The second album from indie pop-lock-and-droppers, The Spinto Band, entitled “Moonwink” will be released on October 7th.
Check the video for leading single, ‘Summer Grof‘ below.
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Author: Crossfire
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New Finch Songs!
It’s been a long time coming but some new Finch material is coming our way! Two brand new tracks off the upcoming Self-Titled EP (to be released on 29th July) are to be posted on the band’s myspace on the 18th July.
Magnificent.
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UNKLE Album Podcast
Peep the new UNKLE podcast “End Title…Stories For Film” online now.
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Girl Skate Jam UK
Saturday 14 June ,Pioneer Skatepark St Albans
Words: Jen England
Pictures: Jen Selby
It was with trepidation that we approached Girl Skate Jam UK 08 and not just because Jen and Jen, having acknowledged the need to get proper jobs after years of pretending working at the skatepark was going to pay the rent, were still organising things for the comp at 2am the night before. Hey that’s what being a proper adult gets you… damn you hectic work schedules!
If only the plan to imprison local kids and train them to be superstar skaters had paid off…Anyway, less talk of kidnap, more talk of girls’ skating.
It was the comp’s fifth birthday at the Pioneer skatepark, although the seventh competition overall. Right, now a confession: if there’s any bits missing from this review please don’t blame me. My lovingly hand-crafted notes of what tricks everyone pulled were partially destroyed in a tent catastrophe at NASS. Has nothing to do with the fact I’ve just discovered the joys of Kopparberg while writing this review. That’s just a happy coincidence.
The comp unfortunately clashed with NASS weekend and the Download Festival, but plenty of girls turned up from all over the country to get together to skate and enjoy the day. But it also meant that several of us ladies drove to Bath together to catch the girls comp at NASS straight after. Two comps in one day? No problem for these girls, they’re made of strong stuff!
At last year’s comp Belgian beast Evelien Bouillart pretty much killed it and left people scraping their chins off the floor when they saw her compete, but having broken her wrist at Milan Girls attack she was unable to make it over for this year’s event. But no matter, the UK girls were there and ready to represent.
Weather wise it turned into a pretty perfect skating day, warm and sunny but not too hot. Anyone who’s skated Pioneer on a hot day will have suffered the Gersh effect, but thankfully the sweat was kept to a ladylike sheen, despite the effort being put in by everyone.
Once again the comp was split into four sections: under 18, over 18, sponsored and miniramp. The street categories consisted of two runs of two minutes each, with a 20 minute jam format for the miniramp comp.
In the under 18 section Kim Lewis deservedly grabbed first place with her bunch of tricks that included kickflips on the bank and various freestyle tricks including switch flips, nollie flips, a varial flip and a great fakie bigspin flip.
In the over 18s comp all the girls put on an impressive performance and having seen them all skate before I knew that first prize could have been anyone’s.
Noteworthies included Sadie Hollins‘ nollie flips on the bank, Becky Wood’s determination to land her boardslide despite having a few pretty good slams, Emma Richardson’s 50:50s and Faye Chadburn’s bigspin. But it was Kerri Dennis who once again waltzed off with first prize. She made great use of the whole park, took a pretty hard slam from the Koston (which also won her worst slam of the day) and still pulled off noseslides down the driveway ledge, fakie 180s, shuvs and a bunch of other tricks.
As usual before the sponsored section it was time for the mini comp, giving everyone the chance to enjoy some sun on the outside miniramp.
The comp was mixed age and took a 20 minute jam format to make sure everyone had the chance to pull their favourite tricks out for the crowd’s pleasure.
Third place went to Helen Lovelee for her stylee 5-0s, 50:50s and boardslide. Becky Jacques took second spot with lots of grinds, fakie rock fakies and rock and rolls.
But the miniramp tramp trophy went to the excellent Lois Pendlebury. She produced a veritable feast of tricks including all manner of grinds, frontside ollies and a kickflip rock fakie.
After the miniramp festivities it was time for the spectators and skaters to pile back into the park for the eagerly awaited sponsored section.
Fran Stroud, Georgie Winter, Helena Long, Lois Pendlebury, Lucy Adams and Maria Falbo battled it out, each pulling tricks with great style.
From the remains of my ruined notes, I can tell you that third placed Helena Long pulled a boardslide, 50:50, blunt fakie and kickflips.
Lois Pendlebury took second with a big ollie over the driveway, b/s 180 ollie, wallride and kickflips, despite having given her all in the miniramp comp moments earlier.
In the end it was Lucy Adams who took the crown. Her run included 50:50s and noseslides down the driveway ledge, 50:50 on the koston, kickflips and fakie flips on the flatbanks and a couple of boardslides.
Other notable events on the day included several trouser ripping incidents (at least one of girls was happy to find jeans amongst the prize-bag goodies!), MC Mat Lloyd mispronouncing Maria’s name for most of the day and a long haired young boy accidentally being invited to take part in the comp because we thought he was a girl. Whoops…!
All in all it was another pretty successful Girl Skate Jam UK. The girls got together with people they hadn’t seen for a while, skated and had fun. There’s a brilliant close-knit scene developing amongst the UK’s girl skaters thanks to the ever-increasing number of girls’ jams and comps that are happening across the country.
So all that remains to be said is a big thank you to our sponsors Rogue Skateboards, Vans, Eastpak, Nikita, Pro Tec, Crème and Conspiracy Skate Shop.
Once again props to Pa Selby for making the coveted girl skater trophies at last minute notice. Thanks to our MC Mat Lloyd and Judges Gary Milne and Big Chris who agreed to help us out at the last minute, everyone at Pioneer who helped on the day and of course a big big thank you to all the girls for turning up and turning it on!
Hopefully we’ll see you again next year!
Full Results
Under 18
1st – Kim Lewis
2nd – Kiama Petit
3rd – Jade Pearce
Over 18
1st – Kerri Dennis
2nd – Sadie Hollins
3rd – Faye Chadburn
Sponsored Section
1st – Lucy Adams
2nd – Lois Pendlebury
3rd – Helena Long
Miniramp
1st – Lois Pendlebury
2nd – Becky Jacques
3rd – Helen Lovelee
Worst Slam – Kerri Dennis
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La Vie En Carton
Having lived in a cardboard box for a fairly significant portion of my life (even if I mean this as some sort of uncomfortable metaphor for a flimsy, non-waterproof barricade between me and the bitter cold winds of reality), this little visual documentation from Trauma Skateboards, La Vie En Carton, had me compelled to watch it from the title alone.
Ok, admittedly I feel compelled to watch anything to do with skateboarding that gets posted on the internet for free over-the-shoulder viewing anyway, regardless of what it’s called; I suppose this time I was drawn to it more than usual. Additionally, I’m a sucker for the guaranteed nonchalance that comes with a French production, this being no exception.
La Vie En Carton (or “The Low Quality Life“) immediately contradicts itself with a very well put together animation as its inception. As dark and deeply involved as something Tim Burton would make, that is of course if he ever was a skateboarder. Sacrificing the skate videos common motif method of introducing, the opening montage is continually changing and a noticeable result of dedicated time, effort and vast amounts of creativity – a foreshadowing reflection on the high quality skating that follows.
After the section’s prelude (further evidence of the no-holds-barred approach to making this video), which features more crafty editing tricks and a wee insight into each skater’s personality, the action gets kick pushed into frame by Benjamin Delaboulaye whose solid lines and cheeky gems like manualling in and out of a train (you know, that thing you always think about doing to a static train but never have the balls to follow through) make the foundations for a very decent first section. Benjamin also manages to provide some sort of redemption for that song that was ruined by Shrek, and boasts a worthy contender for one of the best kickflips I’ve ever seen; no kidding. Now, not put off at all by taking the reigns is a early favourite in the form of Benoit Fruitier who isn’t afraid to dabble in the trick of manly men, no complies, throwing in some very slick uses of foot-down action, alongside a heap of controlled slides and drastically well executed reverts. Good stuff.
Skate videos as a whole are lacking in references towards video games, but then, being the gaming gaylord I am I would think this, either way, Walid Mamine’s go-fucking-fast and attack everything in sight approach to skating has a tribute to Break as it’s prologue, so I’m stoked. Oh, and I’m sure you’re aware about how rad launching over a road gap to powerslide would look, well this section has proof, I can confirm that it is indeed rad. M.D.V is next up, who with a similar lurch and power to that of Brian Anderson keeps the momentum flowing a full steam. Sick manoeuvres abound, all to be backed up with more in the eclectic friends section featuring the likes of Samuel Partaix, Steve Forstner and the rest of the Antiz rippers alongside other shralp-stick pogo-a-go-go gnarlyness.
Guillame Finck hosts what is undoubtedly my favourite segment of this delightful video, a concoction of blasé skateboarding, as cool as crushed ice, blended with little eccentricities that serve as a great personification for this video as a whole. Off-the-cuff skating, dedication and fun all performed inconspicuously like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Even unnatural things like Julien Merour’s absolutely incredible natas spin nonsense in the well deserved final section come across with such an unapologetically carefree rapport, just like skateboarding should always be. Available and accessible to anyone, just like this video’s physical form, well, providing you have an internet connection.
Head over to www.traumaskateboards.com for a lovely video at absolutely no charge what so ever. Oh yes.
Joe.
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Vans AVE Sk8 Low
Before I start this review, allow me to lay down some facts. Vans have been around for years, fact. Probably before you were even born. They don’t make naff skate shoes, fact. Anthony Van England shreds, fact. Having said all this, I’m confident with the idea that you’re already thinking along the right lines when it comes to this shoe. Now, we all know Vans have been looking out for skaters feet since people rode clay wheels, so they know that their doing. With this shoe in particular, the only problem talking about it is that there’s not really anything negative to say about it. But I’ll try and unearth some flaws, providing I actually find any.
Firstly the only negative thing worth mentioning is that the laces seem to snap on a daily basis (depending on the session, of course) but it’s not like your not used to that anyway; and let’s face it: lace protectors are so 02. Moving swiftly on, these shoes, like all good Vans, are empowered with the everlasting genius of the waffle sole. So before I even mention it, you know it’s going to be grippy as fuck and takes a hefty amount of foot dragging to so much as wear them out slightly.
However, the board feel doesn’t suffer and is just as impressive, balancing foot sensitivity and cushioning perfectly. I guarantee that nine out of ten people that are reading this have tried and tested the waffle so need I say any more? Something hugely appealing about this shoe was that not only can you skate them straight out of the box, but they shape your feet perfectly and feel real snug. To put it simply, these shoes don’t mess about. They hold firmly around your feet for there entire lifespan and don’t leave your feet swimming around your shoe, with laces that are there purely for show (I’ve seen you so don’t deny it!). Something that you can’t help but notice with these foot covers is that they possess a relatively long toe area, which not only makes it easier but gives your feet an extra strong flick when you’re flipping the board. And you really do notice it! An added stroke of genius in this shoe that was inspired by the ‘Vans Sk8 Hi‘ is that the toe is significantly low so the damage to the toecap when performing flip tricks is remarkably minimal. It’s a classic for a reason!
Additionally, the firmness of the sole helps to prevent warping, so they don’t feel like slippers after one session. And to top it all off much like the pro himself, they do take a beating without quitting. This shoe really does do AVE justice. Did I mention they look fresh? Believe the hype!
9/10
Warren G
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Dev Green Comp now 19th July
Originally scheduled for the 5th July the comp has now been moved to the 19th July. That’s this Saturday so get prepared!
Word for word…
“The Southbank Centre is an independent arts organisation and decisions about the Undercroft are a matter for them. However, the Southbank Centre recognises the importance of the Undercroft in bringing together skateboarders from across the UK and the value that the skateboarding community has brought to many young people and the South Bank area itself. Any activity that engages and develops young people can have a very positive impact on society and the skateboarding community that has grown up around the Undercroft has brought together people from various backgrounds, created a vibrant public space and added real value to the lives of many young people.
The Southbank Centre has said that it has no plans to redevelop the Undercroft used by skateboarders. In fact, they are in close discussions with the skateboarding community about how to improve the current skateboard area and about how the community might become more involved in the Southbank Centre’s artistic programme”
A very positive response and overall some very good news. Things aren’t so bad after all…
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Subvert Skatepark Re-opens!
Subvert Skatepark in Manchester is opening its doors once again on the 19th July, with the Vans UK Skate Team along for the festivities. Shredding time is 3-7pm.
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Terry Kennedy On Supra
Terry Kennedy is now officially Supra’s latest pro, with a shoe in the works as you read this. It’s hyped to be a real banger too. Stay tuned.