Not only is this the best British skateboarding video since the advent of DVD, its also the funniest thing I have seen in my born days. Andy Evans stands as a bulwark against all the po- faced seriousness and Emperor’s New Clothes ‘core’ skateboarding nonsense that is thankfully receding fast here now.
In essence, this is everything that is great about skateboarding in the UK- eccentricity, hefty skating, bright smiling faces and splendid nonsense. The broad format of the film- couple of scene bits, full sections from the top boys in the British scene, and a proper focus on skateboarding in its broadest sense, from flatland to vert and all aspects in between- remains unchanged from his previous rib tickler This N That, but everything in this one goes all the way up to 11.
This is better on all fronts, with more judicious editing and a higher standard of skating. Also worth noting is that Andy has grasped the reality of skating in Britain today by giving park skating an equal footing to street footage which is- recherché media poses aside- the truth of skating today in the UK. Everybody mixes it up because we are in a second golden era of concrete and winter makes indoor parks more vital than some carpark hubba that a photographer has laid claim to. So this is as good as it gets for British scene videos in terms of the skating- there are full parts from Ben Raemers, Kris Vile and Michael Wright, as well as a definitive Greg Nowik section, for example.
What adds the cream to this afternoon tea, however, is the segueways between parts. If you have seen any of his stuff before you will know that it usually involves people shamelessly making tits out of themselves with some pisspoor props, but this time around it ranges from a very clever satire about skateboarding’s conformist streak (the Switch Heels tyranny), to two guys fucking around in monkey suits on a beach, some talking trousers and a superb, scenery- devouring cameo from Mark Munson which gives overacting a bad name. Genius is a much over-used word but this certainly orbits around it.
Excellent, excellent, excellent- and funny as Jereme Rogers rapping too. If you are a British skateboarder you should tip your hat to Andy Evans, he has done more to preserve and applaud the particular nature of skating here than any snarky magazine or limited edition colourway ever has or will.
This kind of thing makes me proud to call myself a skateboarder, and its not every aspect of our culture today that does. Terrific- buy it if you possibly can.
Check out some photos from the London premiere below.
