One of the first shoes I ever skated in, all those years ago was a pair of éS Accels. And despite being praised as one of the best skate shoes in history, a simple design, durable and easily adaptable, I struggled to get along with it.
They seemed clunky. And even when I decided to begrudge them a second chance when the Accel Plus was released, back when all this fancy pants system G2 malarkey was barely heard of, I loathed them. If I ever wound up on the wrong side of an august mafia don, with an extravagant name (that would probably influence me to start up a pizzeria in the same name if I was to survive my encounter with him), and was intent on me sleeping with the fishes. The last thing I would want is for him to pull out a pair of Accel Plus and strap them on to my feet. I’d have sunk on some serious Titanic level of proportions.
Vaughan’s homely autumn touch to the Emerica Trans-Ems looks superb. And undeniably congruous of the images connected with a fiery British winter. However, I couldn’t help but have hideous flashbacks of those fucking Accels. Artwork aside, they are the spitting image of them. The design, the shape, even the sole was screaming, “ACCEL” in a haunting, banshee like voice. I was a tad wary to put them on my feet and go anywhere near water. Naturally, it was raining outside.
So, when in the comfort and safety of my own home, I shoved them on. And fuck me was I wrong about these shoes. My feet were transported to another dimension of comfort, to the degree in which I think tiny elves were hidden in the stitches of the shoe and were persistently reassuring my feet that everything is just fine. I was in love. And had an irresistible urge to go skateboarding. It could have been flash floods outside and I still would have gone. Thankfully, I don’t live anywhere near Yorkshire, so I could skate to my foot’s content. So while the STI foam doesn’t reassure me about going into any dark crevasses belonging to any female inhabitants of Essex unprotected, I did feel capable of throwing my self down any number of stairs, without any socks on.
These shoes really are everything you could ever want in a shoe. Snug as a bug in a rug, who’s dressed as a thug and sipping tea from a mug. While not for one second faltering on other essentials such as decent grip, durability, and gorgeous aesthetics to match. I would really recommend these to anyone, and while that was also said to me about Accels, I really can’t imagine anyone hating these beauties, as much as I hated them. At all.
Joe Moynihan.
Liverpool’s finest and Flip destroyer Geoff Rowley has posted up a photo blog of his latest escapades around Alaska on his trusty push-bike steed.
Buses, they are like concrete skateparks especially if you live south of the the M25 in and around he green and leafy county of Surrey. Those lucky folk have got 2 new parks either just dropped or in construction, after years of jack shit on the concrete front.
Still must not grumble eh? (Yes you can. Z-Ed).
Since the destruction of the wooden park near the leisure center, Crawley locals have been with out a park – now figures crossed they are on the verge of getting some ‘crete.
Girl Skate Jam UK returned for its sixth outing but fourth birthday at the Pioneer Skatepark, St Albans on Saturday 9th June.
Winner Georgie Winter impressed the crowd and judges with her two runs, pulling off a kickflip to fakie, huge heelflips on the driveway and frontside air on the flatbank and then went back to her freestyle roots in the second run with a backside heel and all manner of finger flipped pogo malarkey!
In the over 18 section pirate Laura Schwormstedt from Wales/Cornwall picked up first place with tricks including a frontside Indy, fakie bigspin on the flatbank and fakie shuv on the steep flatbank.
Rogue Skateboards and Vans rider Helena Long was rocking Maria’s white jeans due to an earlier unfortunate tear in her own pantaloons and a single ghetto kneepad, grabbed first place and the miniramp tramp trophy. Her two runs included backside 50:50, a handplant, backside 5:0, blunt and some old school trickery.
The crowd were kept happy with some amazing DJing by Louise AKA DJ Lupee and her other half Emit’s Rob and Pip Procter.
July the 22nd will see the King of the Castle event happen at Clitheroe, featuring a Best Trick on the Hip competition, Bowl contest and the usual all-ages competitions. 
