Category: Skateboarding

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Features

Kelley Dawson: Fresh Blood

WHO?

Full Name: Kelley Dawson.

Age: 16.

Sponsors: Non.

Hometown: Bromsgrove!

Skating since: 2004.

Favorite tricks: Back Tails and Back Smiths!

Favorite spots/terrain: Anything and Everything!

Inspired by: Hyped in the early days by seeing John Fisher and Phil Shore at my local park and more recently just getting hyped of filming and traveling with friends.

Hates: Kingsmill bread and the thought of getting a 9-5!

Loves: Rolling away from something new and challenging myself.

Can’t live without… Skating and chips.

Skate video: Sk8 Mafia am video.

Fave sesh with who and where: Anywhere with Rob Whiston, Jon-T, Jon ‘Duck’ Adams, Phil Shore (before he deported himself back to Canada), Si Wilan and James ‘J-rock’ Jones.

Music to die to: Biggie Smalls.

Ultimate aim in life: To Skate as long as possible and maybe live in another country for a while.

Phil Shore on Kell:

Kelley Dawson! What can I say about him? Well considering that he is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. He makes a person feel welcome in his presence. As for his diet, I believe his internet obsession with Donovan Strain has his mind geared towards Welchs grape drink, which obviously adds to his pure steez and butteryness on a skateboard. Keeping in mind that the kid either lives off the chippy or a big ass bag of sweets!

He’s one of the most determined skateboarders out there. Always down to film a trick, always calling you to get down the local park for a sesh and he basically keeps the local crew together! Straight up, no slacking allowed! This guy is a real fucking skateboarder!!

Thanks to Simon Wilan for the footage and Jon Evans for the photo.

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Skateboarding News

Big Push 2009 Incoming!

Now finding a home at Sidewalk Magazine, the Document founded Big Push is set to take a new direction in its fifth year. With a change to the previous ideology, this year, five footwear companies take up the five day challenge with pre-allocated destinations and specific challenges in order to gain points.

Taking place from Sept 15th until Sept 19th, 50% of the winning votes will come from you guys, the public and 50% made up of points earned by each team along the way. This years teams and regional locations are as follows:

Team Vans The North East
Team Etnies The North West
Team Adidas The East Coast
Team Shiner (replacement for Team Duffs): Scotland
Team DC: The South/ London area
Team Nike The South Coast

Get ready for a manic week resulting in a full Big Push Sidewalk issue in October with the corresponding edits on a DVD on the cover. This is British Skateboarding at its best, get involved!!

For more info check out the Mpora Big Push Micro site and keep an eye on the Sidewalk site for daily updates and blogs as the tour unfolds.

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Skateboarding News

Meanwhile pasted in Smell Of Death

The legendary back wall of the Meanwhile 2 park has been plastered in a dope black and white photo from back in the late 80’s this weekend. The incredible job just appeared out of the blue and has stunned locals down here due to how rad it looks.

None of us know who left this treat either so if you find out, please contact us. But if you are responsible for this and reading this now, nice one, everyone is stoked!

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Skateboarding News

More Kenny Anderson 5’s

Chocolate Skateboards Kenny Anderson has more 5’s for the Tap this week here…

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Skateboarding News

Debacle – extra footage

Nike have unleashed 5 more minutes of extras from the likes of Theotis Beasley, Shane O’Neill, Grant Taylor and Justin Brock. Watch it below but also check out the new Zoom Stefan Janoski for September release here. They look dope.

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Skateboarding News

Front Blunts

If someones mentions the golden words front blunt, I think of nothing but Daewon Song. He no doubt makes them look easy but Hawk lays down some green to see how hard they really are in this week’s clip from Shred Or Die.

Frontside Bluntoff from Tony Hawk
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Skateboarding Product Reviews

Daewon DVS/Almost Collab Shoe

It used to be a given that a pro skate shoe would be the business. Like way back in the days you got a pair of cabs, or half cabs – you knew that Steve Caballero wouldn’t just ride anything, and they were tough as hell would last. These days it’s not about making a durable shoe in many cases, it’s sales. I saw some crazy glittery-ass super-high-tops the other day, and I can’t imagine wearing them, let alone trying to skate in them, where as the kids in Hoxton would find them perfect for prancing around on street corners which is a result for the manufacturers back pocket and a fail for skaters.

Thankfully, two names in skating you can trust are DVS and Daewon. So when I came across this collab with Almost I thought I’d step out from the 20 year shadow of skating in Es Accels and Vans and give my feet a treat.

First off, you open the box and instantly get stoked off the 10″ long mini Almost deck with accompanying donut theme to match in with the colour way. This tops a sticker any day! The second thing you get stoked on is the instant “I don’t need breaking in” feel the sole gives you, these bad boys are session ready like donuts hot out the box!

The sole is really soft, but has so far (a month in) showed zero signs of wear. The Ollie area is pretty wide and that allows the stitching to be away from the contact area as much as possible. The suede again is really soft and flexible so you get a really sharp response and so far has scuffed up from Jessops abuse, but no hole.

I guess this shoe reflects Daewon’s skating, fast and responsive. If you are a hammer skater, you might want a little more protection, but for the street tech heads these shoes are perfect. Peep the matching hat and hoodie too for the style gurus out on the grind – these shoes are the business.

9/10

PP

Check out some behind the scenes footage and some clowin’ by Daewon below.

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Features

DIY London Seen

Around this time of year London is full up with prim and proper art shows. There are so many clean, well tended spaces out there to tell you this is what art is about, and this is the latest etc etc – but this space is a little different. Sure its as central as you can get, Covent Garden is slap bang in the middle of the tourist dollar track – but Watch This Space came up with a gem here………

DIY London Seen is vibing off the release of “Beautiful Losers” – a documentary exploring the rise of New Yorks infamous Alleged Gallery – which helped the likes of Ed Templeton, Shepard Fairey and the Gonz come through and immerge as international artists in their own right. The art on display here is all in that same DIY ethic – that skate-punk-graff-hiphop mentality.

Based in Covent Garden Market, Art Tank loaned this small space on the ground floor and the more substantial catacombs below to house the varied work of around two dozen artists. Greeting you at the door, is a 6foot tall Grizzly Bear, covered in mirrors courtesy of Slam City’s Aaron Gregory, that sets the “anything goes” tone off perfectly.

The out of town talent is supplied in the form of photography of the Alleged Gallery by Cheryl Dunn and Ivory Serra while local artists stray off in their own, unshackled artistic directions. The variation of work is random to say the least, from mock Andre the Giant/Obey imagery to more cutting edge edges pieces more akin to the Lazarides galleries.

Beautiful Losers is available on DVD now, (trailer below) look out for a review on here soon.

Phil Procter

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Skateboarding News

Clarke gets grilled

Always good to see our crew out there shredding. Matt Clarke may have the grills to pay the bills too, check his gnashers out here from the Leicister scene video ‘Summer on Lock‘ by Callun Loomes.

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Skateboarding News

Dirty Sanchez’ Matt Pritchard stabbed in the neck

Death rider and Dirty Sanchez star Matt Pritchard was stabbed in the neck and chest last night in a supermarket.

The incident happened in a local co-op store in Norfolk where Pritch was picking up supplies. Apparently some local chav knobheads were causing trouble and Matt got stabbed trying to sort out the situation in front of women and children.

Talking from his Twitter account he says “I was stabbed in the neck by scum, trying to protect a shop full of women and children from his terrible behaviour. Thanks to the amazing ambulance, doctors and nurses. You were great.” He has been through some shit but this is the worst as the danger was out of his hands for once.

All of us at Crossfire wish you a speedy recovery mate, hold tight!