Brazil’s Kelvin Hoefler has fought through contests proving he can hang with the best heavy hitters in skateboarding. Although Kelvin knows what it takes to bring home a trophy, there is more to skateboarding than the next competition. Get to know what type of music fuels Kelvin’s skateboarding in our latest On Rotation interview.
What are some of your favorite types of music?
I’m really eclectic. I can listen to everything. I like rap music, rock, and punk rock. I’ve been listening to a lot of Brazilian music too. If you were to look at my phone, I have all types of music.
That’s cool you don’t stick to one genre. Can you name some of your favorite artists?
I’ve been listening to a lot of King Diamond, DaBaby, Drake, and a bunch of Brazilians artists. I like Dance music too.
What kind of dance music? EDM?
Yeah, like electronic music. Like I go in the shower and play that too.
Growing up in Brazil, what types of music was played back home?
More rock because my dad loves rock. My dad loves AC/DC. He would play that all day. Iron Maiden too. All that metal.
Are there any skateboard videos you watched growing up that had an impact on your music taste?
Man, back in the day I didn’t watch the American videos. I just watched the Brazilian skaters because it was easy to check out. So there was a magazine called Cem Por Cento – like 100%. They made a video in 2002 I think, and they promoted this video called Two Points. I started skating and just watching that video. I think Rodrigo TX was on it, and it’s one of my favorites. My second is the Globe video Opinion. That was a really gnarly one. I think Chad Fernandez did a front 50 on a really tall hubba, I remember that. So yeah, those were my favorite videos at the time.
For your video parts, have you had much of a say in what music to use?
I’m like a nerd skater. I like to see every single video, so I’m picky about my song in a video part. I know I can do a video part that’s mellow you know, like, chill bars and for me real basic. But I need to always step it up. Like I need more bangers, bangers, bangers. So my song needs to be on point, like, every single trick needs to be like [makes banging noise with hands].
You mean having banger tricks land on the beat back-to-back.
Yeah, on the beat with the song. I’m really picky about the song too. I don’t know, I think skaters are weird. (laughs)
You’re not alone in that. What type of song would you use for a video part?
I like more rock music. Like metal and things like that. I like that type of skating that’s more aggressive. My personal favorite is David Gonzalez. He’s always like punk rock and down rails, you know. Alex Olson, in the Lakai Fully Flaired, used King Diamond. That was a really nice song and nice skating. It was really hyped. So I like those type of songs. More like rock, because it inspires my skating, too.
When you’re at a competition, do you throw on headphones when you compete?
Yeah, I put on my headphones at first, but I don’t listen to anything because I don’t want to talk to anyone.
So headphones are in, but nothing is playing? Does that keep you focused by no one talking to you?
Yeah, I just don’t want to talk because I’m a really shy person too. I’m just really quiet back by my zone. I don’t know. I’ve been skating big contests a lot, you know like I’m a competitive skater. But like in the past few years, competitions were kind of hectic. It was like too much, you know, it’s not like a normal contest. These kids, like some people, they need to win. It’s too much pressure I don’t like it. I just put on my headphones and skate.
You’ve been skating in contests for a long time now. Are you switching your skate focus on having more fun outside of the contest world?
Yeah, I’ve been skating contests all my career. In between contests, you need to skate because you love it. You skate not just for your sponsors, or to get the trophy and go back home. You need to be free, you know? Just grab your board and push around. It’s not like contests every time. I hate that. Sometimes somebody will look it up, like you’re just a contest skater. I don’t give a f–k what they think. I skate every day by myself, with my girl with my friends sometimes. I like to skate. Sometimes, I don’t like to skate handrails or street skating. I just want to push around because it’s fun.
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