Titus Dittmann in the Northern Lights Concept Store
His nicknames are ‘Skateboard Pope’ or ‘Instigator’. For me and the many other skateboarders, he is and remains simply Titus. A person who has undergone a fantastic development but has always remained true to his values.
The skateboarding pioneer is now 77 years old and not a bit quieter. His voice is still skateboard-sounding, albeit a little louder than usual. However, this is due to his hearing, which has deteriorated in recent years, in contrast to his commitment to children and the socially disadvantaged.
But first things first: Sometime in the 70s, Titus travelled to the USA and got to know skateboarding there. It was the time after the Dogtown Boys and the second skateboard wave that swept across the ocean and took young people by storm. In the USA, skateboarding was on the decline. Insurance problems at skateparks and the withdrawal of production companies caused the decline after previous expansion, which has been a part of the skateboarding scene for decades, just like the meteoric rise of individual protagonists. One of these people was Titus Dittmann. But Titus didn't just see the sport - he also sensed the skateboard business. When he started to gain a foothold in the skateboard business at the age of 30, he had already studied to be a teacher and used his contact with pupils to start a skateboard club at school.
This was the start of a career that was unrivalled in any other fun sport up to that point. I would put him on a par with Robby Naish - just without his own sporting achievements. Even back then, he saw himself more as an instigator. He had several cards in his pocket: the skateboard as we know it today was given its final shape at this time. The bent wood on both sides gave the skateboard its iconic shape and made tricks possible that had never been possible before. In addition, the US brands saw a huge opportunity in the European market and wanted to capitalise on it.
Titus Dittmann gratefully accepted this and by 1978 was already selling skateboards that he bought in the USA. In 1980, he opened his skatepark, and it came as it had to: at the age of 36, in 1984, he quit his job as a teacher and dedicated himself to marketing skateboarding in Germany. The force with which he did so was proverbial. Within half a decade, he had built up his small event into the official skateboarding world championships. This took place in the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund. Thousands of spectators made the pilgrimage there, and it seemed as if rollerboarding was growing unstoppably.
However, the crisis in the skateboard market also reached Germany, traditionally a few years later. Titus steamrolled his company and shifted his focus to retail and mail order, with success. With his business acumen and, above all, his winning mentality, he managed to emerge from the crisis and build up a retail chain with over 30 shops and a mail order business that is unrivalled in the industry.
Due to his age, he retired from the operative business in 2009 and from then on dedicated himself to his foundation *Skate-Aid*. In the early 2010s, he became president of the German longboarders and skateboarders. However, following his principles, he quickly gave up - because skateboarding and the Olympics didn't go together for him. So he simply jumped back in time 30 years and started doing what he had been doing all his life: teaching children the fascination of roller sports. His commitment earned him various honours: the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, various business awards and a teaching position at the Institute of Sports Science.
Much of what has been written about Titus is not true. It's the little things - like the claim to have built the first show team in Europe. That existed years before Titus started selling skateboards. The scene on Sylt was also already on rollerboards in the mid-70s. Jürgen Höhnscheid was one of the pioneers. You can see some old videos on the skateboard club's website. And yet the Münster native's lifetime achievements are remarkable.
He has also been to Sylt a few times. He was involved in the Multipark and also gave readings from his biography. A few days ago, we met him at the *Northern Light Store*. The shop is known for its innovative product presentations - whether cars, bicycles or gadgets: Northern Lights in Norderstraße is always worth a visit.
So it's no wonder that the two owners, Michael Hoppe and Michael Gleissner, contacted Titus Dittmann when he was planning another charity event. His journey took him to our beautiful North Sea island - because as Citroën's brand representative, he was to present the new ‘Qui are Sylt’ concept.
On this occasion, Titus presented a skateboard with gold-plated wheels and axles. This is now to be auctioned on Sylt; the proceeds will go to the *Skate-Aid* foundation. The magnificent piece can be admired in the *Northern Light Store* at Norderstraße 29. And Titus? His quote ‘Find a job you enjoy and you'll never work again’ sums it up perfectly. Even today, at almost 80 years old, he still rolls on the boards that mean the world to him.
Written by sylter-spiegel.de / published on 10 April 2025
Sylt Art Fair 2025: New mobility partner for international art exhibition
The sixth edition of the renowned Sylt Art Fair will once again turn the picturesque North Sea island into a stage for art enthusiasts from all over the world from 7 June to 14 September 2025. In the Neue Bootshalle in List, the fair will present an impressive selection of over 400 works of art on around 600 square metres. The high-calibre project brings together the ‘who's who’ of the international art scene with promising new talents.
Visitors can expect a fascinating range of sculptures and paintings by internationally acclaimed artists such as Gerhard Richter, Erwin Wurm, Tony Cragg, Bernar Venet, Ai Weiwei, Max Ernst, Günther Uecker, Heinz Mack, Gottfried Helnwein, Julian Schnabel, Damien Hirst, David LaChapelle, Jeff Koons, Markus Lüpertz, Mel Ramos and Jiri Dokoupil. Their masterpieces of contemporary art enter into an exciting dialogue with the works of up-and-coming artists, including Dieter Nuhr and Rita Sabo, Dietmar Brixy, Ben Büchner and Juan Amador, Gregory de la Haba and Felix Giesen.
Organised by Geuer & Geuer Art GmbH in cooperation with artstar Verlag, the Sylt Art Fair promises a varied art experience with a wide range of styles, from classic contemporary art to street art and pop art.
A lively supporting programme complements the pure presentation of the artworks. Inspiring Art Nights, artist talks and meet & greets offer art lovers the unique opportunity to learn more about the works and get in direct contact with the artists.
As the official mobility partner of Sylt Art Fair 2025, Northern Lights Concept Store will be providing the exclusive VIP shuttle service with its new fleet of Genesis vehicles. If you have received one of the coveted vouchers for the Sylt Art Fair shuttle service, please book your journey at info@northernlights-sylt.de.
In addition, the Northern Lights Concept Store invites you to test drive one of four Genesis models. Use this link to book your dream car from the brand for a first spin around the island.
Admission to the exhibition is free of charge.
When & Where
7 June - 14 September 2025
Sylt Art Fair
Neue Bootshalle List
Am Hafen 5
DE - 25992 List auf Sylt
Contact
Michael Hoppe
Phone: +49 (0)160 4496 525
Michael Gleissner
Phone: +49 (0)178 8288 673
Northern Lights Concept Store Sylt
Norderstraße 29
25980 Westerland / Sylt
Phone. +49 (0)4651 2990462
info@northernlights-sylt.de
Highlight of the Cologne Carnival
What a marvellous evening! The guests of the Northern Lights Concept Store Sylt around Michael Gleissner and Michael Hoppe, including boxing world champion Arthur Abraham and music producer/visionary Bernd Breiter, celebrated an evening in a class of its own. Once again this year, the Prinzen-Garde Köln’s state meeting organised by President Dino Massi and Meeting President Marcus Gottschalk was a highlight of Cologne’s carnival. A big thank you to everyone who swayed, laughed and sang along until late in the evening.
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Michael Hoppe and Michael Gleissner invited guests such as Christian Henkes, Genesis Germany, professional boxer Arthur Abraham, Martin Hossdorf, Bentley, Larsen Hilbertz, Pernod Ricard, with Nuray Hilbertz, and music producer/visionary Bernd Breiter to Cologne.
Luxury products with world history now in Sylt
The products on display at Northern Lights in Westerland are as unique as the Concept Store. The Northern Lights Store will host the first Sekrè special exhibition in northern Germany from November 4 to January 5, 2025.
Sekrè is regarded by experts as a mysterious luxury insider brand. It is characterized by a globally unique concept: Each of its classic ladies’ handbags or exclusive writing instrument sets contains the original letter fragment of a world-famous personality in a concealed place.
The exhibition features handmade luxury accessories and artefacts from Marlene Dietrich, Charles Dickens, Grace Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Prince von Metternich, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Lindbergh, Brigitte Bardot, and emperors, tsars, and kings. Each of these people made history and even shaped entire eras.
The special highlight: all letter fragments are 100% genuine and neither copies nor facsimiles. Each copy is certified by international handwriting experts, individually numbered and recorded in a notarial certificate with a picture. For this reason, they cannot be reproduced, which ensures their long-term value.
This makes Sekrè products highly emotional, unique pieces that contain a valuable secret. (Hence the brand name “Sekrè”. It comes from the Haitian and means “secret”).
The procedure used here is the first time that the 2000-year-old principle of ecclesiastical relics has been applied to luxury goods.
The letters acquired at international auctions are divided into individual fragments under the supervision of a notary and thus made accessible to a wider circle. For most people, it is irrelevant whether they own a complete artefact or just a part of it. The main thing is that authenticity is guaranteed.
Incidentally, the exclusive Northern Lights special exhibition also features the complete original letter from the person to whom Ludwig van Beethoven dedicated his famous 9th Symphony. (Incidentally, his “Ode to Joy” is now the anthem of the European Union).
Visitors who are interested in the extraordinary can view the exhibits at their leisure and even buy them – perhaps as a very special Christmas present.
Contact person
Michael Hoppe (Managing Director)
Phone: 0160 4496 525
Michael Gleissner (Managing Director)
Phone: 0178 8288 673
Northern Lights Concept Store Sylt
Norderstraße 29
25980 Westerland / Sylt
E-mail: info@northernlights-sylt.de
Website: https://northernlights-sylt.de/en/
Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ride the fastest eBike on Sylt
Test-drive eRockit – a hybrid between e-bike and motorbike
Zero emissions. 100% emotion. The hyperbike “made in Germany” multiplies your power by +50 times. The game-changing e-bike combines unparalleled mobility and performance. Test the fastest e-bike worldwide now on Sylt.
Norderstraße 29 | 25980 Sylt | Tel. +49 (0)160 4496 525
Sea Cloud Spirit visits the Northern Lights Concept Store
The guests aboard the elegant three-masted tall ship Sea Cloud Spirit enjoyed a special stop at the Northern Lights Concept Store during their shore excursion on Sylt. This magnificent windjammer, renowned for its blend of traditional sailing romance, luxurious spa facilities, and fine dining, made a stop on its journey from Hamburg to List and back.
At our showroom bar, travellers were treated to a selection of hand-picked specialities from our range. An exclusive tour of the store, showcasing innovative brands, provided inspiration and entertainment for all.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the team of the Sea Cloud Spirit and look forward to welcoming the crew and their guests back to our store in Westerland in the near future!
