It may be hard to remember this when looking around at the world gripped by an unprecedented pandemic right now, but sometimes things just work out. Like last year when photographer Dean Bradley traveled to Barcelona and arranged sessions with Yuri Botelho, and then earlier this year when we suprised Yuri at Winterclash with his photo right there on the cover of Issue #25. See? It worked out. Now check out this photo preview with a brief Q&A with Yuri about making the photos, staying motivated, and living life in the world of coronavirus. Now stay healthy and safe!

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Yuri, let’s talk a bit about working with Dean Bradley to make the images that became your Issue #25 profile. That cool?
It was unexpected! He wrote me on Instagram, saying that he was coming to Barcelona with some friends to skate and wanted to see if I was available for some of those days. I said yes so we got together to skate. It was a great memory of last summer!

Great — when Dean came to Barcelona, and had you ever met him before?
We did not know each other before, but the good vibes just came up and the sessions went very well too. Everything just fit well and it was smooth like silk. I hope to see him and the others soon.

What expectations (if any) did you have while shooting?
Just skate every day while Dean was there to take his amazing photos at the right time. Of course he told me that he collaborated with ONE but we were going with the mentality of skating and if it flows, it flows, and that’s how it was.

How surprised were you at Winterclash when you saw the mag and yourself on the cover?
I was not expecting it at all! But it was the bomb! My friends and I celebrated right away.

In your interview you talk about the transition from Razors to Gawds, and how that gave you some more motivation. Did ending up on a magazine cover have a similar reaction?
Yes, of course, it has motivated me a lot to keep doing things and producing. I really want to skate, film, and enjoy good session with my friends. The good weather is coming and I hope this coming summer I hope I can skate a lot… A great memory that I can also show it hehe.

What’s happening in Barcelona right now with the coronavirus — are you and your friends/family safe? Is the city doing okay?
Barcelona is completely stopped. I feel that we are experiencing something that was only seen in the movies, it is crazy. From one day to the next everything closed, and there is still time for all this to end… My family and I are doing well for now; we are taking good care of each other.

Has it had a major impact on your daily life? What are you doing to stay busy and not go crazy?
It caught me in the most important week of the year, Spannabis, an expo of cannabis brands. I had many projects that we were developing for months, but I hope that we will get the chance to have the event some other time in the future.

After a week I started to feel too trapped at home so now I exercise every day. In the morning I have been doing yoga. I have never done it and I am enjoying it. Without a doubt it is a good time to do everything that you had pending hehe, and, well, of course this weed makes it easier for me in any moments of agony.

Well, let’s get you back at it — stay healthy and safe! Anything you want to share with the blade world at large — now’s the time!
Thanks to ONE Blade Mag for the support and for still doing mags! And to everyone who reads this, until then… stay at home! And keep rolling!

See this and more in Issue #25. Order yours HERE.

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Photos by Dean Bradley and Javi Garrido.