Skate
The indie board-builders bringing DIY back to skate
How to make it on your own — After growing tired of the mass-produced plastic boards dominating the industry, three Bristol-based friends founded Backbone: a company bringing craftsmanship and surf culture back to skateboarding.
Written by: Nathan McLaren-Stewart
The secret life of skate legend Jason Dill, in photos
Ninety-Six Dreams — In a new book, photographer Greg Hunt captures the details of his 16-year friendship with the skateboarder and Fucking Awesome founder.
Written by: Anthony Pappalardo
The strange story of France’s abandoned skate utopia
Inside Rooler Gab — 25 years ago, an eccentric retired winemaker built a 3000-square-metre skate park, complete with fully functioning ski lift. It closed within months – making it the skate world’s first ever ‘ghost town.’
Written by: Maxime Brousse
This DIY filmmaker made the 'Boyhood' of skateboarding
Minding the Gap — As a kid who grew up on the move, often left at home alone, Bing Liu only found a sense of belonging when he picked up a skateboard. His acclaimed new documentary Minding the Gap captures a decade-long bond between three friends escaping volatile backgrounds.
Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray
What to catch at this year’s Surf and Skate Film Festival
Board culture — Gender equality, ’80s France, and the endless search for the perfect wave: this weekend’s Milan festival celebrates the bond between surf, skate & film. We pick out our must-see selection.
Written by: Cristiana Bedei
Why Nora Vasconcellos is the future of skateboarding
Street shredder — After her parents lost the family home and her friends went off to college, Nora Vasconcellos headed west in chase of a dream: turning pro on her own terms. But now that she’s become the first female rider on Adidas Skateboarding, the 25-year-old believes it’s time the industry caught up with reality.
Written by: Anthony Pappalardo
The nomadic filmmaker living his dream one hustle at a time
Guerrilla independence — After his career as a pro-skater fell apart, Maximón Monihan had to reinvent himself as a DIY director who thinks outside the box. Now, having taken a road-trip across the US with his best friend, he’s realised that true success is doing what you love, regardless of reward.
Written by: Alex King
Soles, sex and skateboarding: Why I get off on skater’s feet
A London sub’s fantasy — ‘The ideal situation involving a skateboarder would go a little something like this: he’d finish skating, all hot, sweaty, and worn down... then, while he’s kicking back watching TV and eating, I’d get down on all fours and lick his shoes clean.’
Written by: Anon, interview by Henry Calvert
A surfer's life-changing road trip from Brazil to California
Wanderlust meets activism — Years after her father and friends travelled across Latin America with just surfboards and a van, Antonia Wallig is reliving that journey with her own gang of four. Only this time, instead of riding waves just for the thrill of it, these surfers are determined to make a positive social impact along the way.
Written by: Niall Flynn
How skaters are reclaiming the world’s forgotten spaces
Take back the city — There’s been a resurgence of DIY skate spots opening across the globe, with young skaters taking back the wastelands that the public has left behind. We visit one space hidden under the M32, in Bristol, to find out why.
Written by: Robbie Warin
