In early 2004, Pietro Pellicelli was one of the very original artists that appeared on the 1st Freestyle theme in January of 2004. Also known as Peterflight, Pietro is no stranger to the shoe design game and has mad followings since the early NikeTalk days. We asked our 2005 KG Artist of the Year to tell everyone a little bit about himself. Included in this story is some of his additional work he submitted during 2005:

      I'm pretty sure everything just started at kindergarten when I was 3 years old... In fact the distinctive logo they gave to me to be placed over my towel and over my uniform was (surprise surprise) a shoe! Not an athletic shoe, really...more like a working boot, but it's almost the same!

      Beside this, my passion for shoes started just after I've seen my first game of basketball on TV, witnessing to the victory of the Italian team in the Eurochamps in 1983...I was 11. A few months after that, my dad bought me my first basketball mag ever; it also featured an article about some new shoes coming from the USA, one of them was all white with a silver logo and ankle strap and contained an air chamber within their sole to cushion impacts...wow!!! Since I designed everything at the time (I was a huge Formula 1 fan, so cars were my favored subject), I also started designing shoes...My teachers at school were crazy, because my books were filled with pencil drawn cars and shoes, made just during their lessons.

      Feeded from NBA games commented by great American coach Dan Peterson, my passion for basketball, and NBA in particular, raised day after day. To realize the dream of becoming, one day, an NBA player it was clear, besides game fundamentals, I had to learn English language as much as I could...I bought all the American mags available here...even USA Today...This really helped/is helping me along the way...One day coach Peterson, during a game broadcasting also mentioned the LA Lakers (my favorite team at that time) mail address; I took note and sent them a letter in English (my first one...) and they answered me. They also provided me a cool black and white pic of 1985-86 team which is still proudly hanging on my bed room wall.

      I kept designing shoes even during the high-school, but my curiosity was more about what was inside the shoes than about shoe looks. One day I fully removed my busted Air Force II polyurethane internal midsole (air sole included) and studied it. At the end I decided to put everything into my Air Revolution shoes as an additional cushioning element...the first double stacked Air Sole in the history was born!...they were really soft and comfy...why not to try them on court??? Result: sprained ankle...to mimic Pirelli's ad campaign...Cushioning is nothing without control!

      Around 15-16 years of age I also started dunking. In 1990 this gave me the opportunity to realize one of my wildest dreams, meet Mr. Michael Jordan in person! Nike Italy, to promote the new amazing Air Jordan V, launched the Air Jordan Slam Dunk Contest (dunks and three point shots combined score). Since they were based in my city, the first eliminatory stage of the nation wide tour was held there at the city arena. That day I skipped school to take part to the contest. I finished third, just enough to earn the ticket to go to the national final. This meant free travel to the location, free shoes (white/black/red Air Jordan V!), chance to compete against top national players (...few of them are still playing professionally in Italy), chance to meet (or better, being judged by) Michael Jordan who also played an exhibition game; so, after the contest, we watched the game from court side, just behind the players bench; MJ played all the time and was really unbelievable to watch!!! He was so fluid...

      After the high-school, I decided to go to the college and I selected the Engineering department since I was quite good in each scientific field. At first I struggled to find myself in that kind of school system. Sometimes it was very hard and there was almost no room for creativity, especially in the first 2-3 years of courses which were all based on advanced math. The result is that I spent around 10 years in that place (8-9 years was the average)...I just didn't want to give up, though. In the middle of this process it become clear I'd need some way to release that pressure and my love for design and graphics came back really strong. I started learning a couple of design soft wares and I begun doing little things just for fun. Looking back at it, I don't have many regrets since my artistic soul was sleeping inside of me needing to be discovered and in my area there wasn't as many chances to pick a different study field as people have today; so I prefer looking at it more as a tough developing training than a time waste.

      To finally restart designing shoes, though, I had to wait to discover Slam magazine in my newsstand...in 1998 they made the legendary "Kicks" issue that really re-lighted my fire. Tinker Hatfield, Aaron Cooper and Eric Avar sketches were simply too much for me. So I worked on a few concepts I sent to Nike...same old address (taken from the brochure attached to the shoes) I used to ask posters after the Lakers experience...No, thanks man, have been their answer...No prob guys, see you later! Slam mag then posted a mini-article about the (at the time) recently born Niketalk.com website...I was starting my internet experience too, so i checked out. I was thrilled from the designs of a couple of guys: alphaproject and vocaldigital23...also known as Jason Petrie and Tony Hardman... To enter that community I named myself Peterflight, just to match those cool nicknames. The feedback and heat I received from that site, when I later started posting my stuff, really sparked my plug...Each following day I've worked to top my skills trying to learn new techniques and tricks from other guys works, books, tutorials...everything!

      The rest is recent history: end of 2003, Kicksguide.com site Admin contacted me to promote their upcoming and brand new Artist Series contest. I submitted my design and waited to see the first ever finalists showdown...I was there...I couldn't believe...Then Zen came in...Ryan came in too to win the adidas free visit...I needed to get better...2 lucky wins!!!...D'Wayne Edwards, Jordan Brand design director, is checking on us guys...amazing!!!...Tony, designer of the year. So the first year of KG contest was gone in a sec.

      Then my target for this 2005 season was to bring each monthly theme and get it done just like it was a real job. No matter if the theme was fitting or not fitting my tastes. Then the competition level had grown month after month, so I was just looking forward on upcoming contests. I also knew I had to work on a lot of things to improve: the shape of my shoes, my hand rendering skills, my Photoshop skills, my concept work flow...the bar had to be raised a step in each sector.

      In the first part of the season I kinda focused myself on each single aspect, Ferraris-hand design, AnswerX-shape, KGIII-concept, ZOOX 15-technology, Jordan XXI-research...But each project seemed quite unfinished. That was wrong. All the separate parts developed until that point had to come together. And I'm much more proud of the last designs (Seagull, quick delivered adidas Agassi and K1X Albatros, all made after that mind change) than those of the start of the season.

      So here we are...I'm still living my dream and my split life (day-regular engineer job / lunch break, night, weekend, whenever...- Peterflight's business) and no big chances seem to appear right now...So, if there is some crazy man or lady in leather dresses out there who wants to offer me red pills or blue pills (my name is not Neo, though...), I could consider quitting posting designs on here. But if nobody steps forward, prepare yourself to be patient with me (and my silly comments...) for another year or two...

      Before closing this article...I really must say thank you to everyone helped and inspired me during these years. Kicksguide guys at first, since we almost grew together in these two years and because they gave me the occasion to meet fantastic people...and above all, Tony, John, Denis, D'Wayne, Niketalk and Niketalkers,, Ryan, Slam mag, Nigel, Zen (damn man, my piece before yours is crazy...it's 1,5 years we are waiting...), Bracin (#1 fan)...you are simply too much...this award is in bigger part due to You!!! From the deep of my heart THANK YOU.

      -Pietro