponsored by Wipeout.it, the flat had lost it’s appeal, then it was time to exploit the many downs that Sardinia offers us.  Soon the group was cohesive and we produced many videos.  On May 28, 2011, we organized a contest, it included Downhill, Slide Jam, Freestyle: I won the downhill race, Daniele Fronteddu the slide jam and Luca Senis the freestyle.  Now we are waiting to organize some other events.

Wow. Nice. What is the scene like in the rest of Italy?
The scene in Italy is growing. Two years ago no one knew anything but the crews have started to become known thanks to social networks and forums, there are more and more videos.

The most known are Evan Division, Longboard Family Genova, Longboard Sardegna, Longskate Sassari, Asphalt Freeriders, Nontomarel.acqua, Chianti Drifters, Horsefield, Eskate Milano, Longboard Torino and others!

What is the relationship like between the crews?
We try to have a good relationship with everyone and especially we have good relationships with Ligurian and Sardinian crews.

Are there national competitions?
In Italy there are some organized races, but there is not an Italian championship.

Apart from your village, where else have you been skating?
We ride different spots throughout Sardinia, unfortunately we have not yet had the opportunity to get out of our island.

What do you ride?
I ride a Rayne Demonseed with Caliber trucks and EW Floaters, a Rayne Nemesis with Caliber and Abec11 Zigzags, and a Earthwing Belly Racer with Randal and Abec11 Flashbacks

What are your plans for this season?
The only objective is to to skate and get better and better and if possible to organize some events to involve as many people as possible in this wonderful sport.

Any travelling?
This year the university stops me, but next year certainly i will compete to some contests in the rest of Italy and perhaps to the Italian rounds of the European championship.

What is the Italian round of the European Championship?
Last year there were 2 rounds organized by IGSA, Verdicchio (Marche) and Teolo (Veneto), but this year there will be only the round of Teolo.

How come?
I think there are organization problems

Did you attend either of those rounds last year?
No, I didn’t.

Choose 3 numbers between 1-20
3-11-9

3 – What impact has longboarding had on your life
It changed my life, I live for longboarding

11 – What’s your favourite sandwich filling ?
Ham and cheese!

9 – Favourite song to listen to when you skate
Black Flag, Wasted

Thanks for talking to us tonight bro!

videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/OtangArbus
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arbuslongskatecrew