Up: Brian Shima and Mark Korte, back in the days. Below: quoting a mail from Mark Korte:

Hello Everyone!

I would like to inform you of some changes in my own personal life.

After getting back into the game, I have seen that I am basically too old for this stuff lol!

Having a family and a commitment to the US Military as well as my private life has shown me that I am going to have to go into a different direction than I have been, and Powerslide and myself will part ways, but as always with a good feeling, and good times.

I want to thank all of you for dealing with me, and I want to thank all of you for helping me put alot of programs together, and doing your best to make things better.

This will be my last week at Powerslide and I will be moving on and fulfilling a commitment I have to the US Army, and moving into a different lifecycle.

I would like to thank both Matthias Knoll and Stefan Gohl as well as everyone here at Powerslide who believed in me and thought it would be good for me to get back in the thick of it, even if it was for a short time… I will remember it well. - Mark Korte.

Who is Mark Korte and what does he have to do with rollerblading?

I can basically answer that by saying… I am the USD Enforcer, one of the founders of the Stretch Crew, and a Powerslide veteran… since a lot of kids might not know what in the hell that means, I will break it down.

I came to be part of USD in the late part of ‘98, when the team was Arlo Eisenberg, Champion Baumstimler, Dustin Latimer, Jon Julio, and Josh Petty. At the time I was only hired by Powerslide to push papers, but that changed after a week or so.

To make a long story short, I had found my calling. I got to know all of the USD team (which was going through a transition period, much like we are now) and I ended up being the filter between the company and the team; I might even go as far as to say the glue, and at the same time I was the International Sales Manager at Powerslide.

So I was able to combine all of that into helping make USD (and The Conference Brands that followed) the hottest thing available. During this period, of which I am very proud to be a part of, we had the undisputed best team in Rolling, I built a worldwide flow team to rival all others at the time, and worked with distributors in over 40 countries building USD.

I was very adament about everything having structure, and working with the best team of rollers in the world has moulded my personality to this day, and I am grateful to each and every one who ever rolled for USD. […]

Full Interview on Oneblademag.com.
Originally posted on Believeinone.com | backup on Archive.org.

Features

• New Red Souls.
• Nimh Brian Shima V.2 NS Pro Complete Skate.
• Weight of single skate: 4 lbs. 6 oz. (Based on a size 9).
• New pre-grooved Nimh Soul System.
• Frames: G.C. Formula 1 Flat Black/Black.
• Outer Wheels: Nimh 58mm 90a Outer Wheels w/ ABEC 5 Bearings.
• Inner Wheels: G.C. 42mm Nylon Anti-rockers Black.
• Liners: Vicious high liners w/ new teri cloth padding and Velcro strap.
• Widened toe for toe relief in ALL sizes.
• Metal buckle.

Made in China. Thanks IrollNY & Tri-State Skate.

up: Mark Korte with Charlie Ashby and Aaron Feinberg.

If somebody can put USD where it deserves again that´s this guy. Back in the day when we were all flipping on Latimers new profile he was out there travelling with the All star team, settling up the original Stretch Crew and making this brand legendary. Now he´s back in rollerblading and probably has a harder mission. It´s an honor for us to present this interview with Mark Korte.

Present yourself.

Thanks, My name is Mark Korte – I am the USD Enforcer, an Army Reserve Solider, Father, Husband, Son and Powerslider.

Why did you leave and why are you back in rolling? Did you feel it was time to return?

Actually that is not far from the truth – when I left, I felt it was time for me to develop as a Sales and Brand Manager, some things in my life had changed, and I was looking for a new challenge, something that would be hard but fun, as I had been getting more and more involved with Golf as my hobby, I decided to go into the golf business and see how far I could go, the rest is history, as for coming back. That was a given really, I was always in touch with Matthias and we talked about me coming back and I was happy to come back as Powerslide is like a second home, and USD was a big part of my life for over 6 years, coming back gives me another challenge and I have the chance to lead a great team again and that is always where my talents lay. […]

Link on Magma-productions.com down | Mirror on Archive.org.
English Translation at the bottom of the webpage.

Mark Korte is Back! Back in the day, when the legend of the infamous Stretch Crew reached around the world. Back when Coup De Tat was the authority on Rollerblading, back when USD consolidated the undisputed sickest, most powerful, stylish and most influential skate team on the planet – there was one person in the wings, always motivating, encouraging, managing, and developing the USD brand to rule over the Rollerblading world – Mark Korte.

Known as one of the craziest fools on the planet, he lived and breathed USD. Eventually forming an unbeatable worldwide flow team – some of which are currently still representing today and some of which even have carried the USD / Conference flag since he left to pursue other endevours in the Golf business.

But, now the time has come for the passion to return to the USD / Conference with the return of the Prodigy, the return of the glory days when USD was considered to be the leader and innovator of the Rollerblading lifestyle, the days when it was not enough to be an amazing skater, you had to have style, personality, and a true love for rollerblading. Reviving the glory of the days of Arlo Eisenberg, Jon Julio, Champion Baumstimler, Dustin Latimer and Josh Petty. Those who made Rolling what it is today. The founder of the Stretch Crew and the USD Enforcer is on a mission to return USD to the top of the game in Rollerblading.

The last of the famous international playboys – Mark Korte, coming to a city near you with the New Stretch Crew, which will be restructured to bring Rolling back to you, the individual skater, back to the reason we do this in the first place – for the lifestyle, and for those who want to have the most innovative equipment available from the most dedicated skater owned company in Rolling – USD and The Conference Team – also led by Bauer, true to The Conference since day 1, will continue to push forward. He will now be concentrating more on the improvement of the product and sales and representing like always. Mark Korte and Stefan Beierlein (Bauer) the new Conference Dream Team. Both will be assisted by Oli Benet and Demetrios George. The Motherfucking Stretch Crew is back, with a Vengeance!

Thanks Mark.

The new issue of the French inline skating magazine Rolls will be hitting the shelves soon. Brian Shima landed the cover of this issue with a nice backside backslide on a stair ledge. Brian Shima, Montre Livingston and our new European rider will be coming to France. The Nimh European tour schedule to be posted soon. Picture: Comablade.