It’s been a fairly quiet one this month due to a combination of exams, dissertations and rolled ankles. Initially we cracked on with Helena‘s “List of a zillion street spots.” Sweden’s Sarah Meurle happened to be on a brief photo shoot-visit to London and ended up getting collared into joining the mission. Places and spots she got introduced to on her first visit to the capital included a rather nice ledge down a set of steps at Canary Wharf (which surprisingly we didn’t get chucked off of), a stupidly steep bank at Tower Bridge and a high ledge to gap near Heron Quays. Although after an ankle tweak incident flipping a stair set, Helena now has to take a break from skating for the next few months…more quality time to add to that list!
Mid April saw a trip to Crawley to meet with Lucy Adams, probably the UK’s most famous female skater. To say I was scared when I first met her is a slight understatement; it probably ran more along the lines of being completely terrified. Back in 2002 they’d just started introducing girls sections into all the big UK comps, the first one being the ‘Queen of Street‘ at the NIC in Birmingham. I remember going into the arena and aside from feeling slightly like a lamb being sent to the slaughter with such a large crowd looking down expectantly upon us, I was petrified by this girl who had a look of I’m going to run you over/ kill you if you even think of getting in my way – pulling huge flip indy grabs out of the death box. Lucy is so focused on her skating, that at competitions she can sometimes leave small boys running for their lives,(haha! – Z) although really she is one of the most genuine people you could meet.
Lucy got hooked up with 360 Clothing, Gallaz and Eastpak after winning countless comps and making numerous video appearances. These days she can be seen riding for the Etnies Girl European Team and is in the midst of finishing the ‘Crawley Innit‘ Video – well nearly, the promo came out 4 years ago! – with fellow skater and Sidewalk Photographer Lec Kembery. She has recently landed on her feet securing a position as a Sports Development Officer for Crawley Freestyle Association which involves organising skate coaching programmes and workshops at the local park and running mobile ramp sessions in the community, not bad!
Our day of filming started off at the new concrete skate park. Tricks included crook to fakie, crook shuv out, and a 5-0 shuv out on the block as well as several different combo runs. By 12 though it was starting to get a little hectic in the park so we thought it time to head off to the local business park and it’s various secret spots. One of which involved us doing a big loop in the car park so that the security guard looking after the empty building didn’t see us. At one point after driving into another car park to have a look at – as it turned out – a non-skateable bank, we went to leave but someone had locked us in. After a slight panic and discussion about whether it was possible to drive a Micra over a 3 foot hedge, someone thankfully let us out.
The following weekend was spent filming with Rogue rider and Base Camp One Skate Shop’s Georgi Winter, the pogo and freestyle queen. I should really mention here that she does also do “normal” skate tricks but we’re trying our hardest to nip that in the bud as early on as possible. Honestly we don’t want any of that lazer flip tech malarkey seen by so many of the kids today, it’s all about keeping the butterflips, and primoflips shanizzle real. Georgi’s freestyle mentor, and skater of ‘This and That‘ fame, Darran Nolan joined us for a sunny Harlow Sunday session.
After a slightly disastrous start to the day with the trains, a small group of us finally turned up to the superb concrete park. On arrival we were met by a group of kids who were a little over excited at the arrival of the R-O-U-G-E team. Yes…ok, good to meet you but stay in school kids and learn to read! Whilst Darran was kept busy performing like a monkey doing an array of late flips for the group that had mysteriously surrounded him, and grumbling that all he wanted to do was an ollie, Georgi got on with kickflips out of the quatre to flatbank, varial heels over the hip and a few freestyle special moves on the smaller bank. After a couple of hours things moved on to the town centre, and although you would only get away with skating it on a Sunday, have to say the plaza-esq spot that’s been built outside the council offices, next to Asda is well worth a visit.
As the sun was setting, the day of skate drew to a close with a freestyle-off taking place in a disused car park finishing up with what else than a pogo down some steps. Towards the end of the month another southern rider was captured on film for the friends section. Ozzy bowl ripper, Helen Lovelee, got solid frontside 5-0’s and back and frontside disasters down in the newly finished Mile End bowl. The St Martins Art Student has been living over here for some years now and whilst the weather isn’t quite what she’s used to after relocating from Sydney, she has declared that London is the place to be and is already making quite a name for herself both with her strong aggressive style of skating and award winning art work. Finally, after a year with the Rogue Crew, Fran Stroud has made the decision to leave the team due to uni commitments. Just like to take the opportunity to wish her all the best for the future.
Jenna
Visit www.rogueskateboards.co.uk for more.