Ben Cundall
Mr Cundall is a funny little fella. He appears like Mr Ben out of the blue when you don't expect it, he also skates pretty good to, but as the Death skateboards website puts it neatly, he is an absolute social reject, you would have to meet him to understand! Throughout the months of February - May 2005, he went on a skate trip and didn't come back. Missing in action, Zac decided to track him down and find out why he was not sharing the wind and the rain in the UK with the rest of us mugs this winter....oh the jealousy!
Full name please sir?
Benjamin James Cundall!
The first time I met you; you were sat in a bar with your pants on ripped to shreds with your old man hanging out! Is that a usual Saturday night down the boozer?
It wasn't the first time, but it was a bit of a one off, i was on my way to bed and Silent Will ripped my clothes off and dragged me to the bar. I just got carried away and just started drinking again. I apologize for that horrific sight to anyone who saw it!
I heard you had escaped from the UK?
Correct. I'm in Goa, India.
How long have been on the road now then?
8 weeks.
What made you do the offs?
Zorlac told me about the skatepark they had built in India so......sun, sea, sand skating and hot chicks in bikinis kinda did it.....
When you got to Goa was it your first time there?
Yeah, I had no idea what to expect at all.
What other skaters were at Skate Goa with you?
Zorlac, Munson, Carl "Potter" Wilson, Lee "Worzel Gummidge" Blackwell, Ron Calow, Dave Chesson, Damian and Percy Dean.
How was the bowl there?
Best thing I have ever skated.
What are the transitions like?
Perfect. Almost vert in the deep and 5ft in the shallow.
Best trick you saw go down in the bowl?
Potters back side crails were my favourite but Blackwell took the crown of best air display, Munson killed it too. I sucked!
Your thoughts on the mini ramp?
The mini ramp is one of the best I have skated as well. Almost a replica of Harlow but a lot bigger in scale you can hack around it all do without hitting the tail.
It has a hip yeah?
More of a shoulder haha!
Can you skate that place all day and all night?
You can if you want to look like a peado in a nursery on viagra......its way too hot you sweat buckets. It's best to skate it at night. There are street spots to skate as well if you look for them as ever.
Is it easy to find?
You need to get in touch with Nic from the skatepark as he will send taxi's to pick people up. It's not easy to find. I can't explain in text how amazing the surrounding is but you would never believe in a million years that there would be a skatepark there. That is unless you're dreaming!
What is the accommodation like?
I'm staying in one of the rooms on site. It's super cheap and cleaner than most Indian houses. There are two Tibetan guys "Gumbo" and "Noddy" who live and work at the park, make cups of tea on demand and will cook you Tibetan food all day long! It's not a 5 star hotel but who cares when there's a skateable pool in the garden.
What surrounds the camp? Are there bars and restaurants?
There is happy bar which is a small shop to buy drinks and snacks from 100 yards down the road, but the bars and restaurants are a little further into town, which is not a problem as you will find out when i talk about the transport.
What is the beach like? Is it near to the park?
There are many beaches to choose from all close to the park. All with white sand, clear water, palm trees, wooden sun beds, with tiny little shacks selling food and drink at next to nothing. They are the best beaches in the world, just like the ones you see on a holiday brochure and wish you were sitting on!
How did you get around the area?
"Pop Pops" aka mopeds. A moped is about 15 pounds a week and is what makes the trip so special. I had never ridden one before but it doesn't take long to get used to. It's very scary to start off with though...
Did you crash your motorbike?
Yes, quite badly, if the local Indians want to get somewhere they just go without a care in the world, so at junctions they honk there horn and just drive without looking if anything's coming. Unfortunately i was driving straight down a high street when someone pulled out without looking or honking! So from going 50kph I was very quickly doing 0kph and being on the floor. I narrowly escaped getting hurt badly and only got a few cuts. It was pretty funny when i look back.
Do you have any advice for people hiring chicken chasers/motorcycles there for the first time?
Yeah see "Biff" AKA Phil Biffen or Biffens Bridge. He lives a stones throw from the skatepark and is an absolute lunatic. You will be more worried about his driving than your own so everything will be ok.
What's the poontang like?
Let's just say don't take your girlfriend there. As Nic Powley would say......"why take booze to a free booze party". I think you understand...!
Is it true you were butt plugged on the beach by a Russian spy?
We will need to talk about that in private, but yeah Casanova Cundall has been on form!
What is the funniest story related to Skate Goa that you have in your memory?
"Biff" knocking his teeth out trying to drop the ramp in!
Did you visit Bangkok in Thailand on this trip?
Yeah.
Talk to me about ping pong balls?
"Pat Pong" OR "Cunt Sports" is where a chick puts Ping-Pong balls between her legs and fires them into the air or at the audience. There were variations where she fired a dart from a pipe into a balloon which was in my hand.....not something for the feint hearted let me tell you!
What country do you prefer Thailand or India?
Goa, India.
What music is on the Cundall stereo on this trip?
Power ballads 1,2 and 3, the Forrest Gump soundtrack, Dire Straights "Money for Nothing", Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime". These 6 albums are working well out here..
Where is your fave place to skate in the UK?
Perth skatepark in Scotland.
Fave trick?
The daffy duck
Hardest trick to do?
Fakie daffy duck
Who is the biggest cock-end in the UK skate scene right now?
Ben Cundall
Will you ever settle down and get married and have kids?
I'm engaged and probably already have kids.
Where are you typing these answers right now?
I'Way internet cafe in Mapusa, Goa, India.
I have a quest for you. Reach over to the nearest person in the internet cafe and touch their nipple and tell them it will bring them luck..
Done..
What happened?
It was a chick. I'm taking her out later. Cheers Zac i might try that more often!
Are you ever coming back home?
Hopefully not......Yeah i am really in about 4 weeks.
What does Crossfire mean to you?
Crossfire is fun. You are dedicated to making sure people have a good time. Nuff respect!
Any plugs, thanks, sponsors or just mean old cusses?
Fuck you. Thanks to Nic Smith and Skate Goa for giving me the time of my life and sorting me right out. Biff for everything including the fun he paid for in Bangkok. Thank you to James and the boys at Freerange sunglasses who paid for most of my trip. Zorlac and Munson for putting up with me and making sure i was ok. All of the team who came out here. Percy for the photos, Matty for the extra women which he failed to pull himself. Death, Duffs, Venture, Juice, Object, Cali Love, Freerange, Rush.
Related Links:
www.duffs.co.uk
www.deathskateboards.com
Check out Skate Goa at:
www.skategoa.com and get yourself tuned in for the season that starts in September. Crossfire will be booking trips for people who would want to skate there from September 05 onwards.Spread the word.
Thanks to Jenna Selby and Mark Munson for the photo's.
