Julien Gilliot – Fred Mortagne Fireworks (1995)

JB Gillet had a twin.

Anyone reading this post who didn’t live in France between 1993 and 1997 probably has no idea who Julien Gilliot is. But they should. Julien is one of those skateboarders who had so much talent and could have had a brilliant career as a professional but somehow Fate decided otherwise and so all we have to celebrate this Lyon local is a couple of parts in Fred Mortagne’s early videos.

Julien was a key member of the Kids skate crew which included none other than JB Gillet, Malik Abdelsem, Raphael Vitorelli, Karl Ouche and Gary (I forgot his last name). Affiliated with older skaters of the Lyon scene, The Kids were smashing the local spots but also made a big impression when they travelled further afield. Today it’s entirely debatable, but back in the day Lyon was the skateboard capital of France and Julien was one of the reasons why.

When Fred Mortagne premiered Fireworks in 1995, there was heated debate over who deserved last part: JB Gillet or Julien Gilliot. Could the order of play changed, perhaps Julien would have been courted by brands such as Chocolate or 101 instead? History cannot be changed so it’s important to take a few minutes every once in a while to remember the magic Julien Gilliot provided and be grateful.