Anna Dimitriadou Kruse (RIP) was born in Aurich, East Frisia in Germany on February 6th, 1991, and had family heritage in Greece, which she celebrated. She was a beloved skateboarder, known for her radiant smile, positive energy, and skateboarding skills. This entry is intended to celebrate her life, but please note that it includes details of her tragic death and that of her child through violence.
Photos: Thomas Gentsch
Anna loved skateboarding, and in the GoFundMe campaign for her funeral which was proposed by Babas Levrai (who documented Anna’s skateboarding), it was shared that her big brother demonstrated skateboarding to Anna when she was 14, and from there she spent every free moment at the local skateboard hall.
Malena Corres, a friend and organizer for the fundraiser, reflected on her friendship with Anna for Confusion magazine:
“I can still remember little Anna standing on that giant ramp, having everyone cheer her on and then just jumping. There was even a dedication to her late father on her griptape so she would always have him with her. Anna worked hard, made a name for herself internationally as a skater and always showed courage. She often was the only girl at the contests and became a role model for many others. She skated for brands like Morphium, Vans, iriedaily, Dogtown Skateshop and Playground Skatehall, among others. This created a community across Europe that Anna admired, supported and celebrated.”
Vans video with Sabrina “Puse” Göggel in Berlin posted August 31, 2009 with special guest Steffi Weiss.
Corres noted that, “There was no Anna without her laughter, her humor, as well as her never-ending laughing fits… Everyone liked Anna and she would have unconditionally done anything for her favorite people… Anna was always a bit of a cheeky rebel and didn’t let anything get in her way. So, it was not surprising that she started skating in her youth.”
Photos: Babas Levrai, Jo Hempel
Morphium created an incredible tribute to Anna, full of photos, stories, interviews and heartbreak, as Anna was deeply loved. It was written by the Morphium manager that Anna showed up to compete at the “East Frisian Skate Cups” and even though she was still learning, “and was the only skateboarding girl in the contest, she wasn’t afraid to ride the contest with all the boys. I definitely thought that was crazy at the time.” And Anna with her positive charisma never stopped. She would hit up the streets of Hamburg with a crew and go for it, and “made a name for herself across Europe.” While a torn cruciate ligament eventually slowed her skateboarding momentum, she was still very much respected.
Photos: Benjamin Deberdt 2010, Christoph Schroder
The Morphium write up concluded, “When you realize that a person’s unique moments and characteristics are irretrievable, you realize how much you miss them. But I also realize what great value they have had for me. The only comfort we have are the memories of you and the moments we shared.”
Please visit their page, as they have done a wonderful job in their photo gallery memorial.
Diana “Didi” Kränsel provided the scans of the articles Anna was featured in (above and below), and the photos came from Anna over the years, although it was noted on Morphium that most of the details / photographers are unknown. In all the photos you can see that Anna was fun to be around… dressed up in costume, getting nibbles from a baby goat, slashing pool coping like a boss, and living life to the fullest with her friends.
This is her 2010 “Welcome to the Team” video for Morphium:
And Erik Dornblut posted a feature called “Stories of Greatness: Anna Kruse”
Anna enjoyed competing right from the beginning, and slowly had more girls to compete against. She placed third at the 2012 All girls “Suck my trucks” contest for halfpipe behind Renata Paschini of Brazil and Franziska Stolz of Switzerland, and third again in 2014, although sometimes she judged the contest when injured, which was the case in 2013. Anna was interviewed for the “Suck my trucks” website which also contains video and highlights from the SMT contests.
Photos: Stephan Scheunig
Anna was also a photographer and graphic designer and she had even created her first website at age 12. According to one article, after graduating highschool Anna went to New York to intern at a photography studio and then had an apprenticeship as a marketing officer at an advertising agency before completing a graphic design degree. In 2017, for her thesis she came to her Greek grandparents’ village in Lekani, completing a book about her roots, and fell in love, embracing village life and raising goats. Photos from her book are found in this article from Kavala News.
When Anna tried to separate from her partner in the summer of 2022, the death threats began. “She allowed the child’s father to see Stelios regularly, wanted to please him and not upset him. Even the police, after she sought help after threats, told her to wait for the court date, which was postponed and could not take place until the end of September. Just a few days after the said court date, the threats then turned into a cruel reality.” Anna was murdered, as well as her 10-month-old baby named Stelios, at the hands of her ex-husband on September 30th, 2022. Rest in peace Anna and Stelios. And my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved you.
On the Slap Magazine forum, the tributes and outrage against femicide poured in, and Thrasher also included a memorial online.
“Anna was always positive, humble and a strong woman. She was the skater you wanted to have on your roadtrip. Rest in Peace lady.”
“Never forget Anna!”
“It fills my heart with sadness. And the rest of me with endless anger. RIP Anna. You will be missed.”
The message that echoed throughout was a condemnation of violence against women, the frustration with police inaction, and encouragement to look out for each other, to tell your friends that you love them, and endorse safe spaces for women escaping violent situations. As skateboarders, we are not immune to the darkest aspects of society, but we have community, so hold your people close and seek help if you are in danger.
Photos: Anton Gisbrecht, Babas Levrai, Benjamin Deberdt, Christoph Schröder, Jo Hempel, Thomas Gentsch
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