You know that coming into a page with a headline line this is only going to end in good times. Sit back and watch some lush new footage of Bristol’s finest Korahn Gayle, who takes out local spots in style for Fifty Fifty summer edit filmed and edited by George Nevin with additional filming by Louis Gane, Rich Smith and Phil Parker.
Visit them here.
FIFTY FIFTY SUMMER ’13 – KORAHN GAYLE from FIFTY FIFTY STORE on Vimeo.
Skateboarding has a great quality to it which is innovation and change. Why it doesn’t compare to most sports is because it doesn’t have any rules or governing bodies that dictate winners and losers and classify everybody into leader boards and leagues. Well, actually there is some of that in skateboarding but it’s best left ignored. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that skaters will naturally progress and this progression moves in tangents. At one end you’ll have the simple but gnarly skaters, whilst at another you’ll have the technical wizards and in between everything you have style. Older generations have always been aware that times were a-changing but I think we can safely say that times have changed but only for the better.
Element have been supporting European skateboarding for quite a while now and even if the riders from the old continent don’t necessarily have their names screened onto the decks they ride, their actions speak louder than the words the much sought after vinyl transfers could provide. Nassim Guammaz, Karsten Kleppan, Ross McGouran, Madars Apse, Phil Zwijsen, Michael Mackrodt, Jarne Verbruggen, Ruben Rodrigues and Guillaume Mocquin are all great skaters. You won’t be disappointed by what you see in their new feature length web video ‘Hold it Down‘.
Here are a few reasons why the guys in this video are worth 24 minutes of your attention deficit disordered lives:
Karsten Klappens manages to take every single spot that could have had real potential and makes it a reality. Example: that curved ledge would be great to skate but there are two great walls stick out at either end. No problem for Karsten, he’ll just pop over and pop right out.
Ross McGouran (above) is a very gnarly pint size bastard who’s not afraid to fling himself far and wide in the pursuit of happiness.
Madars Apse and Phil Zwijsen share a part that combines Madars’ laid back approach to Phil’s. Jarne Verbruggen is a perfect example of today’s generation that can annihilate anything that sits in their path. Big transfers, a bit of ledge flippery and applying old tricks to new heights makes Jarne really fun to watch.
Nassim Guammaz (above) definitely chomps more than a fair share of rails in his part but when you see how easy he makes it look, you’ll be wondering why you don’t have a go yourself.
Check the credits for a straight and simple thanks to Mark Gonzales, John Cardiel and Pontus Alv. That list might sound way too easy command street cred among viewers, but when you see the talent and approach a lot of the skaters have you can see that those three legends are the real inspiration and thankfully so.
Ralph Lloyd-Davis
Element Europe have finally rolled out their full new video ‘Hold It Down‘ today with new sections from Nassim Guammaz, Karsten Kleppan, Ross McGouran plus Madars Apse, Phil Zwijsen, Michael Mackrodt, Ruben Rodrigues and Guillaume Mocquin.
Get this one stoked up for when you have 24 minutes spare and read our review of this flick here.
The launch of a new skate park built in the Northamptonshire town of Daventry is coming this weekend. After many hard years of meetings, petitioning and fundraising, the £135,000 project is finally going ahead, to the relief of many of the local crews of skaters.
Designed by Wheelscape, we know this park is going to be a cracker, as they have previously delivered with such great parks as the Radlands Plaza in Northampton, Victoria Park in London and the scooter-unfriendly Oxford Wheels Project park to name a few.
The park features a stair set with a rail and hubba, manual pad, pyramid bank, a step up and what looks like a killer selection of quarter-pipes and other transitional elements. The design received plenty of input from locals, which can be seen from the tribute to the brick ‘Volcano’ in this design.
The park will open officially this Saturday July 13th between midday and 2pm at New Street Recreational Ground, Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 4BT
Dom Hynard
A new London based skate video formely known as the Grey video has taken its first dip onto the web this morning. The Eleventh Hour production, filmed and edited by Jacob Harris, will have footage of Nick Jensen, Luka Pinto, Tom Knox, Kevin Lowry, Sylvain Tognelli, Arthur Derrien, Daniel Clarke and Chris Jones, plus many more filmed over the last year.
This is the first of 4 trailers, this debut features Lowry on the line. Look out for more soon.
Cian Eades and Gav Coughlan join a host of Spanish and Texan skaters on this new Texalona friends edit today. The full production was put together by Jordan Standley mixing the two worlds together. Watch the trailer below for more.
It does what it says on the tin. 15 tricks with the Barrier Kult warrior ahead of the Heroin ‘Video Nasty’ DVD hitting your local skate shop this month. Get hyped.
The fight to keep Southbank from relocation took a new twist last week with the Long Live Southbank campaign skating onto the steps of Lambeth Town Hall to deliver Councillor Diana Braithwaite over 14,000 individual objections on paper. In the same week, the Southbank Centre admitted that they have decided to delay their plans to push forward with their planning application, bringing a few smiles to the faces involved in the fight as they roll forward with a passionate campaign to keep the history of SB intact.
The Southbank Centre (SC) issued a statement last week, saying: “The Festival Wing project has huge potential to reach out and change the lives of thousands of local children and young people … but we also want our skateboarders and BMXers to continue to think of this as their home. It is for this reason we have asked Lambeth council to allow us more time to review whether our scheme is achieving the very best balance of opportunities for current and future generations, and they have agreed to this.”
The SC have now taken their appeal a little further by reaching out to people walking past the Undercroft in a new sign erected outside the Royal Festival Hall and a new video statement made by Artistic Director Jude Kelly. Also, tendors for the new proposed design underneath the Hungerford Bridge are apparently being prepped as we write this. It’s a strange battle, made up of passion, history, values and pride, but the message is clear. The SC want to work with us, but need everyone to move. Where this loggerhead situation moves to now is up to the Council and partly relies on the Village Green application under the Commons Act of 2006.
Ph: Jenna Selby
The spanner is now locked firmly in place due to the commitment of the LLSB on behalf of skateboarders, where we all go from here is the next chapter. Until more fresh news arrives, listen to what street artist and 80’s southbank skateboarder D*face has to say about the campaign, and await a graff related response in video feature from this Thursday.
Also note that a book is being collated right now, so if you have any submissions then send your photos, artwork and stories to longlivesouthbank@gmail.com for possible inclusion, and also read the Guardian’s most recent article that ran yesterday about the state of skatebaording in your area. Click here to feedback.
Ross McGouran‘s incredible new section in Element’s Hold It Down video has been unleashed onto the internet and it’s a beast. Ross brings a huge bag of tricks in a mix of park and street footage and absolutely slays it for Skate Edit of the Week.
Get on this today.
The last time Flip came to town back in 2008, some may remember that online cynics stated that their team of ‘little kids’ were never going to compete with the big boys. Here we are five years later and guess who is dominating every contest worldwide and has taken X-Games, Tampa Am and even the cherished prize of all that is Skater of the Year amongst others? Never, ever underestimate Flip Skateboards. They are Britain’s flagship skate co – the original, the most forward thinking, and the very best.
This demo was announced only 2 weeks before they landed at Heathrow. David Gonzalez and Curren Caples could not be present due to family unforeseen commitments and they are both in our thoughts today as family alays comes first. As Flip take this family aspect of life so seriously, they pulled out every stop to make this demo as good as it could be for you without two of their finest team riders. With Ben Nordberg dislocating his elbow in the week proceeding the demo too (get well soon mate), demo monster Greyson Fletcher flew into London with very little notice as cover. He had just spent time in Europe smashing everything he skated to pieces, including taking the prestigious first place spot at the Prado Bowl in Marseille last week, and had flown back to California. All options were looked into to make ammends for these changes in the week leading up to this demo, so hats off to all involved for making a mammoth effort to appease the visitors who attended this one. I cannot express how much effort went into this.
As Alec Majerus was clearing customs at 4.30pm, a crowd was forming at BaySixty6. It’s the hottest day of the year by far with the temperature hitting 29/30′. BBQ smoke filled the skies all over the city, skate sessions turned into lazy drinking sessions and those who turned up to welcome this crew should be highly commended.
The legendary Arto Saari was in the mix and skating on British soil for the first time in years, alongside the masterful Louie Lopez whose trick ratio is filling the bag these days. His Minnesotan friend Majerus showed why he took Tampa with ease last year, and Fletcher, well, you have to see this bloke to believe. He flies like an eagle with absolutely no fear of anything in front of him. Shouts to upcoming UK ripper Charlie Birch too who was invited to join this crew today and once again impressed all.
Overall it was a roaster and these beautiful photos from Maksim Kalanep tell the story of Flip’s visit alongside Ryan Gray’s swift footage from Sidewalk. Many thanks to Ian and all at Flip, all of the Bay66 staff, Ben Powell for mic action, and all who spread the word for us in short notice on this exclusive London event.
