Skateboarding
Julian has lived his whole life on the road.
Julian Kimura has lived the greater part of his young life travelling the world. His passport holds way more stamps than you may expect from a 16-year-old. He skates with a smooth, flawless style as his video edit demonstrates.
We shot the breeze with him about how he came to be where he is today, and the many avenues he has taken to get here.
Your background seems to be equal parts Japanese and Brazilian, where were you born? My Mum is Brazilian and my Dad is Japanese. I was born in Tokyo, but I moved to Brazil when I was nine months old. I still haven't got a taste of Japan yet! I would love to go and visit sometime soon.
Which countries have you lived in, and which one do you like best? So far, Mexico, the United States, the Czech Republic, Brazil, England, Argentina and now I'm blessed to be living in Spain.
It all changes as time goes by. My Mum and my step-dad have been trying to give me the best childhood since the first day and I would have to say that they've succeeded.
We lived in a tropical island in Brazil when I was about seven. I was running around the jungle all day long, eating tropical fruit, lurking with animals and being in contact with nature, which at that time was something really important for me and definitely affected the way I am now.
As time went by, I got introduced to skateboarding and my way of seeing things changed. I didn’t want to live in a small city any more, I started craving more excitement… and skate spots [laughs]! I would have to say that Barcelona is the place to be, for me as a skater, although as I look back I can't think of a favourite place – there are lessons to be learned everywhere.
How do you study, when you are always moving around? Homeschool. I would always get bullied at school, apart from getting super stressed out. My family has always been against the school system, we even tried a Waldorf-based institute in Mexico… but it didn’t work out, either.
You lead a life that many would love to have. Will you keep on this path forever? My legs are young, for now! I would definitely keep this life forever. At least for as long as I can skate. It's a matter of taking care of your body. I'd rather not think so far ahead, enjoy what I have, and let it flow.
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