Author: Zac

It’s bizarre to think that 17 years has flown by since the idea of CF became a reality. It was set up to bring people together in skateboarding and music, to share knowledge, wisdom and of course, the good times. And mates, we’ve had an abundance of those good times!! We’ve shared love, sweat and beers together, and I feel very proud, personally, to have hosted some of this malarkey for the UK scene over the years. We’ve seen various publishers (thank fuck we said no every time), companies and people come and go in that time. Some have left us forever and will remembered fondly, others move on, but such is life – everything progresses for a reason. Change is not to be scared of, but to be embraced, accepted and essentially to push us onto another rad path.

But before you think negatively in where this ramble is going (and believe me I feel as though I’ve rambled on enough over the years on this zine) – nothing has changed and we are still here. Well over a decade of scene events, where the money received went back into new skate-able obstacles, may be our finest moments looking back, but we are not quitting, and our ideology still stands for no monetary gain. So this is not a goodbye, this is a big healthy fuck-yes, HELLO – especially to those who have no idea of our past and what it meant to those who have been involved. It is my personal way of thanking skateboarding and music for what I was introduced to growing up as a teenager and that still stands today.

At some point in the future there will come a time when this unique entity should naturally be handed over to the next generation, but only to those who truly care about others and can document in detail what dope shit is happening out there today in a much better way than us. Hopefully this will happen soon. If you are one of those creative individuals reading this, then get in touch with us today and make the difference to keep sharing what really goes on around us. Use our platform to share great things that will benefit others. Celebrate those who are making a difference with their individual skills. Those who are a cut above the rest. Those who think for themselves without being drained from the constant barrage of manipulation from absolutely every calculated psy-op around us. Being free on four wheels, or shouting into a mic on a stage, is our happy time. This freedom is so valuable and we must cherish it, introduce it, its roots and true history, to the next generation. It’s our only job.

As Ian MacKaye of Fugazi once famously said: Skateboarding is not a sport. I personally still don’t really know what it is, other than total freedom. When we see something magical that raises our serotonin levels, whether it be a stylish slappy revert on a curb, or a multi-zillion degree air on a mega ramp, it reminds us why we decided to conquer our first kick turns all those years ago and makes us smile. It’s the same from hearing a dope beat or a riff from a classic tune. The day you forget to appreciate these simple things that make you happy, it’s all over. It took me a long time to work this out as I’ve never looked backwards to appreciate these amazing times and was always on a mission to make it better, but these days I’m very lucky to be alive writing this, and have spent time to reminisce what went down over these past 17 years, so it’s a pleasure to look back and see so many people having a blast within it! It truly is.

So, I want to thank YOU. All of you, who have supported myself and Crossfire in any way, shape or form over those 17 years. My glass right now is full and raised in your honour!

Thanks friends. Here’s to the next level, wherever that may be. Get in touch and be part of it, as one man cannot do everything on his own, but will always try.

#chooseskateboarding

– Zac