ON DECK WITH A SKATE LEGEND – The cooperation of Mahr’s Bräu and Sector 9

In San Diego in the early 90s, with only $10,000 start-up capital borrowed from their parents, Steve Lake, Dennis Telfer, Dave Klimkiewitz and E.G. Fratantaro started developing their first skateboards together, with a dream of reviving the longboard – an original form of skating. Today, nearly 30 years later, their Sector 9 brand is considered one of the biggest names in skate and longboarding, recognized for its unique design and durability. Sector 9 has been part of Billabong since 2008 and produces longboards, as well as skateboards, wheels, trucks, accessories and clothing. Co-Founder E.G. Fratantaro and Mahr’s CEO Stephan Michel came to know and respect each other more than 10 years ago at an art exhibition in Munich, which was furnished with beer from Mahr’s Bräu. As beer supplies began to run low among the skaters, Stephan provided another couple of rounds and that’s how they got to talking. The conversation quickly turned to good beer, the 1990s, skateboarding and surfing. About the same time Lake, Telfer, Klimkiewitz and Fratantaro were building their first boards, Stephan Michel was spending his youth with the boards he loved, longboarding and surfing since he was a kid. So, they had a lot to talk about…and still do today. This exhibition sparked something that continues burning today: an intense relationship of creativity and mutual appreciation. And the skateboard scene in sunny California also appreciates good Bamberger lager. For this reason, the collaboration brew of “Sector 9” beer – now in its eighth edition – travels with them to all trade shows and events worldwide. Together, they have been refining the recipe for years to keep up with the times. Soon Sector 9 beer will be available in cans in California, and export to other countries is currently in progress. However, that’s not the only joint project in the works. There will also be a collaborative board design coming out later this year. Stephan Michel, E.G. Fratantaro and the guys from Sector 9 are currently working on a special edition “Mahr’s Bräu” skateboard, that will go on sale this year in skate shops around the globe. *Translated from original German text into English by UCCB International