Skating through the pain and prosthetics

Meet skateboarding’s bionic behemoth — Clément Zannini has a prosthetic leg, but he’ll be damned if that’s going to stop him skating.

“I push further than my limits,” says skater Clément Zannini. “I know them, but I don’t care about them.”

Zannini has a birth defect which leaves him without most of his right leg. His struggle and determination to keep on skating is the subject of Hurdle, the latest venture from German skater and filmmaker Felix Loechel.

Loechel’s documentary portrait is as short and intense as it is inspiring, with its dark introduction and Zannini’s voiceover giving way to a more dynamic style awash with tricks.

Zannini’s kickflips and grinds are of a calibre many people would struggle to achieve, even without a prosthetic leg.

For explanation, we can point to Zannini’s attitude: “I am 100% about skateboarding. I don’t give a fuck about anything else.”

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.


You might like

A group of people sitting around a campfire in a dark forest, with trees and flowers in the background illuminated by the fire's glow.
© Angelina Nikolayeva
Music

At Belgium’s Horst, electronic music, skate and community collide

More than a festival — With art exhibitions, youth projects and a brand new skatepark, the Vilvoorde-Brussels weekender is demonstrating how music events can have an impact all year round.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Colourful embroidered jackets worn by two people, with skateboarder visible in background. Bright colours and graphic designs on the clothing.
Sport

Volcom teams up with Bob Mollema for the latest in its Featured Artist Series

True to This — The boardsports lifestyle brand will host an art show in Biarritz to celebrate the Dutch illustrators’ second capsule collection.

Written by: Huck

Woman in green jumper holding skateboard in skate park, with other people and skaters in the background.
Sport

In Baghdad, skater girls are reshaping Iraqi womanhood

Baghdad is rad — As the city’s first skatepark opens, the new space is providing a blank canvas for its board culture. Dalia Dawood speaks to the people looking to make its ramps and rails a safe haven for women and girls.

Written by: Dalia Dawood

Indoor skate park with ramps, riders, and abstract architectural elements in blue, white, and black tones.
Sport

In England’s rural north, skateboarding is femme

Zine scene — A new project from visual artist Juliet Klottrup, ‘Skate Like a Lass’, spotlights the FLINTA+ collectives who are redefining what it means to be a skater.

Written by: Zahra Onsori

Sport

From his skating past to sculpting present, Arran Gregory revels in the organic

Sensing Earth Space — Having risen to prominence as an affiliate of Wayward Gallery and Slam City Skates, the shredder turned artist creates unique, temporal pieces out of earthly materials. Dorrell Merritt caught up with him to find out more about his creative process.

Written by: Dorrell Merritt

Sport

Baghdad’s first skatepark set to open next week

Make Life Skate Life — Opening to the public on February 1, it will be located at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the city centre and free-of-charge to use.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.