Your Moment of Zen: Brett Novak's "Kilian Martin: Searching Sirocco"

June 19, 2015

Kilian Martin (Photo © Eric Hendrikx)

The parallels between dance and ice skating are pretty undisputed. There’s a whole category in the Olympics devoted to ice dancing, after all—with choreographers from the dance world (*cough cough* Derek Hough *cough cough*) getting in on the action.

Comparisons drawn between skateboarding and dance, on the other hand, are much less common. Maybe it’s because people outside the world of boarding (#thisgirl) don’t automatically classify it as an art form. Well, apparently, us skateboard newbs aren’t paying enough attention—because Spanish boarder Kilian Martin is a total artist.

To be more specific, he’s like a skateboarder, breaker, modern dancer, gymnast and ballet dancer, all rolled into one. And a new short film by fellow boarder Brett Novak showcases Martin’s exquisite artistry (not to mention Novak’s sharp eye for cinematography). “Searching Sirocco” takes you from Big Bear, CA, to Brooklyn, NY, to the Bonneville Salt Flats and Red Rock Canyon in Utah. Martin skates through these breathtaking landscapes, executing wow-worthy stunts with an almost zen-like ease, leaving you in an awe-inspired trance. It is, in short, one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a long time.

Take the journey yourself by watching the film below, and let us know whether you agree that dance and skateboarding deserve such comparison.

P.S. Can Harry Shum, Jr. do an “Exploring Parallels of Sport and Dance” with Martin? Pretty please?