I've been riding a scooter for 6 years it's become a lifestyle for me now not just a hobby. Riding scooter and BMX can be used as a "get-away" for me now to help me handle stress and anxiety. I've always been on a scooter even from a really young age and it just seems strange trying any other sport now, I started riding BMX when I was losing commitment to ride scooter and was going through a hard time with family and friends it gave me a fresh start to a sport, however I could apply what I already knew from scooter and use it on bike as well this has allowed me to get better a lot faster. Riding BMX comes with its own challenges that scooter riders don't have to deal with, Such as backpedalling, heavier products and the shifting of weight distribution. but with a little bit of persistence, anything can be overcome. I think what I like the most about riding BMX and scooter is the accomplishment of landing a new trick or thinking of a new way to do something. All riding styles are different and allow you to express yourself through your tricks and style of riding in any way you want to, it creates a sense of unique creativity and diversity. My style of riding consists mostly of technical tricks and balance required stunts as it seems nicer to watch and look at, in my point of view. I started off by being a park rider however in December 2015, that ended rather fast as I seriously injured my back slightly moving a vertebrate and almost paralysing myself, however my commitment to riding was too high and I took to riding street style as the scooters where stronger, heavier, and bigger allowing me to rebuild my strength and keep my back in an upright posture to reduce pain inflicted upon myself. Now I just prefer to ride street as the style of riding is just so much more laid back on not as hardcore. As much as little kids at the skatepark or street spots get annoying, it's good
to see our sports becoming a bigger and wider ranged sport now, becoming almost as popular as football or rugby. It helps keep the kids off of the streets, doing drugs and walking around in gangs causing havoc. To me, I'm happy I ride scooter and BMX because I don't know where I'd be, or who I'd be hanging around with if I didn't. wider ranged sport now, becoming almost as popular as football or rugby. It helps keep the kids off of the streets, doing drugs and walking around in gangs causing havoc. To me, I'm happy I ride scooter and BMX because I don't know where I'd be, or who I'd be hanging around with if I didn't.
I started scootering because... well, to be honest, there isn’t a back story I hoped on a friends scooter tried a whip, got close and
serious side to my riding it unloads stress so easily when I ride it just makes me put more effort into it and land better tricks, I’ve
thought this is the sport for me it has its ups and downs wether it’s not being able to land a trick you have been trying for 4 hours or getting injured I feel it’s all about being with your closest friends my group of mates I see more as family and I’m happiest with them doing what we do best, having a laugh and messing about there is also a
progressed a massive amount these past 6 months and tricks I used to think were impossible are now what I do to warm up I never thought scootering would turn into a lifestyle for me and Ben tipple is the person I have to that for it it’s changed my life so much and I love it.
you shine not pro ible diversity of the city ated with work and hustle seems t travelcard. Sorted, bruv.
systems see it as criminal.
Tagging is about disruption, it’s a bit guerrilla, it’s quick, it’s ballsy. But there are payoffs for the artists: having their tag in locations where it will be seen, and other people who understand this scene will realise it’s an achievement to get there. Tagging is about disruption, it’s a bit guerrilla, it’s quick, it’s ballsy. But there are payoffs for the artists: having their tag in locations where it will be seen, and other people who understand this scene will realise it’s an achievement to get there. Tagging gets a bad name compared to other street art, but it can be very skillful; it’s very quick but it’s also about where they’ve done it and how many times they’ve done it. Over time graffiti becomes accepted, and in many areas being gentrified you get huge luxury developments using street art on their billboards because its a ‘cool area’. It’s interesting how graffiti is incorporated into that kind of narrative, because you could walk around the corner and a tag on a wall would be deemed as antisocial behaviour and criminal damage. Graffiti artists are interesting in how they can disrupt the way we view the city – in pleasing and non-pleasing ways. I’ve been fascinated by the idea of what motivates someone to write their name on a wall, and how the state, police, local authorities and transport
What makes London so great for skating is the Tube. London’s underground network means u can buy a one-day travelcard and traverse the city from sun up to sun down (please note – sunovided) going from mini-ramp session to concrete skatepark to street sessions, taking in the incredy all the while. If you visit London, it is best to do so in high summer when a lot of the stress associto get lost in the wind and the city really comes into her own. Make your own sandwiches and buy a
Have you ever notic how much BMX can change you physica ly and mentally? Or that once you get t a certain point, you can’t just quit. It’s a dictive, but mostly in a good way… Un less you end up wit some nasty injuries It’s kind of crazy t think about, but BM makes you tough a nails. Looking at BM from a physical per spective, it’s safe to say it’s a full body workout. Everyone rides has had one o those sessions wher the next day you w up and your entire body is sore. Maybe from crashing or m be it’s just from ke ing your body mov for hours, pulling a twisting every part of your body. When it comes to riding, you’re using pretty much using every m cle from your neck to your feet becaus of the movements i volved that require your body to adjus to keep balance or a certain move. You arms, back and che get a workout ever time you pull up or push down, every p of your legs are co stantly getting work
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from pedaling to helping you hop or keep balance in a manual. Your core gets in the mix for every part of this as well. Plus, it’s a hell of a cardio workout that isn’t like anything else. It’s kind of funny watching somebody who might be real in shape hop on a bike and see how fast they get winded. Since your body works a lot harder when riding than other sports, 45 seconds can get your heart racing real fast, no matter how long you have been riding. When was the last time you rode in a contest? That’s a perfect example to show how intense riding can wear you out quick. Even the contest guys who “train” are usually huffing and puffing pretty hard after their run. Along with the physical workout comes the physical pain. Anyone that has rode BMX knows that no matter how good you are, you’re going to crash eventually. Whether is sliding out and leaving
some road rash to catching a pedal to the shin or a knee to the stem, rolling an ankle or worse. I don’t want to say that we are superior, but have you ever watched professional basketball, baseball, soccer? The injuries a lot of those guys get where they are laying down on the ground like they just got hit by a bus leads to their sprained ankle, or something that BMX riders usually just get up from. Not in every case is this true, but it was just something I noticed. It’s kind of crazy. When it comes to the mental aspect of riding, you’re getting tougher as well. If you don’t think so, think about some of the things you do on your bike now that probably scared you at first or seemed impossible. Many of you probably remember the first time you dropped in on a quarter pipe and remember looking down and thinking that you were
going to go down hard, but once you did it a few times it became less and less scary and it ultimately becomes as easy as pedaling on flat ground. BMX also teaches you patience, persistence and perseverance. Ask any rider to name a trick they spent HOURS trying to figure out, followed by hours to get it dialed in so that they could do it consistently. There’s no doubt that BMX makes you tough as nails, from a physical aspect to a mental one. There’s a lot that goes into riding BMX that people might not necessarily understand or known until they’ve given it a shot themselves and spent some time working at it to become a better BMX rider. All we do know is it takes a special breed of person to get back up after a nasty crash, shake it off and hop back on the bike to give it another go.
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Credit to the crew and more for starring in the magazine and going through shit for me, respect.
Ben Tipple, Khai Gadd, Emma JB Ellis, Bailey Pick, Sam Heath, Steven Booth, Brandon Paterson and mark the london Skater... So much support.