Birdhouse Skateboards have released a compilation of highlights from their travels over the last year featuring Hawk, Jaws and the rest of the team. Click on Aaron Homoki’s wheels to watch it.
Categories
Author: Zac
East Anglia have won the Battle of the annual Winter Video Edit Comp in association with Ricta Wheels this year with Lewis Ross‘ ten minute edit coming out on top with 899 votes. His edit featured a cast of locals such as Ben Rowley, Frank Stephens, Helena Long, James Bush, Adam Howe and many more from Norwich and beyond. He takes £200 and a supply of urethane today.
This was followed by Brighton’s Sirus F Gahan’s Easy Hours edit in second place with 701 votes featuring Ewen Bower, Mitch Wheeler, Stevie Thompson, Rupert Antoine and many more from the South Coast.
Thanks to everyone who sent edits in for this, we will be back with a Summer edit comp shortly. Start gathering your footage.
Photo: Fos by Dom Marley.
The Southbank Centre
have answered questions submitted from the many users wondering what exactly will happen when the redevelopment of the Undercroft takes place in the future. The relocation plan is to move skateboarders (bmx’ers, graffiti people, hangers-on, jugglers etc) under the Hungerford Railway Bridge and to retain and enhance the Southbank Centre as the iconic home for urban arts in an even more diverse cultural setting.
There’s a huge amount of information that should be read today from the document that has been released. The answers bring up some interesting responses. Here’s a few that stood out:
CLOSURE: Firstly they expect to have to close the Festival Wing site from autumn 2014 to spring 2017.
CURRENT LOCATION: They have confirmed that the current and legendary skate spot is the most profitable area due to footfall and the main reason they would like to relocate skateboarders is that “Its prominent location makes it the place that most people will first experience the Festival Wing” and that this location is the “most commercially valuable space, the income from which will support commercial loans to pay for the capital cost of the refurbishment.” It’s somehow fitting that timed with the death of Margeret Thatcher only yesterday that privatisation of space reigns over the public use of space. Social viability is once again undercut for economic gain.
RELOCATION: They have “identified the Undercoft under Hungerford Railway Bridge as a possible new location”. There is certainly no alternative location mentioned at all. There are certainly no plans to keep the current area open for skateboarders in 2017.
RELOCATION SIZE: “The Hungerford Bridge Undercroft is roughly similar in area to the current QEH undercroft at 1,000 m2.” The question here is that the original space before it was taken away and boarded up was at least double this size.
HERITAGE CENTER: The history of the Undercroft will be showcased in the new building. “So as part of the co-commissioning process we would like to discuss with the Undercroft users how they would like to tell their story and what special events they would like to hold in the heritage centre to celebrate their continuing contribution to the
Southbank Centre.” This will be a nice touch.
REPORT: There’s too much information to post here but you can download the full PDF report from this question and answer session here and still have your say at www.southbankundercroft.com
The Southbank Centre have called meetings inviting various people to discuss the future of SB but unfortunately they have not issued these with enough notice so far, (i.e 4 days before the Tuesday of a bank holiday) so we are unable to bring you inside knowledge just yet and have still not met the people involved sadly. Hopefully there will be more sessions with decent notice so we can be more involved moving forwards, especially when it comes to events and structure of the new build.
Various Southbank reunions have come on our radar recently too and are currently being arranged on Facebook, so look out for invites.
Remind yourself of some of the historical skate sessions with Tony Luckhurst, Matt Dawson, Jason Maldini, Curtis McCann, Reuben Goodyear, Ben Wheeler and a few other South Bank locals from this footage filmed from 1991.
Categories
Ben Raybourn Uncut
Bones Wheels have unleashed raw footage of the ever impressive Ben Raybourn overnight. Absolutely ridiculous balls needed for this. Press play for the goods and download the full ‘New Ground’ movie for free here.
Categories
Into the Thicket
Chris Haslam, Todd Myers and Mat Howell head into the forest on Vancouver Island in New Zealand to skate a skate a ramp constructed using the surrounding environment and few other materials in Into the Thicket. Click the image above for great sessions in the wilderness premiered back in February and uploaded overnight.
Categories
Jin Shimizu Landscape 10 Years
Landscape are celebrating 10 Years in the game with a line from Jin Shimizu in London’s dark streets courtesy of Henry Edwards-Wood.
Archived footage of Ben Schroeder has been uploaded to the web this weekend filmed back in 1990 at Southsea’s seafront skatepark. Check his Death guest deck out this month and support the cause.
Death Skateboards surprised everyone with a brand new team rider featured on their ‘Ordinary Madness’ DVD that dropped a few months back. Watch Denver’s finest go here and go pick up this fine DVD from your local skater owned shop.
Categories
A Portrait Of Victor Lemus
This laid back short film by Guillem Cruells depicts the world of Victor Lemus in Barcelona. A mellow start to the week for those on a cold Monday morning.
Categories
Exposed: A Golden Egg
Those not familiar with the magical mystery tour that Jesse James and Chris ‘Avi’ Atherton have been on since they both met are in for a serious treat. Their personal tales of the unexpected captured on tape have brought smiles to many over the years, but their latest inspirational video project pushes their thirst for fun to another dream-like level.
This quintisentially British duo have certainly returned with something really special; whether they wore clown shoes, loaves of tiger bread or horse legs to push them, the skateboards made for this new production have been beautifully hand crafted and skated to breaking point across sand, snow and rain, on street in parks and playgrounds. The majestic part of this surreal production is that it’s all skateboarding, and we are priveleged, yet again, to see another side of how these wonderful four-wheeled planks are pushed to the limit. Welcome to ‘A Golden Egg‘:
When and how did this madness start?
Chris: A few years ago now, after flitting about with a few ideas initially with Jesse and Will Sayer, it was a natural step to tackle a project of sorts.
Jesse: I think we just decided to do a project together after the Magpie DVD. That was the initial fart, the very first big bang. A long time before anything started though! That’s how I remember it. Then it just evolved from fun and time travelling up to the cobbles and chimneys to skate.
You are both skating for Wight Trash Skateboards, how much of an influence does owner John Cattle have in your joint video ventures?
Jesse: He is a big influence, YOU BET he is, John has just been good about letting me do my own thing and pushing me in my own erection.
Chris: John Cattle is a big influence behind my skating in general for sure, but as we live so far apart my film projects are usually surprises to him. I don’t know how this one went down yet? I could well be dropped, hahahaha!
There’s no doubt that some skaters watching your videos would think you were a bit weird. How does that side of things sit with you both?
Jesse: I just enjoy what is fun and that is normal here. As in, this type of skating is what we enjoy doing. It’s all I know and it just ends up as you see it. If it’s seen as ‘weird’ or art, that is subjective. I hate both terms! To me it’s just having fun with dreams, films, and childhood. Too many people are all too often fooled into taking life (as well as skateboarding) far too seriously. I don’t understand their strategies whatsoever. It’s hard to explain things that just naturally evolve. Like I said before it’s just normal, it all stems from things that make me laugh. Just like pressure flips.
Chris: I don’t think it’s ‘weird’ myself as I can see its structure and reasoning. I appreciate other people will see it that way due to the avenues explored here, but being mentally blinded by repeat viewing it’s difficult to see it as ‘weird’ myself.
How long did ‘A Golden Egg’ take to put together considering you live in different areas of the UK?
Chris: 2-3 years on and off tinkering really. Having a full time job and living so far apart has been a blessing and a curse. It has given us a lot of space for mental development which in turn has crafted what it has become.
Jesse: I live in Lichfield, just outside Birmingham, and Avi is in Manchester, so we only see each other about once a month at the most. In between we just send each other disks, flying saucers and various loveable junk in the post. It certainly took longer than it should have, but not long enough. For me, it’s a never-ending story.
There are so many different decks featured, which ones took the longest to make and who makes what?
Jesse: All of ‘em took a while! From the spark to making etc. Probably one of the one’s that didn’t work took the longest to make! I will leave that to the imagination.
Chris: I made my decks, Jesse made his. The front-end-only-flip and telescopic board were both proper clever feats of ingenuity I must say. Those took actual thought! I could have splashed out on working components to make them from, but I’m big on recycling and I felt the hillbilly approach would lend itself better to film, so they took about two weeks to perfect.
Where did you find the various wheels that were used?
Chris: Most of the wheels (or casters as they are called) were taken from grotty old cabinets that I’ve restored. They are taken from anything I can find and they fell off constantly. A lot of stuff broke which is most challenging, I must say when you’ve just got set up in a blizzard, and deep down you know you shouldn’t be there anyway.
You filmed your own sections then?
Chris: Jesse filmed about 3 or 4 of my tricks for this, the rest were all solo endeavours.
What about yours Jesse?
Jesse: Will ‘Slayer’ Sayer the ‘ZipZing King of the Gingers’ and Darryn Williams (of One direction fame) help film my stuff and assisted with laughs; both have a similar passion, which is infectious…in numerous ways. Phil Hanks of East 17 fame also filmed bits. Pretty much anyone who was playing. Failing that, set the camera up on a stone and your good to go. Thanks to Sayer and his hemorrhoids, he is a big part on my outlook, just laughing and skating together most days. We tend to just laugh and it evolves. Will is rad…and does it all on a ZipZinger, no real board lurking, just his zinger. Stunt double trouble! A defo third party in the affair! But it’s not an affair, if it was Facebook. I would call it an open relationship or maybe it’s just complicated. It all stems from the Titanic really, and has got worse ever since.
The workhorse looked like the hardest to actually pull a trick on…
Chris: Yeah, that workhorse was a rubbish idea. I think it needed feeding. Failure is vital part of experimenting. I reckon she’s got something lurking though, a front board or something!
I particularly liked the space hopper tricks…
Jesse: It is an idea that I still haven’t played with as much as I have wanted. I enjoy footplants, toys and bums, from there it’s like baking a cake. I work with kids so I steal a lot of their creativity.
What trick took the longest to get down and which one are you most proud of from this?
Chris: The animated body and background took longest, the frontside willy grind over the dry stone wall across the road gap in the rain took the longest by far. I’m embarrassed more than proud of it, I’ll be honest!
Did you make the blue suit Jesse?
Jesse: Hah, no, I bought that one! Is that cheating? My sewing is too bad, just look at the ‘horse’! This blue suit started as a Chroma key idea to put spinning penis’s in the place of my body. But it just looked funnier natural, and became another synchronicity to the wonka theme.
Could you imagine the local Police turning up at the car park to find a skateboarding clown wearing 3ft shoes flashing his bell end in public?! Do you ever wonder what kind of shit you would be in if that was seen?
Jesse: Just last week I was nearly evicted after a flat inspection for having too many penis’s on my walls. I have never had major risky moments though except just for skating town etc. I’m actually quite careful, I have to lead a double life from work. For someone that enjoys nudity, face paint, and clown shoes, I hate being watched or being the center of attention. I’m a walking contradiction! That’s partly why I hate skateparks – eyes watching, judging, and not smiling. I’m a bit too self-conscious to skate a magic carpet while people are trying to nollie flip in my peripheries. Some days I can deal with it though. I guess it’s from skating a lot on my own ‘growing up’.
Sorry mate, rewind, too many dicks on your walls?!
Haha! I don’t know why. I just have loads of photos developed of my mates in the bathroom. Figured if I’m going to spend my time there naked, I may as well have my friends with me! Ask Freud. Legal Contributions welcome. Sexual organs will always be funny.
Lastly, will you both be contributing any new footage to the upcoming Palace video?
Jesse: I got a load of VHS videos they can borrow, not Braindead though, the one with Bill Pullman in. That stays close to me. The last time I was in London I felt out of place. I don’t think Southbank was ready for clown shoes. Far too many eyes watching. I did see Chewy Cannon at some bowl though. He smiled a lot. Fun. I like that. I have nothing against Palace, or any other skateboarder who is doing what they are genuinely passionate about. It is all about Fun.
Visit www.slugworth.co.uk for exclusive tees and more from the magical Slugworth Pirate Productions. Thank you to Gemma McMullan for the photos.
