Bridge Over Troubled Skateboarding

Tuesday 28th was time to assemble all the students and work shy amongst us for a little trip up the road to the mighty Weeley bank spot. Gonz, Macy, Vez, Russ and Ollie Gooch all decided to make the most of the sunshine before the rain hit. Macy and Ollie both put down some nice mooves on tape whilst the others all got dealt "better luck next time" cards. Good effort gentlemen.

I Was Meaning To Get Round To..........

Sandy has been slowly clocking up the footage over the past few months, but with the deadline looming it was time for Russ to visit him on his home turf of Sudbury to get a few last minute tricks on tape that he'd had on his mind for a while. They checked out various spots, a super good new ledge and even spooked the odd security guard into not leaving for the night. Aaah more Sanj goodness!

So What's Up With Your Footage...?

South Okendons best kept secret Dave Watson popped in the shop today to see Russ, he brought with him a tape with his footy for Into The Fall. According to Russ "you're in for a treat!".

Sunday Sessions

Were getting used to skating in the cold these days, the sun was out on Sunday so it was time to make the most of it. Russ, Dave, Sandy, Steve, Vez and Sam met up with Dave Underwood and Ewan to check out a few old and odd spots around Colchester. The first few spots we checked out didn't really work out so next stop were the various banked delights of the Hythe area. Then Veran and Sam took care of business at the metal bank spot (which is way harder to skate than it looks). Mr Underwood making a welcome return to his footage duties at Fiveways manual and finally Russ and Dave finished the day at the now renamed "Royal Dixon Banks". All in all a very productive day for footage.

Royal Dixon Banks

Thursday night was a particularly "chilled" affair. Dave, Sam, Vez, Russ and Ben braved the polar conditions for a quick burn around town. Dave continued his path of destruction at the Royal London banks, whilst the rest of the crew just tried to keep warm. Couple of things on tape then back home for tea and biscuits!

There are Two Sainsburys in Ilford

Its been so cold recently but when you catch a dry patch you have to run with it so on Sunday Wiggy, Russ, Barry, Ben and Gonz hit up the A12 and went down to the Ilford and Romford area of London to street skate. Ilford has some solid street spots so we started skating the legendary subway bank to wall. Russ wanted to get something done there but ended up ripping a huge hole in his glove...luckily not his hand. Onwards and upwards we got to finally skate the theatre banks without getting the boot as theatrical types wondered around looking for the stage door. Russ put down an awesome line of 360 flip then manual up and around the planter to five-0 on the down edge of the bank. A Lawrence Olivier award winning performance. Ilford Bowl was its usual confused location but we managed to find it and skate it. Barry with backtails and even Ben hitting up the steep little transition! Vert dinosaur. After another quick stop at the subway banks we went off in search of a new Wiggy spot on the way to Romford. The banks were steep but decent if a little sketchy... Last stop was the Blue Banks in Romford as the vague sun dissapeared. It had been salted but we skated anyway. Wiggy took MVP with a seriously super good line and Gonz wrapped things up with the applause of a gaggle of drunk teenage girls in a shopping trolley. Time to return back up the A12 with a bunch of new spots sighted from the warm car.

Four Seasons in One Cliche

Saturday was an interesting day in more ways than just the ever shifting elements. Soul stealer par excelance Sam Ashley came up from that there London to catch a little mouse with silver crystals and digital diodes for The Harmony. Veran had his eyes on some spots, Dave had his eyes on some too. Warm-ups, bootie shaking car stereos and sequence shutter speeds were the first order of the day at Royal London Banks. Dave shut up shop and threw away the key on that spot. From there on to the dirt bank. This place is the armpit of Colchester normally only frequented by sewage eating seagulls and burnout BMWs. Veran seems to be able to navigate the post holes and the moss and mud and Sam captures what needs to be captured via medium format. From there on to bank curb and this was where the weather had an emotional breakdown, one minute sunny, the next heavy flurries of snow and a temperature drop. Vez wasn't put off and to be honest, if you can plough through the mud at dirt bank on 52mms then snowflakes are nothing. A short stop at SGR banks with pastry products was made all the shorter when the snow really set in. Dave also had a visit from the Wrestling gods and was promptly bodyslammed on to the canvas. retire for tea, moggy fussing and mischief DVDs. The snow dried up and we got to skate Nuns for a while before the snow returned to linger on Sam's lens but not before another spot got locked up and before Dave again was body focused by the still angry wrestling gods. Beat downs. Anyway, that was pretty much that when the snow stubbornly set in for good. Big thanks to Sam for coming and skating the lovely banks of colchester and good work to both Veran and Dave too, minus the bruises and stench of perfume.

Dual Responsibilities

Unlike the last video 'Lately', which was pretty much a collaborative filming effort, 'Into the Fall' is going to be principly the filming effort of one man, a particular Mr Russell Cowling. Over the last few winter months he's been the one covered in dirt in the gutter using the filming light's heat for survival in the wilderness but it'll all become apparent that all that effort was worth it. What will also be apparent is that Russ isn't just on fire behind the lens, he's also been out filming with the rest of us and putting together another classic Cowling video part, possibly his best yet...

Catch Up With LBD, Collectors Edition

LBD, Mr Daniel Jacka, had a recent quick trip to the uk before returning back to New Zealand, Russ caught up with him via email to see what's going on in his life right now. (Reposted with new photos! We may also have some news soon involving LBD and Dan K. We'll keep you posted...)

Hey LBD, where are you right now whilst writing this? I'm at my desk at work. Staying late to answer these questions 'cos now i'm out of the hostel i don't have access to free internet anywhere else. It's pretty quiet but there are still a couple of grafters here. I'm watching people play cricket out the window.

How was visiting home at Christmas? It was a mixture of being really excited to see everybody again, and wanting to get back to NZ as fast as possible! My life in NZ had just gone from pretty great to decidedly awesome thanks to Juliet, and so of course it was tough to be away from her. But seeing everyone at home was so fun. Spending Christmas with my family, New Years with Peacock & Alex and Gaz and the Southsea lot, the fantastic meal Gonz and Meg put on, catching up with my buddy Rob, skating with Gonz, Russ, Sandy, Veran and Steve - it was ace man. And rounded off perfectly by being booted out of a spot by the fuzz. The only bummer is that i never caught up with Wig.

So you're back in Welly, with a proper place to live, is it starting to feel like home now? No not yet. It's getting there. I don't feel that England is 'home' anymore either. So i'm kinda lost in the middle! As i learn more about NZ history and culture, and get to know more people, it starts to feel more like home. I still haven't seen much of the country. We're going up to Hawke's Bay this weekend and i'm so looking forward to that. You know how you think 'England' and you quickly have a map, almost subconciously, of population densities, culture variances, etc. - skate spots even - from places you've been across the country? i can't do that with NZ at the moment because i've seen so little. So i don't have that grounding yet. But i'll get it.

How's the weather? Right now it's lovely outside. Bit windy maybe. But that's Wellington. The nights are getting colder though. The seasons are changing ...

PJ wants to know "where's the updates gone on RAS"? Hey PJ bro! Missing our manual sessions buddy. Boy do i have a spot for you ... umm, anyway it boils down to not having easy internet access anymore. I can't log into my blog at work - i get blocked - so can't update from here. And i can't be arsed to go to an internet cafe. But if i have something really good i'll put it on. I'm thinking i'll get some pics of the new park on there soon.

So you've got yourself a job, where and what is it you do? Ok, I work for the foundation for research, science & technology as an investment assistant. What the hell does that mean eh? Basically first is a government agency with a huge pot of money to spend on science projects that are going to benefit New Zealand economically. We invest in public and private sector companies doing groovy and sexy science stuff like biotechnology and nanotechnology, digital movie effects, whizzy IT stuff, etc. Loads of stuff. We employ lots of very capable science people to work with clients to develop their ideas and get their project to a fundable state. Me, I support those very capable science people in the office by collating info, analysing data, building web pages, designing IT systems, etc. It's great most of the time. I never had a job that was so rewarding in terms of working for something worthwhile and being able to make a difference. Plus without exception all the people here are lovely. But I have to say that because i need my contract extended.

Last time you skated and where? Well last time was yesterday afternoon but it was just an hour at the new park. Not really a proper skate 'cos it was full of kids and parents. Before that I was down the brewery a couple of nights midweek working on them frontside 5-0s yo. (100% 360 flip success rate - tried two, made two. oh happy days. but then I couldn't try another one in case I broke it). And before that was last weekend with Dan K, Bernie, Dave and Olly skating this ridiculous spot that PJ would love - actually everybody would love. It's a 20ft manual pad, 2ft wide, starting 1ft high, ending 2ft high, two steps up at the 'on' end, whippy little roll-in at the 'off' end. Joke!

Whats the scene like in Welly? Any rippers? Oh god yeah. Everyone seems to be born able to skate blocks. There's loads of people here who skate for transportation 'cos it's actually feasible in the city where roads are smooth. And you get loads of crusty longboarders in the hills. Underground rippers pop up on a Sunday afternoon to tear it up and then disappear for a few months. And then there are the proper locals and the yoof, who are all so damn good. If you want my pick i'll go for Bernie, who can quietly destroy anything; Jade, who has got the raddest style - very Justin Carline-esque; and young buck Harry, who's a proper skate rat, very friendly, delightfully eccentric, capable of kickflip backside nosebluntslides, and gave very funny answers in his Manual Magazine 'Good As' interview.

Has the Brewery spot gone yet? It's still there, just. All the blocks round the edge have gone, which is a huge loss. Though someone built a box with one side banked and that's been good fun. And there's a little girder flat bar. And flatland for miles. But i think it's going to be 'developed' by the city council so we may yet have to mourn her. But there will always be the waterfront flatland, hopefully a wooden block or two, and now the park too.

Any thoughts on "Into the Fall", anyone's part you're looking forward to seeing? Um, it's weird not really knowing what's been going on. I'm intrigued enough just wondering who's going to have footage. I wanna see everybody's parts. I am anticipating full sections from Russ, Gonz, Sandy, Ben, Steve, Dave Underwood and a Nick Jensen-esque part from Vezcakes.

What are your future plans? I'm applying for NZ residency. I have had my 'expression of interest' accepted and have been invited to apply, so now I have to get together police records and medicals and all that gubbins. Hopefully will be all sorted by mid-June, which is when my working holiday visa runs out. Me and Ju are planning to go to the south island in May so I can see the other half of the country, and to dear ol' blighty in summer 2007, so she can see you lot and the 'hidden treasure' that is the county of Essex! After that? I don't know. I like it here man. I feel like I've found somewhere I can happily live. So maybe I'll just do that eh? I might do some more studying. I want to invite you all over here to stay with us. Maybe iI'll get a project going. Build something cool. Be with my girl. Learn with her. Live with her. And skate. Then skate some more. Visit India again. What about Egypt? Write some words. Draw some pictures. Learn to make music. There's loads of things to do...

David and Goliath

(6MB, iPod ready quicktime)

For anyone shy of damp, foot massage runups, gravel landings, pitch darkness and the bitter winter cold...look away now. Otherwise watch David battle his own personal Goliath that is all the elements conspiring against him and his resulting victory, minus a wooden casualty of battle. Filmed and edited by Russ.

Every Skater's Secret Love

We love stickers, you love stickers, everybody loves stickers. We got a bunch made up by the mighty Adam Whitaker the other day...expect to see them around and about.

Sunny Sunny Sunday

The sun was shining yesterday so a small gang of us hit up some random local spots. Starting with some new little banks we've found (which turned out to be pretty crap) Vez made the most of the crash barriers opposite though! then onto a secret spot which you'll see in the video. Then final stop was the institute stairs, Steve got a rolled ankle and Sam took home the glory.