What makes the North of the UK so great to skate?

You know you’ve done something right when you have a birthday and it breaks the internet. That’s how it felt the other day when Dave Mackey – founder of Liverpool’s premiere skate shop Lost Art – turned 40 and skaters all over the UK social media’d their love by the bucketload.

Founding Lost Art in 1999 because there were “no skateboarder-owned shops in Liverpool”, Mackey has become an integral part of a vibrant Northern skate scene that has produced tons of great skaters over the years including world-class pro Geoff Rowley.

In fact, Rowley even asked to ride for the shop last year telling the Berrics that Mackey cares about skateboarding and “has been trying to nurture a scene and bring everybody together” for the last 15 years.

To celebrate Nike SB’s new North edit featuring some of the region’s current best – from Charlie Birch to Joe Gavin – we caught up with Mackey to ask him about his start in the neighbourhood.

What was it like growing up skating in Liverpool?
I guess it’s the same as growing up anywhere else, when you’re young you feel like it’s the biggest place in the world! So much to do and trouble to find! I’m from a small seaside town just north of Liverpool so the city was a big draw for skateboarders all over the northwest. Liverpool was/is raw and you always had to have your wits about you! On the flip side some of the nicest people you could ever meet are here!

What’s one of your best skate memories growing up?
Just the Sunday sessions! There’d be at least fifty of us rolling through the deserted city streets! This is of course before the Sunday trading laws ruined everything.

What’s your favourite spot in Liverpool? Why?
The pier head! Right in front of the liver building has always felt special to me. I still love to go for a roll down there. The spot I love, and this probably goes for most skateboarders from my generation, is the tiles! Google it and you’ll find nothing about it and that’s the reason why!

What was your first skateboard?
My first real skateboard was a Santa Cruz, Jeff Kendall graffiti board.

What were your first pair of SB shoes? And your faves?
I have no idea what the first pair was! Some dunk-highs more than likely. Faves would be fluff Bruins, true to school dunk series. Some grey canvas Janoskis from way back, Jedi dunks when Brian Anderson wore ’em! Sea crystal dunks, basically all the old dunks before the new sole unit. Those who know, know!

What skate video changed your life?
I love all skate videos for different reasons and the memories I have from watching them with friends. Here’s a few people should seek out, in no particular order and by no means a definitive list; Ban This, Mixtape, Video Days, Debunker, Winona Riders, Next Generation, Mouse, the FTC videos, Static 1, Under Achievers, Jump Off A Building, Questionable, Virtual Reality, Waiting for the World, Alien Workshop videos, Bronze vids, Listen, LA County and the East video.

Who’s the best skate character from the neighbourhood and why?
All Liverpool skateboarders are characters! Nothing but love for ’em all.

When did you start Lost Art and why?
1999, I was unemployed and Liverpool had no skateboarder-owned shop!

Lost Art means a lot to a lot of people – why do you think it had such an impact on the local community?
I can’t answer that but Lost Art means the world to me and I would and have done everything for it. It started from nothing and would be absolutely nothing without the staff, team, friends, customers, artists, lurkers, haters and most of all skateboarding.

What’s the most overused phrase in the shop?
Skating?

What’s the best thing about being a British skateboarder?
The family!

See more from the Nike SB NESW project at their YouTube channel and watch out for the exclusive book, which drops Friday December 12.

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