Words by Matt Newett
Photos by Lanners
With a history of competitive skateboarders and BMXers, including multi world champions dating back to the mid 80’s, it’s surprising that Haywards Heath has struggled so much to get an adequate Skatepark facility. Especially when it’s had an independent skateboard and BMX shop since 1999 and before that was home to one of the south’s most respected bike shops involved in the BMX world.
Generations of skateboarders and BMXers have come and gone, fought and failed, trying to gain even the most basic ramp setup and time after time promises have been broken. Luckily during the late 90’s the local council did become more receptive to the idea of a Skatepark and some months later after many meetings, petitions and fund raising a ramp plan and a site was decided upon. 6 months later a cheap, badly designed, dangerous half pipe was implemented instead.
Above: Matt Hill Kickflip Indy.
The local scene was devastated and over the next decade this sequence soon became all too familiar. The second Haywards Heath ramp construction had a 5 foot quarter pipe faced 4 foot away from a metal staircase and the fault was not amended for over a year. It has taken patience and strength but Haywards Heath scene stayed up beat and in the summer of 2008 we finally got our break. One of the Haywards Heath park rangers working for Mid-Sussex council began working with the locals towards building a proper facility.
Below: Park overviews.
Right: Matt Hill Blunt Fakie.
12 months later and we finally have a Skatepark to be proud of. Conceived and designed by Joel Payne of Ballyhoo and implemented by Andy Peerless and Fearless Ramps, Haywards Heath Skatepark is an amazing use of the space allocated. Incorporating the small existing ramp setup into the new wooden sections, the park is pretty tight knit, meaning that there’s lines everywhere.
The whole park can ride like a single unit, linking 4ft mini, 5ft quarters, 4ft transition jump box, 6ft quarters, 5ft volcano, various flat banks, driveway and a beastly 7ft mini.
The possibilities are literally endless and its sweet spot transitions ride smooth and fast. Anyone who knew the vibe over at the old Crawley Skateparkwill be right at home in Haywards Heath with a great local community of mixed age skaters and riders who all share respect for the park and each other. It finally feels like we have our own place to share with the wider skateboard and BMX communities and it is rewarding seeing our friends from other areas stopping by and enjoying something we helped fight for and achieve.
We have already submitted an application for floodlighting and have plans for multiple competitions and events into 2010 and beyond. Haywards Heath is back on the map. Check it out and look out for the Drawing Boards crew if you visit.
Find this skatepark at Victoria Park, South Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Nearest station is Haywards Heath. Nearest skate shop is Ballyhoo. Google map from station
And lo, it came to pass that the video of the new millennium did finally get its release, and verily, the faithful did soil their pants accordingly.
By throwing out time at 5am, the bar was dry, although not all eyes were. This was certainly the most raging party Crossfire have ever thrown, and for the roadblocked gatecrashers who sold it out, a night to live long in the memory.
Sole Tech photographer 
Once in Bari and introduced to each other, our crew visited a set of curbs and benches that Helder nicely exploited with long hard lines. This was sick for sure, but I have to admit that what really caught my attention was the one- armed rollerblader who was practicing his moves and slides on the white curbs. With all my respect to disabled people, I have to admit that it’s very special and surprising to see that people have such activities when you know that its all based on balance and style. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him, a mix between admiration and misplaced curiosity in front of such character and hectic style. I’ll always remember you one-armed rollerblader!
That same day, we went to one of those Italian family restaurants, located in the outskirts of the towns the food was good and the atmosphere was electrifying! An added bonus was a neighbouring room packed to the ceiling with attractive women of all ages, most of whom were line dancing. That looked very scary but still, we almost lost François and Helder, facing a strange attraction to such a show. This can only be explained by an hormonal dysfunction or a special interest for 3rd age “ball lovers” reunion and a taste for 1980’s clothing.
Numerous bars and restaurants seem to be have been closed for a decade, viewing the state of the front yard, amongst broken parasols and high grass, it seems like no beer has been served here for years. At the end of those deserted streets, the sea was like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow of desertion.
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Words Niall Neeson
This year’s UKSA UK Championships has just drawn to a close, the ringing in my ears has subsided, the bar for sponsored skating has been raised once again and I’m slowly starting to regain feeling in my lower back…
I spent the majority of the first day tending to the needs of the swarms of kids queued up for a Vans Waffle crafted with my very own hands, however I did peer over my sweet smelling stall long enough to see Ben Grove kicking the shit out of every obstacle in his path, Ross McGouran flowing about with speed and consistency and Daryl Dominguez, who spent all day dropping some rarely seen tricks with high, relaxed, laid back pop and cruised through to the finals.
After the 70 odd people in the street qualifiers had been wrapped up (and I ran out of waffle mix) everyone trundled over to the frankly terrifying vert ramp to check out the action there. Having been to a few vert events in the past year, it’s truly is amazing to see not only how far the new Vert breed has progressed but also how quickly they have reached this level..
I know that this is meant to focus on the skating that went down but I couldnt really miss out the afterparty. As far as Im concerned the party is just as important as the skating. Last year Cates’ band Day Release subjected a poor unsuspecting pub to the sort of rowdiness usually reserved for football riots, so this year we had to relocate and went to a rugby club in the middle of nowhere. Predictably the skater to girl ratio was about 30:1 as it usually is at these things so dispensing with all pretence, it was decided to turn it into a gay disco.
When I heard that Mike Blabac had a photography book coming out, I was excited, and to find it was having some gallery space at The Maverick in London for a short time, I simply had to go check it out. The images on the screen in front of you only give you a small insight in to what is on offer here, the book is stunning and has to be seen in the flesh to be truly appreciated.
After a prolific end to the 90’s Mike was picked up by his current employer, 
I find myself three hours into a cross-Atlantic flight, mindlessly eating vacuum-packed sludge while I watch Drew’s section from This Is Skateboarding for the nine thousandth time and doing everything I can to avoid eye-contact with the strangely terrifying person I have had the misfortune of being sat next to.
