Category: Skateboarding News

Lyon recently saw the acquisition of two new concrete bowls on the renovated banks of the Rhone River that runs through the centre of town.

As Crossfire mentioned in previous news, the project to get a skatepark built on the riverbank has been an arduous and heavily debated project, but finally the city gave the green light.

However, the architects and builders responsible for the peanut-shaped transitions were not skateboarders (you can see where this is heading…), so a replica of Marseille this is NOT. The coping hardly peeks out of the edges, and the angles have you safely below the speed limit. Despite these set backs, the bowls are free, in a safe area and good for beginners. The bigger bowl is approximately 2 meters deep, whilst the smaller version connected by a spine sits at a shallow 1m 50.

There are plans to have a ‘street park’ area built next to the bowls, but so far the designs have been deplorable. Local skaters are currently trying to get the designs fixed, but city officials usually follow the thought that whatever costs more must be better, and we all know who takes advantage of that naivety.

Hope is around the corner though, with skatepark designers and all around skate addicts, the Syndrom USSR cooperative, have placed a bid to try and get something done. This band of merry men from Marseille, have several successful skateparks designed and built throughout France, with new projects aimed for Bourgoin Jailleu, Annecy and a specially commissioned bowl for Carhartt in Hossegor.

Let this be a lesson to get involved and follow every step of the conception and creation of future skateparks wherever you live.

www.ussr.coop

Globe is launching a new webfilm project that will feature riders from the team: United by fate.

Released through out the year, this project should shed light on day in the extraordinary life of professional skateboarders such as Chris Haslam, Mark Appleyard, Paul Machnau or Jake Duncombe, as well as a whole lot of sick skateboarding!

Watch the trailer here.

A team that likes to travel and have fun is the Girl/Chocolate camp.

One of their latest adventures across the United States was the Badass Vs Dumbass tour.

You can watch the trailer here whilst waiting for the DVD which will drop very soon.

www.crailtap.com

The verdict is out on one of the most anticipated sponsorship moves – Darrell Stanton will now be setting up Element Skateboards.

Be on the look out for some sweet Stanton footage in the next full-length Element video due to drop for Go Skateboarding day! June 21st.

www.elementskateboards.com

Junk mail is a the bane of any normal person’s doorstep. That is until a gem pops through the letter box and makes you wonder- “What were they thinking???”

Here’s a shot of Stereo’s Benny Fairfax getting extreme (facial) for the new Mazda car range. The Dutch spiel underneath probably says “This boy will ollie your car and steal your daughter!” but it actually says “Exceptional Introductions at Mazda“. What do we know though is that coverage is coverage.

www.stereosoundagency.com

Make your way to Ravensthorpe (between Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield) to skate the Ripped: the sickest skate terrain ever built by one of the UK’s greatest minds, Mr Snoz.

The park will be open on Saturday 27th January from 10am, £10 on the door for a rampant session.

For more visit Sidewalk’s site. Cheers to Smiley John and Lawrecium for the photos and info!

Found this delightful bit of news over at the Cornish skatehaven, SJZ skateshop:

“For the last 3 or 4 months a small group of skaters (Mat Perham, Simon Harvey, Stuart Titmus, Leo Smith and Jody Smith) have been working with a professional designer (Anthony Greenwood) designing the new skate plaza for the city of TRURO!.. Yes you heard correctly TRURO.

The plans are now completed and are being put forward for planning permission. The plaza will be situated at Hendra where the old ramp is. This will surely be a great thing for skateboarding in Truro and will hopefully put Truro on the tour schedules of all the big skate companies. Fingers Crossed everyone!”

For a bigger image of the Truro park plans, click here

www.sjzskateboarding.co.uk

Between complimentary drinks and business card exchanges, the European Action Sports tradeshow, Bright (Ludwigstrasse 18, Frankfurt 20th-21st January) shall also host some good old skateboard fun.

Element Skateboards are putting on a Manual Challenge pitting Euro skaters to get two-wheeled on a selection of balancing plains. Qualifications take place on Saturday, then the final on Sunday.

To view the layout, click here

Crossfire had been watching the odds escalate on young Torey Pudwill as he toured, demoed and filmed over the last couple of years.

In a bizarre twist of affairs, Torey has been board sponsorless for quite a while now, but finally he’s found a home over at the Almost camp. If Rodney, Daewon and Chris want to ride with the boy, what more convincing does it take?

Cheers to Sketchy Skateboarding for the sick photo!

Oh! It would have been so sweet… But alas it couldn’t be. Bobby Puleo turned down the offer to ride for British Landscape Skateboards, and stuck to his East coast roots by finding a spot on Traffic with fellow roadhog Ricky Oyola.

Despite the mix-up, Fos still thought Puleo was worthy of a guest board on the ‘Scape. The team isn’t left too shabby though with a new upstart, Jin Shimuzu repping the company on the streets of London.

www.trafficskateboards.com