S.E.D.J. Day 29 - Day of Falling Over at Stockwell

What a perfect day for falling over.  If you ride a skateboard through the winter there is a temperature barrier that once colder than this arbitrary threshold, slams hurt at least 25% more than at warmer temperatures and concrete is 10% harder. FACT!

Johners on a One Foot Manual Beer-Run

Zombie after a nice impersonation of a sack of spuds.

Weirdly it seems you are also more likely to fall over, at least that was the evidence gathered from Day 29 of Skate Every Day in January at the hallowed Stockwell Skatepark.  It seemed like everyone was hitting the deck, and some were awesome. So much so that I missed one of Alex's because I was picking myself up off the floor at the time.  It wasn't quite carnage but more a skateboarding comedy of errors and I'm pretty sure nobody got hurt, badly I mean.

Jack tweaking over the Sausage

Zombie popping EARLY!!

The thing that struck me on my ride home was just how much worse it could have been.  I had at least two close calls with Alex, 2 with Martyn, 1 with Johners, Josh almost got me twice and Zombie only the once, it was like someone had sent the Red Arrows up pissed and blindfolded. The rest of the tumbles were self inflicted mishaps that happen when your having fun on your skateboard.

Johners Sound System, no D'n'B, alright?

 Between all the collisions and rolling around on the floor everyone seemed to be having a good laugh.  The crew at the park was a quality collection with appearances from types such as Johners, Zombie Stu, Will, Alex, Martyn, Ewen B. , Josh, Jack, Pete H., Jamie "Horse Zine" Hall and others.. and we even had food laid on buy Johners and Dave and helpers; BBQ's in January are awesome, if only for the ambient heat that's available if you hang out chatting with the chef.

Will just making sure everyone is behaving.

Martyn at High-Speed and Zombie going Low-Brow.

I had a great day down at Stockwell for Day 29, the last weekend day of SEDJ.  Great people to skate with thanks to Zombie for making the trip specially; and to everyone else who came down to help make Day 29 a really fun skate.

Day 30 is going to be the last of the Lunch-time Smash'n'Grabs: it's another Meanwhile Gardens if dry and Meanwhile II if wet.  I'll be at one of those places at 1.15pm. 

[LIALC]  

S.E.D.J. Day 23 - Stockwell Skate By Street-Lamp Light.

I'm going to be quick again tonight.  I need to get to bed before midnight for once.  I was knackered anyway but after only 2 hours sleep last night, thanks to a sick and yet strangely mischievous baby, I'm on my knees.

Today was a nice change from the last couple of Mondays' lunch time skates.  This time I met up with Adam (Johners) at Sockwell for an hour. We were the only two skaters there.  Adam and I share a strange enjoyment of skating Stockwell in the dark in winter; The Park is lit much better than you would think and it's always quiet.  The cold is normally the big problem but I think we all understand that you are rarely cold while actually skating.

Adam: Red-Eye Reduction ON

I love this section of the park. Plenty of opportunities to come a cropper.

If you look closely you can see the memory of a Johners shaped carve in the super tight pocket.

You may have noticed that I'd left my digital compact camera at the office by accident so was reduced to my phone. What a pile of crap; oh well.  I got the photo's I needed.  Day 23 was a good laugh. Hacking it around the park with Johners, having a chat and generally having a nice relaxed skate.  Thanks Adam.

Tomorrow is Day 24. Tomorrow is a Tuesday...... so that means a Kingston Car Park Training session.  Hopefully see you tomorrow from 10:00pm.

Now, I sleep.

[LIALC]

S.E.D.J. Day 12 - Stockwell Lunch-Break Smash'n'Grab

I can feel it coming.  Impending doom, or at least doom laden skies... of course when I say doom I mean rain.

The first couple of days of this Skate Every Day in January were characterized by rain and puddles but since then, and boy does that seem a long time ago, we've had unseasonably dry weather.  Being British I know instinctively that this can't last but just for today I got away with it again.

God knows how many hours of my life I have spent at Stockwell over the years. When I used to live about 200 yards away I was living the dream and nipping over to the park to skate for an hour was all too easy.  Now that I live a good 10 mile cycle ride away skating for less than three just doesn't make sense so today has to go down as my shortest ever skate at Stockwell... half an hour precisely.

Even for such a flying visit I was lucky enough to find three Stockwell stalwarts.  James, Adrian and Jack were all there to guarantee I didn't skate alone.  I'm pretty sure James was unaware of S.E.D.J. but hey, I'm not proud.

James was on great form, flying around the park like a man posessed.  Adrian is back on his board after a 6 month lay-off, I didn't get chance to ask him what's new with his Done Video project, hopefully I'll see him to ask before another six months is up.

 

Jack was sporting his new knee brace. Not only does it make him look like some sort of robo-law-enforcement-android agent but apparently he's not quite adjusted to the extra width that the brace gives his leg and has been injuring people who come within striking distance, as well as destroying furniture and door frames wherever he goes. He made me feel a lot better about my ever present ankle brace.

 

Before I knew it my time was up and I had to drag myself away.  It's this bit that's going to push me to the edge you know.  Leaving these guys to enjoy the rest of the afternoon at my favorite skatepark is an unholy curse: and all the worse for being self inflicted... Aaah God what have I done!?!

I'm sure I'll get over it.  So that was Day 12.  Half an hour at a world class skatepark with three mates. Nice.

And now for Day 13, another South London lunch-time mission, Clapham Common.  This is an all new park that I have yet to skate, so should be interesting with only half an hour to sample it's delights.  If your about,  I'll be there from 1.15.

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S.E.D.J Day 1 - Off and Running.

Day 1 of Skate Every Day in January and it's probably a taste of things to come but getting a session under my belt was a great way to start the year.

If you want Stockwell to yourself, you when to go; January 1st, 12 noon.

I made it to Stockwell for touch after mid-day to find Johners already there.  Considering we had both been out celebrating the New Year , me pulling a 4.00am and Johners about 5.00am, I think we did pretty well to get out in time. It was good thing too. The park was still damp with the usual puddles but enough dry park to have a good roll, but that wouldn't last.

The gregarious, camera loving, socialite known as Johners

Johners even bought lunch. If he hadn't turned up, it would have sucked.

I know better to trust the weather-reports but when your planning on skating every day you have to get a bit of guidance. Today's weather was for rain in the after noon, at 1 it tried, and at about 2 it finished the job off good and proper. Maybe I should keep reading the weather forecasts.

Not the first time and it sure as hell won't be the last.

I'm going put today down as a success. I skated outdoors at my favorite park with a really good friend, skated my hangover away and made it home, if a little damp, just in time for a Sunday roast that Rach had cooked. Stoked!

Let's see how it goes tomorrow at Sunbury Skatepark, this one's going to be a flying visit at 9:30am for an hour. If you're in the area... you know what to do.

Hope to see you out there.

[LIALC]

Feverish, Damp and Unhinged - Welcome To Stockwell

I've said it before and no doubt I'll say it again and again and again, I fucking Love Stockwell Skatepark!

Don't worry, I'm not going to start with the reminiscences of the skateboarding day trips in to London as a spotty teenager, no-one needs to hear that again. What I will say is that one more time the locals of this rough jewel in London skateboarding's crown have proved how to have a full-on session come Competition/Jam on a wet December Sunday.


The Stockwell Winter Games 2011 - I'm sure there were those who thought the whole thing was a waste of time and effort and maybe they were right and we are all just a little unhinged. Yet by the time we left the park and headed for the pub, all the obstacle building and organizing and skating in the wet felt very much like effort well spent.

Having 80% of the park too wet to skate just focused everyone into what was left.  When you have a good 20 or so people all skating the same thing at a feverish pace what you get is bodies and boards flying everywhere and a really good time.

Full-on back slaps to Toby, Johners and Hariett for putting in the effort to make this all happen, also to Martyn, and Harrison for helping with the obstacle build a while back.

Here are a few grabbed snaps of the day and evening, they're not remotely representative of the skateboarding that went down but they make me feel like it's more of a valid blog post. 

Keep'em peeled for more Stockwell Games events soon.... (I have no-idea if that's true, it just feels like a nice way to end).

[LIALC]

Up And Running

Yes, Yes!

Ok so it's finally happened, the Lizard Mag has moved the blog off MySpace and onto Blogger. I'm sure there will still be the odd MySpace Blog update but this is now the new spiritual home of the most individual UK Skateboard publication.

Just to keep you going for a day or so here are a couple of picture's from last weekend's Stockwell Jam.

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Johners getting in the way of some gritty social realism.


And here we have Jesus going for the extra big wings




I'm going to have to ask Biebel about this one?