Skating through the pain and prosthetics
- Text by Jack Richardson
“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
London’s largest indoor skatepark to be demolished for padel courts
Better Extreme — The Barking skatepark’s fate follows that of similar indoor spaces in recent years, with operators GLL citing falling visitor numbers as the reason behind the decision.
Written by: Isaac Muk
A decade of Palestinian skatepark graffiti gets turned into a clothing capsule
Concrete canvas — SkatePal’s new collection draws on artwork left by local skaters and visiting volunteers at the Asira Ash-Shamaliya concrete skatepark – the largest of its kind in Palestine.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Moshpits & kickflips at the Volcom Garden Experience 2026
Family affair — Last weekend, the skate, surf and snow culture brand hosted a free mini festival in its European backyard of Biarritz. We went along and chatted to legendary artist and surfer Ozzie Wright.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The rise of France’s rollerskiing scene, as its snowfall thins
Carving road — With changing climates forcing skiers to travel higher up mountains in search of quality powder, a small community is turning to tarmac and building a new vision of the sport that doesn’t rely on winter.
Written by: Flore Boitel
In photos: The gritty golden age of the UK’s skateboarding scene
Elsewhere — A new book from Science Vs. Life founder Neil Macdonald explores the characters, photographs and ephemera that defined the sport in the ’80s and ’90s, just before the internet and commercialisation changed it forever.
Written by: Isaac Muk
“Like skating an amphitheatre”: 50 years of the South Bank skatepark, in photos
Skate 50 — A new exhibition celebrates half a century of British skateboarding’s spiritual centre. Noah Petersons traces the Undercroft’s history and enduring presence as one of the world’s most iconic spots.
Written by: Noah Petersons