Click below and get reading…

Nice work Chewy and Vaughan – click below to check out Chewy’s new team page on the Kr3w site…

CJ sits down with Mark to discuss the latest cover in his collection, his highlights from 2011 and his plans for the coming year…

For the past three years we have been doing the annual Sidewalk Buyer’s Guide issue. Had you seen these before and did you know you were getting this year’s cover?
Yeah I have seen these before, only in skate shops really but I always had a look through them to see what stuff was out there.

Where did you shoot the photo and did you have any problems with that rough looking run up and crazy paving style bank?
The photo was shot in Burton. It was a total nightmare. The run-up is so rough, more so with 50mm wheels. The paving was pretty terrible to pop off of too. It looks like the perfect spot on the photo but it’s pretty grim which is kind of what makes it a good spot. I don’t mind this kind of spot; it’s an extra thing to battle.

How come you were in Burton? Had you been travelling to shoot photos and film that day?
We’d been on a mission that day and day before. Basically shooting and filming the clip I have been working on for Fabric and Etnies, and for a Sidewalk interview. I was pretty much done from the previous spot when we get here but figured I would try and do something as you could see, as a spot, it would make a really nice photo.

With the Sheffield switch front shuv for Kingpin a few months back now, this is your second cover of the year. Having had an unquantifiable amount of video and magazine coverage over the past 15 odd years, do you still get excited when you get something like a cover?
I do for sure. When the Kingpin cover came out it was on my birthday so I was really pleased with that one. I had no idea at all so it’s nice. It’s also good as hopefully the people I ride for are stoked too and they help me out so much so it’s the best way to repay all that. The buyers guide was a nice surprise as well. It’s been a tough few months with some changes in companies I ride for so it gave me a little confidence in myself that I still have something to offer, and getting a cover is a great thing to get for anyone, it stokes you out for sure, and if it doesn’t there’s something wrong.

It’s been a busy year for you mate with the organisation and completion of your first WeSC skate camp down in Cornwall in the summer and plenty of skate travel to Europe. What have you got planned for 2012 as far as photos footage, travel and is there going to be another skate camp?
Oh yeah the camp was amazing. It was so much more work than I thought and I had to put a couple of trips off here and there, but it was important to deliver for the camp. WeSC gave me the chance to do it over here so it was a good opportunity and really rewarding seeing how hyped all the kids were. Since the camp I chatted to a few of them. They all got a heads up way before it was known that I had switched to Fabric. I asked them all what they thought of Fabric and they started getting suspicious, they’re not stupid. I am looking forward to next year. Another camp will be happening for sure, I have started working on this now and hopefully having one under the belt already will make the next one easier and even more enjoyable. I plan on doing a lot of stuff with Fabric, plenty of trips and video stuff. Hopefully shoot a Sidewalk interview as well when the weather gets better. I also am hoping to get something going with Etnies.

Mark and the rest of the UK WeSC family and friends take to Truro for the first UK Camp WeSC:

CJ caught up with Jody to talk about landing another cover, DC UK TM business, the Cornish scene and more.

Read away…

To celebrate DC winning the Big Push this year, we’ve been treated to the visual delights of a huge switch pop shuv at the feet of DC Europe rider Jody Smith. Where was the photo shot mate, and did you know if was going to be a cover?
I had no idea I was getting the cover. I literally got a text a day before from a friend saying “you got the cover”, at the time I was having a heated game of FIFA so I didn’t know what the text meant to be honest. I won the game of FIFA by the way, 3-1! The spot is in Penryn just outside Truro.

You’ve been gracing the pages of Sidewalk (and other mags…) for as long as any of us can remember and have had coverage spanning geographic boundaries from the depths of the South Coast of England to the US. Having been involved in the industry for so many years, do you still get the same excitement when getting a photo in the mag, and how did it feel when you saw this cover?
I was so hyped about getting the cover! I had no idea I was getting it. Sharpy (Leo Sharp) had text me the day it came out saying “you seen the new Sidewalk?” And I replied with “Nah, is it out yet?”, he sent back “Yeah I think so”. I thought nothing of the texts to be honest, even when my friend sent me the text about getting the cover I still didn’t catch on.
I think I get even more hyped on getting photos these days, I’m not one of these people that are always in every issue.

Where was the photo shot and what was the story behind it?
Well, we’d planned on going out on a Sunday to this spot at the Arts College in Penryn, but after getting kicked out straight away it kind of put a downer on the day. I’d been thinking about hitting this spot for ages, not sure who suggested it but we ended up checking out the cover spot, which I’d only seen from a Facebook pic and it looked sick. Obviously it being a Cornish spot it wasn’t as perfect as it looks but I was determined to shoot something so I tried frontside flipping it, after about thirty horrible attempts I decided to give up. Before I started skating it I had claimed a switch pop shuv but thought I’d have more luck with a frontside flip. Anyway, Sharpy had reminded me of my claim so I thought I’d give it bash. Cheers Sharpy!

What have been some of your favourite covers of Sidewalk over the years and is there anything/anyone you’d like to see on there in the future?
There have been so many amazing covers! I’ve always loved Shier’s ice block crook cover, Korahn’s switch backside 360 was pretty epic! Oh and Pablo’s feeble cover was insane too! I could probably name loads of favourite covers. I’d love to see Stuart (Titmus) or my brother on a Sidewalk cover, I’ve always said I’d like to have a framed cover pic of myself, Leo and Stuart on my wall. Come on lads pull your finger out! Ha-ha.

For those of us who are a little out of touch with the happenings within the Cornish skate world, who’s emerging from the scene and is there anyone we should be looking out for from the younger ranks?
There are loads of kids coming up from the Cornish scene at the moment; I’m hyped on it right now! The SJ Skate Store team is looking really solid at the moment, we’ve got Joe Venthem who has recently been hooked up on Converse, we’ve also got Isaac Blease who is one of My DC Crew riders who is killing it, then there is Pablo who everyone should know by now, and then we’ve got Phoenix Luke who is one of new recruits and has just started getting shoes from Supra. And that is just the Truro scene. You’ve got another My DC Crew rider Christian Watts from Newquay who is killing it at the moment, definitely one to watch. Cornwall is taking over! Ha-ha.

2011 has been a busy one with travel in Europe and the UK. With your role as Team Manager at DC taking full effect in 2012, do you have much stuff lined up and what should we be keeping an eye out for?
Yeah this year has been quite busy for me, been travelling a lot with the DC filming for the new DC Europe video, doing the Big Push and then getting this new role as TM. I think I’ve got one more big tour with the DC Europe team before the deadline for the video, there is talks about going over to China in February which will be amazing, that’s one place I’ve always wanted to go! The spots look insane!

Witness Jody and the rest of the UK DC squad in their winning edit from this years Big Push:

More Skate Videos

CJ sits Harry down to find out about his show-stopping 5050 in Sheffield, his highlights from the past year and plans for the coming twelve months.

Read on…

For November’s cover we went with the last trick from your section on “In Progress”. Where were you when you found out you had the cover, and was it a surprise?
Yeah it was massive surprise! I was up in London skating and filming with Kev Parrott (Volcom UK), he had a copy of the new mag at the time. I didn’t think that it would be a cover at all. I’m so stoked on it!

Where was the photo shot and was it something you had in mind for a final hammer for your part, or were you just in the area and kind of happened upon it?
The photo was shot in Sheffield at the well-skated Subway stairs. I hadn’t really thought about it that much. I had been there before and looked at it a lot but never thought of trying it, but we went to the spot to check it out and it kind of just happened. It wasn’t really planned.

Who else was there when you did it, and do you find having a crew offering out encouragement helps you get your head around something like this?
There we a good few people out that day filming for the video. Conhuir Lynn, Nick Remon, Ryan and Ben who were filming for “In Progress”, CJ shooting the photo, Tom Harrison and Manhead. I think that was everyone. Yeah it helps being out with a crew to have people to skate with, and helps you all learn new things together. They really encouraged me!

What goes through your mind when you’re getting hyped up for something like this?
I’m not sure really man. I worry that I might hurt myself a bit, ha ha, but it happens. I just try to think about the trick really and how it will feel and the feeling of rolling away. Try and get as hyped as possible…

With pretty much no chance at testing the water on something of this scale, did you have any problems getting the speed with the limited run up and how did you deal with the rusty state of the rail?
The run up was scary man, just because of how quick it was. You had to just get your feet on your board and pop. I just tried to get a couple of good run ups. It was half the fun trying to not to fall on to the rail or fall in the bush. Ha-ha.

In the past 12 months you’ve had the December 2010 Sidewalk cover, August 2011 Kingpin cover and now the November 2011 Sidewalk cover. You must be stoked! Was this something you dreamed of growing up in a small scene like Ashford, Kent, and did you ever think things like this would happen?
Yeah man, I’m so stoked! I couldn’t be more stoked! Travelling and just skating along the way is something I have always wanted to do ever since seeing spots all around the world, in videos and magazines. But I never thought I would be here man. Ever.

The past year or two have been a whirlwind for you with endless tours, filming missions, magazine coverage and events all over the UK, Europe and even the States. What are you plans for 2012 and is there anyone you think we need to keep an eye out for?
My plans are just travel as much as I can and try maybe stay out in the States for a bit again and just to try and keep skating for as long as I can. Yeah, there’s loads of people to look out for but I would say to look out for Denis Lynn!

Harry and the Converse UK crew charge their way around the country during this years Big Push:

More Skate Videos

Read on below to find out what Dan made of the whole fishtank mission and more…

No stranger the bizarre and challenging photo opportunity, you graced the cover back in October with this homage to the iconic Simon Woodstock Big Brother cover. Had you planned this to be a cover or were you just out for a good time trying something fun?
My initial thought was quite simply: “I have to do this”. It had always been in the back of my mind to try and do it, just because the original photo was so amazing to me. It was more of a tribute than anything else, I was trying to say “Hey this photo was incredible, here’s a reminder”. Rob and I had a great time shooting it and we were both pretty stunned at how similar to the original it ended up being.
When I saw the final shot on the computer it did occur to me that because it was originally a cover and because it had come out so well, that it had the potential to be a cover again, but I really didn’t expect anyone else to see it that way. I thought it would probably end up as a page in the mag or something, which would have been great, but I actually ended up with a best-case scenario!

When did you find out that it was going to be a cover and, did it turn out how you expected it to?
Rob Shaw and myself went to the premiere of the Sidewalk video and afterwards Rye and Horsley kind of hinted to Rob that he had got another cover shot, but he got so unbelievably drunk on the free booze at the afterparty that he couldn’t remember exactly what they had said to him. So we pretty much knew that the mag were going to run my cover, but because Rob is a terrible drunk and he’d somehow managed to get all confused, we couldn’t say for sure. At one point Rob thought he’d imagined the whole thing. I realised it was for real when Ben emailed me about it a few days later.

You’re obviously no stranger to magazine and video coverage; do you still get stoked on getting a cover?
Are you kidding me? It pretty much made my year! I seriously could not believe it. When I was a kid I used to look at skaters in the mags like they were gods, I honestly never once even dreamed that I would get a photo in a magazine, let alone the cover. Sidewalk has shown me a lot of love over the years; I’d do anything for those guys.

What’s next as far as the ‘wacky boards’ goes? Surely this is you pinnacle, right?
This one was pretty damn wacky, even by my standards. But I have to say, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I’m in the process of trying to get a skateboard made out of toughened glass and Zorlac is getting me these miniature ski’s that bolt onto your trucks instead of wheels so that you can basically ride on snow. I’m pretty excited about those. I also have a few more things lined up that I want to shoot with Rob. He’s good to work with because he is always down for doing something a little bit different and he doesn’t just laugh when you present him with a ridiculous idea for a photo that might never get run.

With your life in 2011 being as busy as ever due to university work, your role at Power Distribution, pro and sponsorship duties and an unquenchable thirst for travel, what have been some of the high points and what do you have lined up for 2012?
High points for me have been finishing my first year at university, going to Copenhagen with Monster energy (thank you James Vooght you are a true legend), taking my Mum on holiday to the Isle of Capri (I love you Mum), going on a trip to Croatia and Slovenia with Questions, Snelling and Jonathan Haye (the most insane crew ever – so much fun), skating my mini ramp, skating my friend Dick’s new bowl, hanging out with Rob Smith (not when he’s drunk), meeting my girlfriend, Skegness Mini Ramp Champs, Estonia, Stockwell, the fact that I’m still sponsored after all these years, getting a Sidewalk interview, and, of course, getting a Sidewalk cover.
Things that I have lined up for 2012 so far would be: Morocco for New Year, more uni, France, catching up with old friends, hopefully plenty of judging at all the contests and California with my new skate crew, Questions and Snelling. Hopefully I’ll see you guys along the way.
Keep buying skateboard magazines!!!

Check out Dan and his longboard at BaySixty6:

More Skate Videos

Read on to find out what Dlynn made of landing his first cover, his thoughts on 2011 and his plans for the coming twelve months…

Did you know that you were getting the cover? If not, when and where did you find out?
I didn’t really know I was getting it but Rye and Chris told me they were going to push for it to be a cover. I was just stoked that I shot a photo and the boys thought it could be a cover. Wild world!

Where was the photo shot and why were you so far away from home?
I don’t even know where it was shot; after like two days on the Big Push, all the places we went to sort of blended into one. Well, for me anyway. I know that it was right at the end, maybe the last day, aka ‘Hammer Day’. Also, when we got to that spot it was skate-stopped, but the glue holding the stoppers on wasn’t dry so we tore those fuckers off and got going!

Who else was with you?
My main man Captain P Money (Nic Powley), (Nick) Remon, (Shaun) Currie, Matthew “Nevill Bartos” Nevitt, Jirka, (Joe) O’Donnell, Morph, Rye, CJ, (Jake) Collins and Daryl “Double D” Dominguez.
All I remember is getting to the spot and Double D watching me try switch flips and proper mobbing them, then he said “do it down the steps for a beer”. Boom! I Beer’d up then it’s sort for a similar story for the switch crooks. Beer was on the table so the Irish prevail!

How many tries did it take?
It took a while man, I was tripping! It just wouldn’t grind! I had some slams and CJ got hit on the head a few times by my board, plus there was a fountain on the other side and the ledge is quite thin so it was sketchy. I was in full on rage mode, then, as I said, somebody said something about Stella and I was all over it!

After years of kind of being known as Conhuir Lynn’s brother to the masses, do you think something like this has helped you be treated in you own right?
Last time Conhuir went into Lost Art, some kid asked him if he was Denis’s brother…

With your Haunts, Sidewalk ‘In Progress’ footage and the Big Push all happening over the past six months, how have you found the transition from skating local spots with your crew in Belfast to being thrown on a plane to somewhere completely new to you and with people you’ve not met before?
Mate, I love it Belfast! I’ve skated round the whole place a thousand times! I’m so stoked to be going away, like the multiple crew Superdead trip to Bilbao was off the hook! It was so sick, but my ankle was still a bit bust so I didn’t get as much done as I wanted, but still had amazing time. The Big Push was the first time I really travelled around England with a crew and I loved it. I couldn’t believe all the spots! We don’t have spots like that here. I’m keen to get out of Belfast at anytime I can, ‘cos all I want to do is travel, meet new people, skate new spots and take in new cultures.

What have you got in store for us in 2012 then?
I want to hit everything this year. I don’t want to be in Ireland scratching my ass for three months at a time waiting to travel. I’m just keen to go anywhere, have a skate, meet new people and just pretty much have fun, ‘cos that’s what its all about. BOOM!

Check out Denis on home turf in his very own “Through The Eyes Of…” video feature:

Through The Eyes Of: Denis Lynn

Read on to find out Benson’s thoughts on his cover and the rest of 2011 now…

Back in August, yourself and Rob Shaw treated us to a South Coast front rockslide of California-eque proportions. Did you know this was going to be a cover?
Nah I didn’t know it was gonna be a cover. I was really stoked when I saw the mag, Rob did a good job!

This was shot on the Death tour earlier in the year, right?
Aye, we did a little tour kinda thing to get a bit more footage for the new video, it was pretty rad.

Was this another one of Cates’ amazing hook-ups, and how was it to skate something so rare here in the UK?
I’m not sure who put us onto it, I just remember Nick saying we were gonna skate some swimming pool, so I was looking forward to it for the whole trip.

So after a week of camping and living out of the van, you finally got to skate the pool. Are you stoked to be featured in Rob Shaw’s first cover shot?
Aye, I’m stoked on the cover and Rob shot it really well. I never really thought about it being his first cover, I guess that’s pretty rad though.

Often the tranny guys take a bit of a back seat on trips, as street skating always seems to dominate. Was it a nice change to go on a trip where the emphasis was on visiting and unearthing a variety of gems like this pool?
Fuckin’ right mate! It bums me out when we just go to street spots all day but I’m not the only one in the van so I just need to go with it. We went to loads of different stuff on this trip though; we hit that pool and some wooden quarter pipe in the woods as well as some street spots. It was a good trip!

Who should we be looking out for on the Death video from what you have seen on your travels with the team?
I would say either Boots or Adam “Moss Man” Moss, those fools are really good!

2011 has been pretty busy for you right? Big Push, Death trips around the UK and mainland Europe alongside a fair amount of hard graft to pay the bills. What are some of your highlights from this year, and what are you planning for 2012?
Aye it’s been a rad year! Highlights would have to be when we all went to the one-pound strip joint, and any time Rob Smith is around. Hopefully next year will be even busier, I’m looking forward to seeing where I end up. Preferably somewhere hot!

Witness Benson and the rest of the Adidas UK team in their 2011 Big Push submission:

Big Push 2011; Adidas

CJ chats to Jamie Thomas about his first Sidewalk cover, highlights of 2011 and his plans for the future below – read on…

Back in May yourself and the Fallen team came over to Britain for a three day demo based tour before heading over to mainland Europe. On the Sunday night after the Truro demo we managed to squeeze in some street and shoot some photos. Where were you when you found out that you had got the cover, and did you ever think a night rummaging around a Cornish town centre would pay off in this way?
When we shot it, you guys seemed hyped, so I was keeping my fingers crossed, but I was back in the States when I got the email. That night was really fun, it felt like the old days, going out and making something out of nothing. I was really hyped on how it came out.

Not the ‘normal’ street spot, you guys had to construct a makeshift kicker to get onto that shiny fountain, right?
Yeah, we found some junk on the side of a building, it was real sketchy, but that’s what made it good.

Newquay is a renowned party town in the summer months, did you guys experience any problems from wise cracking drunken onlookers?
Yeah, there were some drunks around, but they seemed hyped that there was some action as the streets were pretty dead.

Historically, most of your time in Britain, like many other travelling pro’s, has been centered around demos in London and other major cities. How did you find your time in a totally different part of the country on the south coast?
It felt like I was in a completely different country, it was real scenic and it felt more like Ireland.

So 2011 has been a busy year for you guys with the constant travelling for the new Fallen video and The DGK/Zero “Fresh ‘Till Death” tour across America. How has all the travelling been and what were some of the highlights?
Yeah, it’s been crazy. The first big trip of the year was to Istanbul for the ‘Road Less Travelled’ vid and it was amazing, one of the best trips I’ve been on in years. The Europe trip was a lot of fun too, but we were moving the whole time and in a new city every day. That’s always hectic and hard to enjoy the vibe of each spot. The Zero/DGK tour was cool, just touring with a whole different group. It was really fun, we all got along good and the demos were so much fun! I can’t believe the year’s over already. I guess time flies when you’re having fun!

What are your plans for 2012 as far as travel, video and magazine projects?
I’ve spent the last three months reorganizing my life, so I can have time to focus on skating and the Zero video. I really want to have a part if my body holds up. I’m also going on a few more ‘Road Less Travelled’ trips, which should be good. I’m just hyped to still be doing it, it feels like I’m getting old, so I’m trying to make the most out of every day.

Jamie Thomas and the Fallen crew hit the R1 warehouse…

More Skate Videos

CJ got hold of the ever-traveling Mr Page and discussed his latest cover, amongst other things…

Back in June, the readers of Sidewalk were treated to our first handrail cover shot of the year. Did you know this photo was going to be used for the cover and where were you when you found out?
Wow, was it the first handrail cover of 2011? Hyped! Haha. I can’t really remember when I found out. Actually I don’t think I even heard it was gonna be a cover until it came out. I really can’t remember where I was at the time though.

This rail’s in Europe right? Where exactly is it and how come you were there?
Yeah that’s right, this rail is in Belgium. This was a trip for Axel Cruysberghs and Juergen Horrwarth’s “Tale of Two Cites’” clip. I was just tagging along for shits and gigs and to skate some good spots. It was really good to see what their hometowns were like.
I joined the trip halfway through, they were in Berlin first and then I met up with them in Belgium for a week. We were at this Skatepark down beside the river/canal and we just saw a load of people crowded round the bank on the other side of the river, we’re thinking “what’s going on?”. So it turns out that some real young kid, about 5, was riding alongside the river and had taken a tumble in and unfortunately died. It was really upsetting to see. It gave me a weird feeling inside! That day I actually had a pretty good skate though cause I was thinking that could have been myself, you know? Gnarly…

Not exactly a ‘go to’ trick for the masses, was this the first street rail you’d shot a Hurricane on?
This was actually the first street rail I had ever tried it on. I had been doing them in skateparks for a while, kind of waiting for the right rail to come along. So I guess this was the one, haha. This rail was real good! It’s funny, right when we got there, I was like “yeah I wanna get this hurricane”. I got it in a few tries but I had to do it a few more times for the photo and footage which was a bit of a pain. After the session had finished, fortunately with no fall, I’m rolling fakie to do a 360 flip on the floor and hit a stone. I ate so much shit, literally flew about five feet in the air right onto my elbow. Haha. After all that, you know?

Your journey from Exeter local to European sponsored skater with covers and video parts has taken place in a relatively short space of time. Does something like a cover seem kind of ‘the norm’ now, or are you still looking at things through the same aspirational eyes as when you were coming up?
I don’t know really. That’s kind of a hard one! I think it all still feels the same you know? You’re always going to be hyped when a new photo comes out or a bit of footage, especially a cover. I don’t know, maybe it feels a little different ’cause you kind of feel a bit more relaxed about the situation where as when your first photo comes out there’s nothing like it. Just fully stoked on it!

How was this year’s Big Push for you? You guys looked like you had a laugh and hit some decent spots up.
This year’s Big Push was dope! They changed the dates from the previous ones so the weather was real nice and hot the whole week, which made it better straight away. We skated some really good spots and had an amazing crew of skaters.
The first day of the Big Push we were at the Swedish kicker in Manchester. I was skating down to it switch, this was the first roll up I had, so I’m burning it down the road and all of a sudden something happened, like my trucks went weird or something, and I just swerved into the wall then flew forwards into a doorway, shoulder first into the corner of the wall! It felt like I’d broken my shoulder, I had the biggest bump on there and over the next couple of days it just went yellow. I’m glad I could actually skate after that one. It fucking hurt so much!

2011 has been super busy for you. Plenty of travel away from Exeter with Etnies, RVCA and Enjoi not to mention all the Sidewalk missions for “In Progress” around mainland Britain. What have been some of your favorite moments and are things likely to be as busy going into 2012?
Yeah it’s been such a busy year. It’s been amazing! I’ve seen so many places this year and met so many new friends it’s crazy! I think that’s the best thing about this whole thing. So many amazing moments with the new people and just getting to travel, relax and skate new stuff. Hopefully next year will be as good as this one.

Barney Page and Charles Collet’s “Tale Of Two Cities” for Etnies:

MPORA Action Sports