Category: Features

Photos: Veldman (sauf indique)
Portrait: Visser

Marcel Veldman is the brains behind Holland’s deliciously subversive Fluff skate magazine. Whether making an issue where all the photos are sealed within perforated pages of text, or making one issue into 3 copies of a women’s supermarket tabloid, it has always taken what not to do as its starting point.

Two years ago he agreed to produce an issue of the magazine for Nike, which would cover every single Am rider on their European programme- well in excess of a hundred riders. So after 18 months and 17 tours, the magazine was complete- except it was now a 600 page hardback book. Crossfire caught him washing his socks and asked him about the wisdom of saying yes when you should say no.

Where did the idea for the book come from?

The idea of the format just happened, like all Fluff issues are made. It got changed a million times along the way, until the deadline’s there. As for the project, at the time we just finished issue 16, a square format, 460 page little book. And during one of the Nike SB shoe launches in Amsterdam, I was talking with somebody from WHQ (Nike headquarters) who really liked that issue, enjoying a beer and contemplating what we could possibly do together maybe in the future. One thing led to another, and voila, here it is.

Fluff isn’t like other magazines- can you explain what the Big Idea is with Fluff?

We didn’t want to make just another magazine. I grew up reading Big Brother, and that was definitely a big inspiration. Same for the whole early World period and Girl etc. Skateboarders are breaking boundaries, always pushing the envelope. So why make something that’s already there? Plus I think skateboarding as a whole is interesting to document, not only the biggest tricks, but everything around it as well. No big master plan, it’s all skateboarding.

Decribe your life during the making of the book.

Every week a different country, come home, do laundry, hug the girlfriend who’s crying cause she’s happy I’m home and hug her some more cause the happy crying turns into sad crying cause I have to leave the next day again. Shooting lots of photos, drink lots of beer, and eat even more salad and fries. It’s not always easy to be a vegetarian on the road. Freezing my ass off in the north, sweating like a pig in the south, you know- typical skateboard tour stuff. Apart from the fact that it took me a year and a half.

Which skaters generally are the biggest nightmare to shoot with?

Probably the most talented riders. When it comes real easy, they tend to get lazy.

How close did you come to dying in the dinghy?!

Really, really close, we cut the clip short on the moment everyone starts panicking. But I almost drowned. It was a pretty big lake and a pretty big boat, not the one you can easily turn around. It took them 15 minutes to get back at me, and not a second too late. I seriously didn’t think I would make it. I remember thinking, I go to all these places, I get into all these crazy situations, and then I drown in Holland, my own country, in a freaking lake? It all seemed so unreal.

Where was the best and worst place you visited?

That’s a hard one, cause even the worst places have something great, same as the best places have something terrible. I’ve been to most of those countries before, but never in such a short time, one after the other. You really get to experience the differences in Europe. Can’t say one was better or worse, they’re all different and all beautiful in their own way.

Knowing what you know now about just what was involved, would you do another one?

Haha, who knows…

What was the best launch party?

I haven’t been to all of them but I was the most nervous about the Barca launch, since it was the first one and the first time the public would see it. They flew in a bunch of people as well, so the pressure was on. But it turned out great, and Barcelona remains my home away from home. I love it there. London was great, the beach houses they built in the gallery looked awesome, If I may say that. Our hometown Rotterdam was a good one, but we’re from there so I wouldn’t expect anything else. And we just finished the one in Paris, a lot of people showed up there, venue packed, the street in front packed. That was great. But all the launches are pretty much over before you realize it. You just spend the evening talking and I’m really not too comfortable talking about my photos and getting compliments. It’s nice but I don’t know what to say to that so I try to sneak out whenever possible.

Whats next?

More European Fluffs?

Find a few video clips and more at www.fluff-sb.com

By Drawing Boards Adam and Peter

South Norwood is the unlikely recipient of a small yet flowing concrete skatepark, but it could have been so different. Although this is a Spot Check here’s a little background for you.

We had heard there was a skatepark being built in the area and immediately feared the worse as the only park built in the area previously is a shoddy metal skatepark with gravel floor. We arranged a meeting with the local councillor Duncan to see if we could be involved. He showed us the plans for the skatepark and as predicted it was your typical council metal monstrosity featuring that wack quaterpipe to driveway to quaterpipe combination. We were gutted! To make matters worse it was being made by a company who build childrens playgrounds!

We told him politely that the council were wasting there money if they were to build this park. He advised us that the council were bound to their contractors and in order to go outside the current contractors we had to prove they would be unable to do an adequate job. So we completed a case study of why the other park (aka Wandle) hadn’t worked and also 2 case studies on parks we felt had worked, Mile End and Meanwhile 2. We threw in the names of reputable skatepark builders in the country and he went back to the council.

Once the new companies had sent in their designs we took along a couple of well known skaters from the area to look over the tenders to get a more rounded view. The council were happy it was in budget and set about work straight away with Wheelscape, managing to complete the park 3 weeks ahead of schedule.

There is already a frequent flow of skaters, including many Fairfield heads along with a new breed of local kids. Also the we have been invited to be involved in the remaking of the other park as well as being consulted in future skate related projects. Result! We have been trying to get things done for at least 2 years and it’s nice to actually see a result with loads positive feedback.

We realise we have banged on a bit but the point is this: If you hear money is being spent on a skatepark in your area then get involved. There’s no point in moaning after another rubbish park is built. Compared to the council you are the experts so make yourselves heard.

Find this park in South Norwood Recreation Ground – Map Here.

Write your own Spot Check and represent your town’s local spot by getting in touch here.

Sam (aka SPT) came to this quagmire of decay, slime and death known as London from the lesser shit hole of Leicester. He lives in glamorous Camberwell to be precise, where he obsessively maintains his fine collection of blogs (nerd) whilst living the gully life all day, everyday on the Camberwell streets, alleyways and rooftops. On top of these duties to his postcode he still manages to get in loads of skating and filming, just like any thug would.

He may tie his laces a little tight for my liking but he makes up for that with a natural mass of energy akin to a hyperactive youth, a huge selection of tricks and more combo’s guaranteed than any other skater on his side of the street.

Sam is a very consistent skater which makes him a footage machine and fortunately for him, has an iron gut that is guaranteed to soak up his daily hangover pains thus enabling him to be up for shredding and filming pretty much any day of the week. Give him a few years though, he’ll be buckled in bed for a whole day after a night of drinking cheap cider and vodka like anyone would over the age of 27. Watch out mate.

Sam likes to think of himself as a bit of a Larry David, but nah. In all honesty he is the bastard child of Mr Burns and Joey Brezinski. It’s cool though because he’s always a positive force to be around unlike myself. -Chris Morgan – Science Skateboards

Above Left: Nollie Pop Shuv and Fakie Tucknee Wallride: Photos Matt Clarke

WHO?

Name: Sam Taylor.

Age: 21.

Sponsors: Science Skateboards and Casino Skate Shop.

Hometown: Leicester but I live in Camberwell, London.

Skating since: About 2002.

Favourite tricks: Kickflips and No Complies.

Favourite spots: The Quay and Wreake benches in Leicester.

Inspired by: Carroll, Hsu, Pappalardo, Pat Steiner, Mikey Cheah.

Hates: Hangovers.

Loves: Girls.

Can’t live without: Coffee.

Skate video: Now? Static 3.

Fave sesh: Quay in summer with BBQs, bitches, beers and bros. Square One dudes around London, watching Knox jump down steps.

Music to die to: Dr Dre.

Ultimate aim in life: Learn impossibles like Ed T.

Watch Sam’s section from the Square One DVD here:

Portrait: Chris Johnson
Skate Photos: Rob Galpin

Full Name: Mark “RADMAN” Radden

Age: 19 years so far

Sponsors: Motel 6 Skateshop / Death Flow

Hometown: Waltham Cross

Skating since: Since my first year of Secondary School so about 7 years I think

Favorite tricks: Blunts on ramp and Sugar Canes, and the trusty Tre Flip!

Favorite spots: My favourite street spot to skate is probably the ledges at Elephant and Castle, parkwise, it’s got to be H-Town (Harlow)

Inspired by: Reynolds the ‘BOSS’, and hopefully one day landing a switch heel like Antwuan, the ‘BOSS ‘no.2

Hates: The forever rising price of petrol and alchohol. Parking tickets which I currently have two of and Hard-ash

Loves: Skateboarding and Honda Civic coupes

Can’t live without: My car, my CD’s that Jake Shunt makes me, long skin

Skate video: Fish, Deez Nuts, Better Than Life, Baker has a Deathwish

Fave sesh: Having a session with the homeslices at the local, late night evenin’ style. Harry Hughes, Sizla Sam, Jake Shunt, D Webb, Nicolson and everyone else in the area

Music to die to: Jewelz Santana Killah!

Ultimate aim in life: To not miss a thing, Bun the pengest, Drive the fastest and Shred the Gnarest. You only live once!

Below: Backside Noseblunt Slide and waist high Noseslide. – CJ

Nick Zorlac on Radman

Radman is on a mission! Originating from Waltham Cross, he heavily localizes Harlow Skatepark, but has a burning desire to travel and skate anything and everything. Don’t be surprised when he shows up in your town and shows your spots some mind melting stunts. Learning seriously difficult tricks pretty much every time he skates, trying to stick them no matter what and taking some hard to watch slams in the process, then getting the trick on lock like they are nothing! When I flow Death decks to Mark via Motel 6 Skateshop, I know they’re gonna get a right pounding, this I like.

Working really hard in the opticians all week drives him want to skate even harder every single evening and at the weekend (well actually a black Honda Civic that some people are scared to get in drives him to skate). No one is gonna stop this young guns’ crusade to get Radman! Lock up your daughters, Radman is here and I predict will become a force to reckon with.

Yoann Cimier was born in Angers, France, in 1974. He began his media career in poetry and literature publishing around 1998, then worked on a cross section of roles including a journalist, editor and assistant manager. Having spent several years playing bass within a few different bands, he has moved primarily into photography over the last decade.

Yoann is a self taught artist, studying the work of past photographers, writers, painters and poets, finding constant inspiration through skateboarding and the streets since the mid- 1980’s. His move to this side of the lens, like many, was a result of several serious injuries skating. At the age of 35 he is still an avid collector of vintage books, records and movies, which is the subject of a long time project based on 50 years of Skateboard Extravaganza on his site.

As a Freelance photographer and author, he’s contributed to magazines such as Modart (Sweden), Color (Canada), Staf (Spain), 7th Sky (Austria), Thrasher, Sugar, Blackpool, Beach Brother, Agoride, and Désillusion in France, welcome to Yoann’s Triple Shot.

Image: Reserved Rights

OK, let’s start at the beginning, why did this particular image inspire you so much to take up photography?

Images from the end of 1980’s such as the first Etnics then Etnies adverts, Natas and Mickey Reyes, had a very strong impact on us as adolescents. It was really impressive to see these big tall guys skateboarding. It was definitely not a toy or a child amusement anymore. That was the first step.

The second step was around 1993 with that picture of Kris Markovich for Foundation Super Co. That picture was more than skateboarding, it was about photography. The straight composition, the perfect timing, the black and white film. It was pure photography and pure skateboarding. It was just the way I loved skateboarding. The way I wanna see it. The movement, the huge distance, the impressive spot, the hair floating with the speed, and the magic feeling of lightness – the essence of style both in skateboarding and photography. At this time Kris Markovich was a kind of a reference from the 1980’s, flying overhead in a very aerial style, just like Natas did in his time…

That picture is a classic for me, I always have it in my mind as a reference of perfection. You can make a career and a name with just one picture, if it becomes a classic.

Have you ever felt bad about taking a photo?

I never felt bad about taking a photo, only when I’ve missed a photo. It arrives all the time when I don’t have my camera with me and this is the same story for all photographers I suppose, all we can do is keep these missed photos locked in our mind.

Best and worst days shooting skateboarding of your life so far?

I rarely shoot professional skateboarders anymore. I’m not interested by the whole folklore and official fame of skateboarding, not like I was in my teenage years. My work explores the environment of skateboarders, not skateboarders themselves. I just describe their ability to see and use the city as a true pleasure ground where energy and spirit can be expressed to the full. I don’t mind the name or even the trick the skater does. I find a nice spot, I put the skateboarder exactly where I want in the frame and ask him to do the trick that will fit the best in the environment, in order to produce a well balanced, explicit picture. So I’m not concerned about the best or worst days shooting.

What’s the relationship like between a photographer and filmer?

I did a video with my buddies a long time ago at the end of 1990’s. It was called Mais qui est donc Ollie Master? It was fun but the process was really too long for me. There’s too many external elements to consider, to get the stuff done. It is really frustrating in many ways. In video I think the best part is the link with music, which is the fuel of skateboarding. I see skateboarding as a kind of dance with all that spontaneous raw energy, rhythm, movement, coordination, style, beauty…

I finally opted for photography because it simply fits me better. It’s more transportable, easier to control every aspect on the scene. The process is faster, and the STILL image leaves more freedom and imagination to the spectator. That’s what I really like with photography. But I’m very interested right now by the future possibilities of doing video with camera gear with photographers controlling videos just as they control photography. Photography is a language in itself, transposed to the video it can be the most beautiful thing on earth. I think a photographer can always be a good director. Inversely is far rarer.

Please tell us why you have selected this particular image as your favourite skate photo?

I’ve selected that image cause it has all the ingredients that I’ve described before. No matter the skater’s name. The subject is the act of skateboarding in a specific environment. Technically it is a basic architecture shot, but with a tiny disturbance inside (the skater) which turns the picture out of its original meaning. The skater here appears as a contrasting element with the stillness, the heaviness and boredom of architecture. Skateboarders are people who lay their lives on the line, a thin frontier which separates the corporeal from the corporate. In that way, skateboarding had always been in search of balance. That is finally its deepest essence. Since the 1950’s, skateboarders are have been trying to escape from the system and the laws, starting with the one of gravity. It’s a perpetual quest of freedom. That photo takes place in Lisboa, Portugal, around 2005. The skater is Francisco Lopez, who was also an architect. So when we met, we really had the same approach to skateboarding.

Have you found any ways of getting subsidised or free equipment as you continue to grow or do you have to fund everything yourself?

I always give value to things I do. It takes time, but I’ve always done the things on my own. However, with the reviews I do for www.skate-site.com, I got books, DVDs and press kit stuff for free.

Do you manage to get by in life on the income generated by skateboard photography alone?

I’m a little bit too old now to believe in that juvenile idea. But if you’re eighteen and accept living in your car, eating chips each day and getting involved in a fight every month to be paid by the magazines, go for it! It could be better to make it happen in California, not as cold as Europe in winter…

What music artists can you not leave for a tour/shoot without?

Harry Whitaker, Edgar Varèse, Bill Laswell, Gianni Ferrio, Frank Zappa and Tortoise, Liquid-Liquid…

If you were to buy an entry-level camera for capturing skating on a budget, which camera would you suggest?

Pentax MX or LX (Single lens reflex), Konica Hexar (rangefinder), Contax T2 (point n’ shoot). Easy to find as used, great quality lenses, and really cheap nowadays…

Would you recommend digital or film?

Film first, to learn the basics of photography and light. Aperture, speed, sensibility, depth of field… along with the different film size, brands, techniques (slide, negatives, processing) I recommend to try Agfa Scala (a black & white slide film) before it’s definitely gone! Then, keep an eye on digital compacts such as Sigma DP1 or DP2 (maybe a bit too slow for skateboarding but great images), Olympus Pen EP-1, Canon G10… The G10 can synchronize with flashes at all speeds, while high end digitals reflex synchronize at less than 1/300. It can be a really nice choice for a first camera to shoot skateboarding. Maybe hard to get a full page in a magazine, but for web publishing you can seriously consider that one for its reasonable price.

What are the benefits of using both?

I use film mostly for my personal projects because I can manage accurately the rendition I want for each purpose in terms of colour, format, type of cameras, tiny faults, soft focus etc… I can also play with the contrast in pushing or retain the ISO sensibility until obtaining some effects à la George Seurat or getting very soft and smooth images with long exposures at 25 or 12 ISO. You can’t shoot at these sensibilities with digital and for long exposures, the pictures get an ugly grain which is corrected by weird algorithms. That is not photography anymore. These are the limits of digital for the moment. Analog photography is now an empty field, reserved for the artists and collectors. Just like vinyl for music. However, digital is definitely a standard, perfect for commercial use. You can get super clean pictures full of details, better than reality itself. Fast and sharp as your television. I prefer cinema.

Please tell us about the non-skate photo you have submitted and the story behind it.

I’ve lived in Tunisia for two years now. That picture was the first I took when I arrived in Tunis in 2007. Months later, I noticed that the photo represents exactly the country I was now living in: demographically, there’s a lot of more young people than elderly in Tunisia. In the picture, the ratio is almost exact. The young Tunisians are orientated towards the future, probably dreaming of the other side of the Mediterranean sea, dreaming of Europe, while the fisherman seems to be attached to his quiet life and roots, coming back to the port. The contrast between the two generations intersecting is really great. The barbed wire (on left) mixed with the perfect blue sky, also retains the two different faces of the country. During an exhibition in Tunisia, some of my pictures have been bought by the Tunisian Ministry of Culture for their contemporary art department. I will try to sell some skateboard photos this year.

What kit do you use personally?

I don’t use 24×36 anymore, except an Hasselblad Xpan which uses 35mm film in 24x65mm format, with outstanding 45mm & 90mm lenses. The medium format quality on a standard film format. My Hasselblad 500C from 1967 remains my favorite with the classic and beautiful planar 80mm. I also use a Sonnar 150mm for portraits. A Pentax 67 that I use with a 55mm wide angle for landscape, action… and a 35mm fisheye. For professional applications and commercial assignments, I use a Canon 50D with 16-35 L mainly for reportage, and a 60mm macro lens for products, packshots and portraits. In the street I use several Metz flashes with Pocket Wizards, and some lightboxes + handmade stuff in studio and sometimes I’m wandering outside with my Holga.

What main advice would you give to upcoming skate photographers?

Find yourself the camera equipment which will fit best with your vision. Find and develop your own style. Experiment. Don’t focus on heavy, expensive equipment. Keep your money for traveling. Just like skateboarding, go out, explore and progress and take photos and learn by making mistakes. Forge your own culture outside skateboarding and keep your eyes open.

Where can we find your work online?

Skate Site which has a portfolio section but its mainly an anthology of skateboarding since the 1960’s through collectors items : vintage records, books, movies, magazines. I’m currently working on a full English version. Enjoy.

I first witnessed young Tonge at Crawley, he was floating round like a care free kestrel just landing things with far too much ease. Soon after, Jak came down to our local skate park and tore it a brand new ring. It was painful seeing someone with so much raw talent skating such beat up old boards. When he asked me if he could buy a deck there was no other real choice than to put him on the team.

The one man demo from Pompey who on a recent 9 day tour to the Czech Republic racked up a ridiculous 50 clips has a video part out now in Rob Crawford’s 6:57 vid so make sure you get a copy of that.

He has been on Drawing Boards for a while now and fitted in to the family straight away with his easy going nature and his outlook on skating and life in general. Hmmm, I’d better say something bad about him before this sounds too gay, he’s a fire hazard and has a scumtache of old granny like proportions! – Adam from Drawing Boards.

Above: Pivot Fakie: Photos Ranny.

Full Name: Jak Dimitri Paris Tonge.

Age: 20.

Sponsors: Drawing Boards Skateboards, Nike SB flow, Bored Skatestore! Rprznt.

Hometown: Fareham, where the girls scare em/Pompey.

Skating since..: Started skating when I was 12, so that’s 8 and a bit years.

Favourite tricks: Maydays, Backtails and cruising hills all day!

Favourite spots: Something different.

Inspired by: Saari, Rattray, the big AD, Jennifer, Skinner and Wheeler haha!

Hates: People who forget why they started skating in the first place. Because it’s fun!

Loves: Tea, Southsea, Kronenbourg, Canablizzle.

Can’t live without: My Xbox…..Nah just kiddin’, my board I guess (if i didn’t have it, I’d go mental).

Skate video: Sorry, W.F.T.W, First Broadcast, Lost and Found, Mosaic, Skate the Plank.

Fave sesh: Any sesh down Emswoth is a banger, everyone has such a laugh, big up the Chi and Gosport boys!

Music to die to: The Who, Modest Mouse, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and anything a bit twangy.

Ultimate aim in life: To enjoy it!!!

12th December 2009
Bay 66 Skatepark, London

You can tell that an event has really become part of the landscape when it becomes the possession of the crowd. This year’s Crossfire Xmas Jam had more people skating than ever before. Skating in the walkways, and on the flat. 4 people in the mini ramp at all times, etiquette out the window. Been waiting too long for the year’s biggest winter event to stand on niceties and not get some action. That’s what we’re all here for, right? Action!

Above: Jak Tonge-Backside Lipslide-Photo: Dom Marley.

And so action it was. For the older crew clutching their teas and trying not to get run over. For the youngest dudes, brought along by Mum or Dad who then nipped down to the Mutate Britain exhibition down the road for a wider dose of alternative culture. This day is about and for you, which is why we always build new stuff and leave it for everybody to get acquainted with. This year was no exception; if you have been following the Crossfire Facebook you would have seen the car we have been toiling on for frozen days and nights to make skate able. The Mad Max overhaul courtesy of the Mutate Britain artists was a final flourish before the beast was unleashed on Britain’s top headbangers for an afternoon- long assault.

Below: Jess Young-Frontside Feeble Grind-Photo: Dom Marley.

It was amazing to see just how quickly the top boys can get to grips with something they’ve never skated before. Ben Grove’s frontside bluntslide on the pick up seat being an early standout before he wrecked himself, get well soon mate. The car was a something for everyone affair- thoroughbred streeters like Rob Mathieson, Snowy, and Joey Pressey taking quick hits across it or over the bonnet, Jess Young all the way from Wales with the hippy jump clean over it as his board sailed through both windows unseen- total mayhem. Dave Snaddon somehow pulled a flip backlip on the flat bar welded to the roof, a treacherously high bar that took some people down during the onslaught! Casper kickflipped the entire set up all afternoon, Mikey Patrick cleared the same space with huge ollies, Harry Lintell made his Crossfire debut a memorable one, Shaun Currie kickflipped the windscreen, and Neil Smith made lines from the back end of the park to switch lipslide the top rail. But it was Daryl Dominguez who proved yet again that his skating does the talking wherever he goes. Varial heelflip 5-0 was the trick of the day but he had them all over the car- signature tre flips, hardflips, floating ollies and he took the accolades accordingly.

Below: Greg Nowik-Melon Fakie-Photo:Dom Marley.

This was a skate with-, not a skate for-, though so even with all the organised chaos on the street course, there was still a strong squad of attendees just having their own sessions all over, which is how it should be. The manny pad beside the car saw as much action as the rail from crews who came to ride along and feed off the energy, and the mini ramp never saw a break all day. We also got the annual police/noise pollution complaint at 5pm which meant that we were headed in the right direction.

Below: Jak Tonge-Indy Fakie-Photo:Dom Marley. (check Andy Evans facials on the RHS!)

The midi ramp became the focus of the final hours, with heavy hitters from across the UK scene sparking it off. Ben Raemers, just back from his stint in America as Britain’s new breakthrough talent, showed that he’s getting even better, as, seemingly, is Greg Nowik, who on that ramp is a match for anyone in the world, beardy and the judo dude included. Vert prodigy Sam Beckett was all about it in a padless fashion and managed to make the ramp look as tiny as it probably feels to him, and Gav Coughlan came from Ireland to show his all- terrain credentials in a session that looked at times like an illegal dog fight. Sam Pulley and Jak Tonge sessioned hard as did Rogie and Chris Oliver who should have stuck at his 540′, he looked like he was having one of those days where he could have landed it.

>Below: Casper Brooker-Kickflip-Photo:Dom Marley.

As the seconds were counted down to the last man standing finale and we turfed out some T- shirts and boards from the UK teams who made the trip to West London to keep our culture’s flame alive, I looked around at the loving faces, the family atmosphere and the camaraderie of those people. Age, sex, postcode, nobody gives a fuck. Look, it is no secret that we’ve all just come through a rotten year in terms of being able to find the money to put on the events which act as a social glue that helps keep our scenes together and spirits high. Apart from Crossfire and the Backroom Productions crew, only a few other independent events went off in 2009 due to recession, and so it is important here to recognise those who go the extra mile to make it happen. We cannot do these events without the involvement of the people who keep it alive, which is you and all of the UK skate companies.

Below: Neil Smith-Switch Lipslide-Photo:Dom Marley.

Big thanks to Sidewalk magazine, for never failing to support and send bods along, to Nic Powley, and the Shiner squad, bright and early. Don Brider, Greg Nowik, Andy Evans and the south coast contingent, all present and correct. Lee Dainton and the big Kill City squad who came through in convoy from Wales, love your work; the Crayon, Slam, Unabomber, Landscape, Heroin, Lovenskate, Motive and Science brethren who repped hard, the Death squad without whom no event can truly be called such, Drawing Boards, The Harmony (Yes Fam Pietryga), Blueprint, Paul, Dave and Mike at Bay66, and also to the skaters who came along and took ownership of the gig for themselves. Now this is truly a jam and not a demo. It’s about all of us. That’s how we feel and, for that glorious Saturday, that’s how it seemed we all did.

Below: Jason Cloete-Tre to Flat and Felipe Dal Cin-Hardflip-Photos Sam May.

2010 will be the year of the rise of the small devoted skater-run enterprise. Teams, events, media and initiatives. We can trust only ourselves; but it is clearly enough. Big ups to all the skateboarders of Britain. It’s getting cold now players- stay up! Checkout the official edit from this year’s jam here thanks to Niall Kenny, Alan Christensen and Lee Dainton. Thanks to Dom Marley and Sam May for the photos and Alex Wreckage and Garfield at Mutate Britain for car infused art malarkey.

Season’s Beatings from your friends at Crossfire. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Nev first appeared on the Manchester skate scene 8 years ago when he bought his first proper skateboard off us and set about being a super keen 12 year old Bones Bolton grommet. He ended up doing his work experience with us a few years later where in between learning to brew up and getting buried in rubbish he managed to sneak out with Joe and film a few tricks to ball bag what would appear in Workers and Lurkers. Joe was so impressed with young Nev that he decided to get a section of him for his next vid, Kipp It Off.

Joe went on to describe this time filming Nev as the worst 3 months of his life. It’s true that Nev can get a bit annoying. He goes from bouts of misery to getting all hyper, over excited and trying to wrestle. He seems to phone up for a chat just when you’re in the middle of doing something and he always takes over the shop computer to show us some crap comedy on Youtube. Having said that though we all love Nev.

While most skaters around here of his generation are all concerned about being in team drink this or team drugs that, Nev stands alone as a true individual. He is one those genuinely good, caring people that would do anything to help anyone. He’s really into his music, art and design and he is a complete skateboard nerd. His skating is solid, smooth and stylish and we are very proud that he’s on NOTE.

-Splodge

Above: Kickflip at Aldgate 9, London. Photo Chris Johnson.

Full Name: Matthew Nevitt.
Age: 19.
Sponsors: Note Skateshop, Science Skateboards, Vans Footwear.
Hometown: Salford, Greater Manchester.
Skating since: Unsure, it’s about 8 years.
Favourite tricks: Just being able to cruise is the best.
Favourite spots/terrain: Street skating, Spinningfields ledges.
Inspired by: At the moment, Pappalardo.
Hates: Too many of them.
Loves: My guitar.
Can’t live without: Music.
Skate video: Stu Bentley’s ‘Leisure’ or Habitat’s ‘Mosiac’.
Fave sesh with who and where: A Manhead mini ramp session is always good, he always teaches me something he finds easy.
Music to die to: Anything by Bob Dylan, Elliott Smith, The Beatles.
Ultimate aim in life: I’m still young but I wanna live in NY for a while and maybe just maybe once my foot gets better finish a short part for Pusher Man.(below)

Check out Sean Lomax’s Pump Cage edit of Nev and the trailer for the highly anticipated Pusher Man by Sean and Joe Gavin below:

Photo: Awadh

If you have been tuned into this place since its birth you are probably aware that Meanwhile Gardens here in W11 is one of our local spots. We are lucky here as the MW2 Gap is close, Bay66 is next door and the M4, M25 and M1 are not too far so we can get out to other spots easily. Crossfire was born when we moved to the area after seeing the plans for the Meanwhile 1’s rebuild back in 2000 and it has served up amazing sessions to so many great skateboarders.

It has witnessed the gnar of Tom Crowe clearing the steps, the thunderous runs of John Robinson with airs that clear the platforms, the snake sessions with Howard Byrom (oh yes mate we still remember!) I could go on and on, but the main thing is that we are always up for a sesh and welcome anyone from out of town who rolls in to join us.

This summer was one of the best so Alan Christensen made it his mission to film some of the evening sessions that went down. So here’s a bunch of geezers who love getting a bowl sesh on and also love a cold beer at the local pub afterwards. This edit features a few tricks from Awadh, Jamie, Joff, Laurie, 2P, Adam, Stevie, Neil, Brendan, and Jesse. Enjoy…