Kicking things off we speak to Palace Skateboards am Rory Milanes, who laid claim to the first cover of 2011 with a Sam Ashley shot switch backside flip deep in London town.

After a pretty torturous Christmas holidays for most avoiding the snow and ongoing sub zero weather conditions, you helped us start a new year with a banging cover. Did you know this was going to be a cover, and when did you find out?
No I didn’t, I just saw it in the skateshop when the mag came out.

Where was it shot?
Soas, Holborn.

Were you just out on a random skate when you shot the switch backside flip, or was part of a Palace or Slam City filming mission for their upcoming releases?
It was spontaneous, I was out skating with a few people that day and I thought of going over there with Sam ‘coz I had been there previously with Henry to film for the ‘Slam’ video.

How do you go about filming a video part? Do you go out with Henry and a crew and see where you end up and kind of get inspired on the spot, or do you make lists of the things you want to skate?
A bit of both really. Sometimes I plan certain things to film, but yeah, I get inspired on new spots that we find just skating around with everyone.

Who else was with you that day, and did anything else go down?
Yeah actually, this young woman was walking past and she claimed she used to skate, and asked for a go. She started sessioning it, trying to kickflip, but was just eating so much shit! Turns out it was Rob Mathieson’s sister!

Being around the skate industry and in the lime light since a young age, do you still get hyped to get coverage like this?
Yeah, it really stokes me out to have a cover; it came as a complete surprise.

Who would you say we need to keep an eye on from some of the emerging London youth in 2012?
Farhad Hakim and American Neil have been pretty on it this winter!

So 2011 has been pretty busy with the Palace Battle of Normandy, Palace in NYC Sidewalk article/footage, new sponsorship moves and the Big Push. What have been some of you most memorable times and what have you got planned for 2012?
Yeah I got to go on some great trips. The Converse trip I went on earlier in the year, driving to Italy, was one of the most memorable times, I mean I just really liked the lifestyle in Italy; they eat good food and know how to enjoy themselves! All the Palace trips have been too jokes; it’s a proper family. In 2012, I just want to skate as much as a can, and in London especially. I need to film for the new Palace video too, and hopefully do some more skate trips.

Rory, Chewy, Lucien and the rest of the Palace boys head to France and shut shit down. One of the webclips of the year? Easily. “Tres Trill” indeed…

Boggin main man Jay Dords came out to witness the madness at Rosy Surf N’ Skate in Derry last Friday night – check out a rad collection of his photos from the session on the Boggin Forum by clicking here, then watch his quick Stu Graham “The Ogre Cometh” clip underneath.

Good times! Stay tuned…

Photo: Dords.

The demo leg of the trip is over, so lets see what the next few days have in store for us…

Denis and Stu - today was definitely the day after the night before for these two. Cork got messy...

Maps are fun and Jake can be a menacing little shit at times.

Everything a van full of skateboarders could ever need + Jerome on sandwich artist duties...

Beans near toast - a tour breakfast favourite.

Nicky does Porto - post technical battle re-hydration in Dublin.

Yeah, todays blog post is pretty food heavy - this one's for Leo Smith.

Rob Ya Pockets - you know what time it is.

Two beasts and a couple o' milkshakes - Phil Evans and Richard Gilligan. Click their names to check out their work. Top geezers...

Peep some snapshots from the past couple of days now, and keep checking back for updates until the rabble fly home later in the week…

We had a brief stop off in Derry on Saturday morning - this is a photo of the Gable Wall Mural in Bogside, based around the unrest of August 1969.

Manhead, Denis and Stu - Bogside again. Stu was hyped!

Nicky and Stu's candle lit bromance meal time.

Our Sunday morning session at Bushy was slightly ruined by a massive puddle...

...and Conhuir potentially breaking his wrist.

To top it all off Stu managed to completely write off his truck.

Pre Dublin street mission chill time with Gav, Conhuir, Denis and Nicky.

Browse the days snapshots below and keep an eye on the Sidewalk Twitter for regular updates from the road.

Conhuir's landlord visit meant an early start for day two.

Jake brought Beahead along for breakfast.

Rained out in Belfast. This thing looked dope though.

41 miles to Derry.

An epic four hours later, the Rosy's demo was over.

Jay Dord's arm wrestling challenge was going off over dinner.

Stu's either in Free Derry or The Land Of Nod. You decide...

Click this writing for all the dates and locations, and have a browse of the first days blog underneath…

Liverpool airport, 5:30am.

Belfast International Airport. 7:50am.

Jake Collins. Armagh tea stop at the Loughran household.

Stu Graham with the last known set of untouched 58mm Livi Burners...

Mexican feed stop.

Denis Lynn - aka Guest no 1 aka Dr Dlynn. Superdead's finest flowfressional is definitely in the van.

New piece at MonkeyBird. By Dr Dlynn (?).

T-13 stop down. Good shit happened.

Pizza Exprender to day one.

Check out the tour schedule by clicking here, and keep your eyes on the site and Sidewalk Twitter over the coming days for regular blog updates and whatnot.

I guess this could count as the first blog photo then, as seen on Facebook last night…

In anticipation of his first visit to the Emerald Isle, Jake went and got himself inked up.

The crew plus a collection of special guests, will be rolling through the following locations:

Thursday 13th January – T13 Skatepark, Belfast – New date just added!
Friday 14th January – Rosy Skatepark, Derry.
Saturday 15th January – Skatepark Of Dublin (SOFD), Dublin.
Sunday 16th January – Touchwood Skatepark, Cork.

Keep an eye on the Boggin Zine Forum for further details and hype – get along and join in the session!

Click here for the OG tour poster and info.

The crew plus a collection of special guests, will be rolling through the following locations:

Friday 14th January – Rosy Skatepark, Derry.
Saturday 15th January – Skatepark Of Dublin (SOFD), Dublin.
Sunday 16th January – Touchwood Skatepark, Cork.

Keep an eye on the Boggin Zine Forum for further details and hype – get along and join in the session!