Tom Davis Profile

TOM DAVIS PROFILE TOM DAVIS PROFILE

Meet Tom ‘Tomo” Davis, the guy from Daventry looking to shred Cornwall to bits.

And eat pasties. And fix cars.

April 2013 | LORDS OF FALTOWN

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CORNWALLS NEW SKATE FIEND Fresh on the Cornwall skate scene looking for a new start and some and some good times, Tom Davis talks to us about skating, VW’s, and how Falmouth compares to Daventry….

Since meeting Tomo (as he prefers to be called) in the summer of 2012, he’s become a close mate and a constant source of laughs. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is very much defined by his interests. Hailing from Daventry, he’s moved to what he’d probably agree is his natural home of Cornwall.

Always desperate to get out on a board, the thing that you quickly realise about Tomo is that despite the rise in popularity of the skate scene as a fashion statement, he really knows his shit. After having a pretty rough year, which saw his mum fighting cancer (she’s now recovered) and his best friend die in a car crash, he’s currently training to become a mechanic specialising in classic cars and shredding up the streets of Falmouth and Truro. These two things seem to be his life, and his escape from it, at the same time so I caught up with him to ask him a few questions about the move, skating, and his love of VW’s.

So how did you first get into skateboarding?

Well when I was eight I was staying at a holiday park and I saw some

dudes skating. So I went and bought a skateboard.

How has skateboarding shaped your life and do you think you’ll always do it?

I think my life my life has probably been shaped around skateboarding.

Who I am today is because of skateboarding. And I’ll do it as long as I can, until I’m old and frail and walk up into the misty mountains.

What differences have you found between the Daventry and Falmouth skate scenes?

It’s killer down here in comparison; everywhere just seems to be amazing to skate. We’ve found some pretty good spots and everyone’s pretty cool, everyone’s down for a skate.

The scene’s a lot more respected down here as well, it’s good to be skating in it.

What are you favourite skatespots round Cornwall?

The boat yard in Falmouth is currently my favourite, seem to be going there quite a lot recently. Even though there’s human poo there, still had a skate.

LORDS OF FALTOWN | April 2013

How about anywhere else, Daventry or otherwise?

Daventry really isn’t really a great place to skate, there was never really anything so it really was kind of a blessing to be able to come here and pretty much skate anywhere and it seems to be a lot better than Daventry. Truro plaza as well is another personal favourite of mine when it’s not busy, that’s a laugh.

What’s your biggest achievement in skateboarding?

Sponsership from the local shop back home (Boarders Boards as well as Aces Skate Shop in Truro), and generally just meeting most of my friends through it. You know I see it as quite an achievement, making quite a lot of friends through skateboarding.

How would you describe your style and what tricks are you best at?

I’ve got a sketchy but kinda cool style I guess, and I don’t really have a best trick but my advantage seems to be ramp and flip tricks.

TOM DAVIS PROFILE

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Above: Waiting for some waves at Meanporth.

Below: Tomo’s Vans. He still wears them.

Right: One of Tomo’s many Trolls.

April 2013 | LORDS OF FALTOWN

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Tomo get’s air at Playing Place, an ancient (in skate years) bowel near Truro.

LORDS OF FALTOWN | April 2013

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April 2013 | LORDS OF FALTOWN

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How does skating make you feel?

Well if I’m ever in a bad mood, had a bad day, skateboarding just seem to clear it out and make me feel good about myself. You know whenever you land a trick, you feel good about yourself, it just helps eliminate any stress you’re feeling at the time. And generally just razzin’ round the skate park is ridiculous fun, so you have to feel it.

What are your current inspirations in skateboarding?

Well skateboarding’s getting a lot more fashionable I guess (there’s a slight mumering about hipsters at this point) so it’s nice to be good at it and have people look up to you.

Also a lot of people I know are going professional, or if not professional getting sponsored by companies like Vans or DC so it’s good to see them being all up and coming. To be able to look at them in the future and say, “I knew him”.

Outside of skateboarding you have a massive love for cars, in particular VW. What drew you towards this and what do you think it is about VW’s you like so much?

Well ever since I was a kid really we went to all the shows, down in Cornwall like Run To The Sun and stuff like that seeing the old campers and that. I guess just being around them as a kid made me feel the addiction; I got the bug as they say.

LORDS OF FALTOWN | April 2013

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April 2013 | LORDS OF FALTOWN

7 I just like the character behind them you know, like the big steering wheels, just the old look really.

They’re so much cooler than a new car I guess, they just have so much history and character behind them.

VW’s seem to go hand in hand with the skate/surf scene, especially in cornwall, why do you think that is?

Once again I think because of the character behind them and stuff and you know, and pretty much the good thing about a Volkswagen is you can make them, well any old car, you can make them your own, and no one else will have the exact same car. It’ll be unique in almost every way.

You drive an old Polo which you’ve done a lot of work on, what does you rcar mean to you, and what do you think it says about you as a person?

Well the car has been my main source of money going missing for the past couple of years. I’ve spent probably a couple of thousand pounds on it and I think it means more to me than anything to this date. I think it shows me as a skater sort of surfer guy cos you know the roof racks and the stickers and just generally quite cool.

How do you feel about living in cornwall in general?

I just feel like it’s one big holiday really, it’s onw of the best things I’ve done in my life and I don’t think I’ll ever leave really (laughs)

Any plans for the immediate future?

Start my own business and skate as long as I can.

Look out for Tomo round the streets of Falmouth, he’s going to be here a while.

Above: Tomo Skates the boatyard.

Below: A day’s worth of oil.

LORDS OF FALTOWN | April 2013

All images ©Tom Bangham