Currently, With Willow Voges Fernandes

A lot can happen in two years. Since we last caught up with Willow, the Hamburg hometown hero has gone pro for GX1000, deepened his roots in his hometown, and at the time of writing just released on his first-ever signature colourway on Vans with a whole host of friends and family present in Hamburg to mark the occasion. 

With a new video part in the works and plenty of miles still ahead, we called Willow to talk shoes, home turf, friendships, cross sport inspirations and striking the balance of form versus function on and off the board.

Where are you right now?

I’m in Hamburg, recovering from quite the weekend for my shoe release!

Talk us through the release over the weekend?

It was actually more of a week!

We started on the Monday when the Vans crew rolled into town, we filmed for a few days on the streets and had a blast as per usual. It went well, nice to see the homies getting some clips in the hometown, a really special feeling. We did that until Friday when it got too hot to film, so we hit the lake, kicked it in the sun, threw on the grill. Hit a dinner with the friends, family and Vans crew. Honestly Saturday was the same program, until we hit Lobby Skate Shop for the release of the shoe and a little exhibition featuring photos from Davey (DVL) and a few other contributors – I was so stoked on how many people turned up.

Sunday came around and it was Go Skateboarding Day session at one of the city's main plazas - Rollschuhbahn. Vans put a new obstacle in we had dreamt up and it was so sick seeing the crew and locals hit it, people were stoked about it saying it was just what the plaza needed which really meant a lot. A successful weekend!

Shout out to Chris and the Vans crew who put their heart, soul and sweat into this and showed up for me, it’s truly an honour and I’m really grateful to everyone. It felt like a really nice way to celebrate the project with everyone who's been part of the journey.

What makes Hamburg special?

It's my hometown, born and raised.

My friends, my family and my crew are all there. Whenever I come back from a trip it feels like a reset, a safe space for me. That's something I've come to appreciate more and more over the years.

Hamburg has a unique energy too. It's a port city, one of the biggest ports in Europe - so there's always movement. People are constantly arriving and leaving, which gives it a really interesting atmosphere. In summer it's incredible - long days as we are so far up north in Germany, good weather and endless time to skate. In winter it's the other way around; darker, colder and windier, but it still has this character that keeps pulling me back. It's one of those places that gets under your skin.

We last spoke a couple of years ago. What's changed since then?

Well, everything and nothing in a way.

I'm still in Hamburg and still enjoying the balance between travelling and coming home. Life has shifted a little personally, but the biggest thing is that I've realised how important it is to have somewhere familiar to return to.

When you're constantly travelling, everything and different cities can start blending together into one. Having a place that feels grounded becomes even more important. Hamburg is really grounding for me, I have no plans on moving.

On current affairs, you recently went pro for GX1000. How did that happen?

It happened pretty naturally, at the time I was getting boards through a distribution that was carrying Polar, that then ended and around that same period GX came through Europe, to Paris and Stuttgart and were looking for someone local to join a trip. Some footage of me got sent over and they invited me along to join the crew.

I remember meeting everyone in Paris and being incredibly nervous because I'd been watching GX videos for years. Suddenly I was skating alongside people I'd looked up to for a long time - but we clicked straight away and since then I've travelled with them regularly, spending time in San Francisco and become really close with everyone involved. The whole thing happened much faster than I expected, so going pro still feels surreal.

It's a huge honour. That’s all I can say.

How did they break the news?

It happened in Athens around a month ago, during a trip that brought together both the GX and Vans Europe crews, which is two really important aspects or crews in my life in terms of skating as the Vans crew are my day one skate trip homies.

Looking back, it was the perfect place for it to happen. A lot of my closest friends were there and those are the people you want around during moments like those. The whole thing felt really genuine, surreal and to share it with those people was incredibly special.

Touching on crews, tell us about Bug Crew?

Bug Crew is my local crew from Hamburg. Moritz Ueberall films everything and we've been making videos together for years. We started out filming VX videos, moved into HD and never really stopped. Even though everyone's busier these days and we're all travelling more, those are still my closest friends.

Having a crew like that in your hometown is something I never take for granted. No matter where skateboarding takes me, those are the people I always want to come back to and skate with.

Let's talk about the shoe. How did the project come together?

The project has been in the works for a while, so seeing it finally release feels pretty surreal. It's my first colourway, which already makes it special, but at the same time I've been filming a video part in the shoe. Everything feels connected. It's not just a product release. It's tied to a bigger chapter of skating for me and a lot of work that's been happening behind the scenes – it feels really significant for me.

What was the design process like?

The Vans design team basically put the Old Skool and WaffleCup in front of me and asked what I wanted to do with it.

I got to choose the colours and add details that felt personal. The BUG Crew is named after a dog, so there's a small illustration on the insole. There's also a custom BUG logo on the heel that some friends originally created. Those details were really important because I wanted the shoe to feel connected to where I come from and the people around me. I've always loved black leather shoes and I wanted something simple and timeless. I also love the idea of a shoe that reveals another colour as it wears through. It's not a new idea, but it's something I've always wanted to skate.

The final result feels exactly like something I'd choose to wear every day.

Let’s talk tech! How does the WaffleCup perform?

Honestly, at first I was sceptical. I've always loved classic Vans exactly as they are, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the WaffleCup. Then I started skating it and was genuinely surprised. The added support in the heel makes a major difference. You can take bigger impacts, the shoe stays stable and it doesn't break down as quickly – it doesn’t get soft. Sometimes your heel strikes really hard through the sole but these have so much support when you jump.

It still feels like a Vans shoe, but with a little extra support where you need it.

For the way I skate now, it's kind of perfect.

Form versus function is always a skateboarding debate. Does this shoe strike the balance?

Absolutely. Without the WaffleCup, an Old Skool can be pretty demanding on your feet. The WaffleCup gives it more support and stability without losing the silhouette that I love. For me, that's exactly where aesthetics and performance meet.

I wanted a shoe that looks good, feels good and performs well. This is probably the closest I've come to finding all three in one package.

Were there any Vans shoes that shaped your taste growing up?

The Half Cab was a favourite for years. Before that, it was always Slip-Ons. I remember going into stores with my dad and wanting checkerboard Slip-Ons every single time. Even before I had any relationship with Vans through skateboarding, those were the shoes I gravitated towards. As my style evolved, so did the shoes I wore. When I was younger and wearing huge baggy trousers, the Half Cab felt perfect. As things changed I found myself moving back towards slimmer silhouettes, that's one of the reasons the Old Skool felt like such a natural choice for this project.

You also surf and snowboard. Do those sports influence your skating?

Definitely. I actually started snowboarding before I started skating, way back in the day. My dad took me snowboarding every winter when I was really young and I think that gave me a lot of confidence with speed. A lot of what I love about skating comes from that same feeling, I love to bomb hills and when you have lots of speed doing power slides or whatever there is a lot of crossover there. Whether it's a snowboard, skateboard or surfboard, there's something about speed, flow and reading what is in front of you that connects all three. They're different sports, but the feeling isn't that different – it’s all a similar mindset.

Anyone outside skateboarding who inspires you in that way?

Arthur Longo is a huge one. The way he snowboards is beautiful. Everything looks effortless and stylish, but you know there's so much control behind it. For surfing, Mason Ho - I love the creativity in the way he approaches waves. He sees things differently and finds lines that other people don't.

You can't directly transfer everything from snowboarding or surfing into skating, but you can definitely take inspiration from the way people approach what they do. That's something I've always paid attention to.

What's next?

The focus is filming. We're heading to Helsinki around Hel’Ride, but the main goal is getting footage for a new video part. Right now that's what motivates me most. I want to create something I'll still be proud of years from now and hopefully something people genuinely enjoy watching, that’s always the goal for me.

Last Words?

Go skate and enjoy the sun.