Reece Leung Sergej Vutuc Rich West Craig Dodds Patrik Wallner Iseki Nubuo
Hannah Martin Nick Brown Greg Conroy Hiroki Muraoka Nick Dwyer Russ Longmire
Guy Jones Laurence Keefe Hiroki Muraoka Heywood Ward Denis Lynn
Front Cover Photo: Hiroki Muraoka - Ollie - Reece Leung Artwork: Nick Brown of Lizard Force www.vaguemag.com vagueskatemag@gmail.com Instagram @vagueskatemag
PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED There are so many good things going on these days, facilities are becoming increasingly more available, things are gradually catching up equality wise and people are producing some incredible stuff. However it is still so hard for people to survive (unless you’re represented by some wack PR agency where mimicking something shite is all that is desired and money is thrown in it’s general direction, yeah that’s aimed at you Murdoch!). Unfortunately support is still something hard to come by. People would rather buy an item of clothing that means nothing to no-one than buy a print or a skate store t-shirt, or buy 2 pints of Carling rather than 2 zines that someones put so much effort into. No diss to the pubs mind! I’m guilty of this as well but worse than this is the entitlement so rife in skateboarding now. “Safe, can I get discount?” What? Why and when did we have to start rationing the word please? Somebody who has spent £3000 on an electric longboard asking for discount on a £5 skate tool from a shop they’ve never supported and never shall again. Arrogant kids who want money off on a board but who’s outfit costs more than people’s monthly food budget. Is it a status thing or do they generally not have interests? Support those who deserve it because if you don’t you’ll regret it. Fill your abode with things created by those you admire; friends, family, some pisshead poet who only writes about shoelaces, anything! Shopping is a placebo, but the feeling lasts if it’s something you can look at on a shelf in a years time and be stoked you made that purchase. Trade work with others and expand that way. If your phone dies you’re locked out, it’s harder for an album to run out of 3G or a zine to freeze. Oh and free booze is a treat not something that should be expected so wind yer necks in, myself included again!
LAURENCE & HIROKI LIZARD FORCE NB# MALLORCA PHOTO GALLERY SKATE KITCHEN AMY RAM ART GALLERY GIBBERISH BREWERY LOVENSKATE & BEAVERTOWN INWYF: BELFAST
CONTENTS
Laurence Keefe - Wallride Nollie Photo: Sergej Vutuc
LAURENCE & HIROKI
Laurence & Hiroki, Reading meets Tokyo, well an aspect meets a bigger aspect, and it’s a beautiful combo, you know when a meal turns out better than you expected but has quite different components which only end up complimenting each other. Know what I mean? Having met these 2 individually, we can vouch that they are both the fucking tits and combined make them a pair of the fucking tits (make sure you acknowledged ‘the’ prior to ‘fucking tits’). We like them, they like each other, what better way to highlight this than to get them to shoot some lovely skate photies and have a little chin wag for our modest mag. Major props and thanks to all involved with this as we’re genuinely huge fans! Interview by Laurence Keefe & Hiroki Muraoka Artwork by Hiroki Muraoka
Photography by Patrik Wallner, Iseki Nubuo & Reece Leung
LAURENCE Hiroki: How did you start working at Kinari (Japanese distributor)? Laurence: When Katsumi Minami started his own company with Evisen skateboards and Tightbooth, he invited me to join the team and help with distribution, production, and a little of everything else. I only had a part time job at FTC at the time so I wanted to try something new. H: What do you think about the Japanese skate scene? L: It’s super fun to skate here. There’s a lot of creativity and good vibes. People are really welcoming as well so it’s easy to make friends.
H: What do you wanna do with the Adidas Japan team after the video is made? L: I want to show Japanese skateboarding to the rest of world and try and help build more connections with Japanese skaters and skate scenes overseas. More trips. H: Do you think Japanese skaters are shy? L: Some yes, but most around me aren’t. They try and talk to every girl that walks by, fight with police, get randomly naked in public etc. Japanese people are famous for being shy but there are a lot of contradictions in Japanese culture.
Laurence - Nosebonk Into Bank Photo: Iseki Nubuo
H: What is the most shocking thing in Japanese culture? L: Natto. It’s some kind of sticky slimey brown goo made from rotten beans. They eat it for breakfast here and it smells like putrid cheesy farts from hell. SHOCKING! H: What is the most dangerous experience of your life, especially when travelling? L: Hanging out with warlords in Afghanistan. We were being driven around in luxury SUVs and trying to skate random spots while they shoo’d people away with kalashnikovs to make way for us to skate. There was a bombing while we were there and we would definitely have been a very easy target...
H: How about your most ridiculous story ? L: Trying to skate handrails in North Korea. We had to break into our own tour bus to get our skateboards and try and get a quick photo on a crusty little rail while a hysterical lady and a cop tried to stop us. I’m sure they were bewildered with what we were doing. H: Most important thing for skateboarding? L: HAVE FUN!
Laurence - Nose Manual Photo: Patrik Wallner Laurence - Nosepick Photo: Iseki Nubuo
HIROKI Laurence: What do you do for a living? I’m pro now for Traffic and get paid a little to skate but I also have a designer job 3 days a week, I teach skating and draw a little as well. L: If you could go anywhere in the world on a skate trip, where would you go and why? Spain. I’ve hardly been to Europe and it seems like Spain is the best place in terms of skate spots and art culture. L: Who do you look up to in Japanese skateboarding? Deshi, Daiki Hosoda and more.
L: What’s the best thing about the Tokyo skate scene? Tokyo is so crowded and there isn’t much space, so Tokyo street skaters have to be really creative to utilise space. L: What do you think about British skateboarding? Any UK skaters you like? I like so many actually. The Isle crew is awesome. Chris Jones and Tom Knox’s footage is insane in the Atlantic Drift edits. L: Do you think you could live in the UK for 6 years like I have in Japan? That sounds amazing. I really want to skate more in the UK but I’d miss my wife.
Hiroki - Glass Ride Photo: Reece Leung
L: How did you get a part in Colin Read’s video, Spirit Quest? I met Colin when I was in New York and we filmed few clips together. He came to Japan after that and said he wanted to make my part. L: How do you do those funny Gonz ollie tricks where you ollie or flip and your board goes between two rails? Kick and aim the board to shoot between the rails and wait to catch it when it comes out the other side. It’s kind of hard to explain but it’s a bit like a one foot ollie. L: What’s it like having me as your team manager? Welcome to hell! L:You’re so much better at skating than me, but you still always lose in games of skate. Why? I just don’t wanna see you cry! L: Tell me about your book project with Ben Gore. He gave me lots of his photos of Japan, then I made drawings inspired from his work. L: Any last words? Keep trying!
Hiroki - Ollie Up Mayday Photo: Reece Leung Hiroki - Backside Lipslide Photo: Reece Leung
LIZARD FORCE You may have heard of Lizard Force, you may even know some of the amphibians yourself, be it personally or on your television set. We’ve been intrigued by them for some time now and after months of phone calls, e-mails and secret meetings we were finally able to speak to Nick Brown, their official documenter and one of the few human beings trusted enough to discuss swamp draining intentions and the ultimate task of turning mankind into sausages. The following discussion took place behind a bike shed in one of the more affluent areas of Southport. Interview by Guy Jones Artwork by Nick Brown
The force has been active for a while but has gained significantly more exposure as of late. Were the government originally trying to hide Lizard Force? Through our research, we haven’t found any conclusive proof of any government officially sanctioning the Lizard Force, but it’s become abundantly clear that they are/were a well funded organisation. There are many conspiracies of how Lizard Force originated, many regarding a Richard Nixon trip to sunny Southport. Can you offer any insights into Lizard Force’s beginnings as their official media officer and translator? Honestly, at this point we know more about the chronology of actual dinosaurs, than we do about the Lizards’. There’s evidence to suggest that it goes back even further than that. How did you first learn of Lizard Force and how did you get to the stage of being able to document them? There have been rumors for years, allegedly doctored photos, redacted documents. In the digital era it’s hard to keep that information suppressed. Once we made initial contact, we found more than anything, that they wanted their stories told. They’re warm kind hearted public servants. Just like you or me, except for the teeth. Do they treat you well? Have you had any outrageous parties? The parties... You haven’t lived until you’ve waterboarded a six pack of beer. Which is good, because you usually die afterwards. The Vietnam era seems to have the most documented Lizard Force happenings. What is it about this era that is so appealing for the reptilian super squad? There was a lot of spilled milk the Lizards had to clean up throughout the years. That is just one example. There are a lot of celebrity lizards, some we know, some we don’t. Could you give us a few jaw droppers please and what is their relationship to the force? I shouldn’t even be telling you this. Bono.
Lost Art skate store has provided ample support for the force regarding apparel and swamp draining campaigns. Are there any other known supporters? If I told you that Volvo has supported a militarized fighting force of genetically modified super soldiers, the world economy would be thrown into flux. So I won’t tell you that. There has been human interaction amongst the force, in some cases romance! Is this allowed and has it ever put any Lizard Force units in jeopardy? It’s hard to know who to trust in this day and age. Aside from the most sophisticated tactical war training available, the Lizards possess a maximum biting force of nearly 2 tons. You try telling them what they’re allowed to do. Some say that a lot of iconic historical events have been actually provoked by Lizard Force but humanized to be more socially acceptable by the media. What are your thoughts on this theory having the most interaction with the troops? The people of Earth can barely handle another Kardashian. How do you think the world would react to a crisis being solved by an 860 lb Lizard armed with the razor sharp teeth in military-grade tactical-fuckyou? So a few things get redacted here and there. I heard that Thatcher started supplying weapons in the 80’s (despite being one of the prime targets), how did they acquire arms and who sorts their military with product now? It must be hard getting weapons as a lizard. The hard part is getting weapons big enough that a 9 ft Lizard can wield without snapping it in half. Big ass bullets too. Are the Soviet Bears allies with Lizard Force and are there any other contingencies in this universe? Donkey Insurgents for example? Lizard Force is not in cahoots with the rebel groups who have also tampered with genetic science and moral law. Do you really think a bear with a gun has your best interests at heart? Accept no substitutes.
There are Lizard Force bases worldwide but there has been a particularly strong settlement in Amsterdam. Why did they choose to settle in the land of windmills and clogs after ‘nam? Mayo on chips. Lizard Force prides itself on the war on dickheads. Could you tell us some who are on the hit list? All imposters, all oppressors, false gods, Hulk Hogan, brunch, and Skelmersdale. I’ve read that there’s a strong connection with Wu-Tang Clan and the force, namely when the killer bees were having pesticide problems. Did this provoke operation Neptune Sausage? Lizard Force is loyal to few. But their training does involve going through all 36 chambers. Lizard Force had it’s first official video offering at last year’s Ameobala Film Festival. Were you the key translator in these negotiations and did the lizard propaganda help convert any of the enemy? There’s a lot of interesting recruitment material and for lack of a better word, propaganda, that hasn’t seen the light of day. I would say you can safely expect to see more soon. And as far as converting the enemy, we’re talking right now aren’t we? Due to the force getting bigger and stronger there is now a range of apparel to support the troops. Where can people find this and the latest Lizard Force news? We’ve recently unearthed some new materials which will shed some light on just where the Lizards came from, and how long they’ve been operating in the shadows. As long as we’re not murdered by one of the dozen nations who sanctioned their activities, you can find more at LizardForce.com
AMY RAM Amy Ram, even the name screams power! We’ve been huge fans of Amy ever since we met her in person years ago, and by in person we don’t mean on Instagram with thousands of followers posting pictures of no significance, we mean firmly in person. The last couple of years have seen her popping up at parks and spots worldwide and again what better way to become aware of someone than in person. Her and Helena Long have been on what seems to be a world wide mission and the fruits of this expedition are glowing and bountiful. Shredding to the extent it makes onlookers out of breath; she is a skater’s skater with far more to her than just skating, which if anything makes her even more of a skater’s skater! Cheers for inducing so much stoke Amy and the marks you make on each scene are vibrant. Interview by Guy Jones Photography by Craig Dodds
Yes Amy how’s it going? Where are you right now? Yooooo, what’s gwan’n? All great my end! I am sitting in my living room watching Thrasher/ Trasher, listening to Jazz FM and writing this simultaneously, always been a multifunctioning multi-tasker. You’re currently in Barcelona. Is this a permanent base for you and how have you found the scene over there. Do you also work there? Miss London? Yeee I’m BCN living at the current. Permanent for the near future for sure. I’m in my 4th month here now and have moved places 4 times (quick maths). But finally settled and finding my feet quite nicely. The scene is super. Everyone is on the chill vibes. I get the feeling that people here care less about sponsors and getting clips and skate really because they love it. My mum has a music publishing company which I have taken on a number of roles to help with the business. Heavily admin based but helps me pay for rent/travel/food etc. I start a Spanish course from September for a couple of months, realising that the best thing I could get out of living here is learning the language (and upping my ledge game). And I don’t miss London at all. Sozza. Where and who have been some of the highlights of your travels over the past few years and how do you get by out there? I have travelled a lot over the 10 years. It’s hard to choose highlights as I have had some mega trips with and without my board. I feel it’s important to step away from everything and leave the board behind for some trips to get a better perspective on life. That’s how I feel anyway. Switch Nosepick To Regular
Travelling is a top priority of mine - I want to see as much of the world as possible. I caught the bug after my first big trip when I was 19, started in Mexico City and travelled all the way down to Chile, lasting several months. Since then I lived in Australia, 2 ski seasons in France, 6 months in India/Sri Lanka, 1 month in Palestine/US - the list actually goes on. It seems you and Helena are a bit of a unit when travelling, could you tell us any funny stories from your time together and the benefits of travelling together? Since moving away from London and not having the daily contact with Helena, travelling together is really important as we miss skating with each other a lot. Last time she came over to BCN we laughed ourselves to sleep every night. It’s a great comfort having Helena around, especially when we are travelling and there’s 100’s of new people around and sometimes conversations can get shit, weird and awkward so I always look to Helena for security. Ha! We vibe off each other heavily and always got each others backs, so it’s great to always have someone you can really rely on.
Layback Frontside Rock & Roll
How important is it to get out there and actually meet other people? It seems whilst most people in this day and age are overly keen on Instagram to the extent they’re always on their phones and miss out on real life. You seem to take the physical route more going and actually meeting locals worldwide. I feel people feel like they have to change who they are via their social media. I’m gonna stay true to myself and not become someone I am not. I once got told that I’d get more followers if I dressed more girly (true story). I stuck my middle finger up at that and decided not to go down that road. You’ve definitely immersed yourself in ethical radness such as SkatePal. How was this experience and do you intend to do more of this? I am really interested about the positive effects skateboarding has in areas of conflict/poverty etc. From what I’ve witnessed from SkatePal, the skateparks in Palestine that SkatePal have built have only brought the communities undeniable hope that was/is much needed. What is the significance and overall benefit
of the turtle? You have tats of them right? Ever owned one? This is the best question I have been asked ever. Yeah turtles are my favourite animal and they represent how you should live life. Very chilled. I found a fascination with them when I was in Sri Lanka, chilled with them whenever I went surfing, they would always pop up and hang out and then I was like “Damn I wanna be a turtle!” We had a pet turtle called Murtle. Think she died. RIP. You smash it at football as well. Do you feel playing this prior helped to get into skateboarding easier and how would you compare female exposure between these 2 activities? Football has made me tough no doubt about it! When I was playing I was the most aggressive player on the pitch. Although a lot of skaters have little or no interest in football, they are both similar. Both pointless. I was always quick on the pitch and I guess that helped me become less scared of speed on a skateboard. Being battered on the pitch, made me less scared about being battered by concrete. I can juggle averagely with a football and this has helped me with my weird combo’s
on tranny. All of it translates in my opinion. Ever have trials for a club? Shortest question gets the most longest, worst answer? I have played for 3 clubs during my football career. Fulham Ladies FC - for 10 years, then QPR, then Newcastle Ladies and finally ending my playing career this year back at Fulham Ladies FC. Where it all began when I was 9 years old, which was a real pleasure. But to actually answer your question, I trialled for Tottenham Ladies FC a couple of years back and didn’t make it. You’ve taken part in some key talks at HOV London. Were you happy with the result of these talks and how necessary do you feel they are? The talks were all great and the discussions were much needed. I think Marie Dabbadie did wonderfully (does that rhyme?) She really stood her ground and sent a clear message about discrimination inside the industry. It was super interesting to hear everyone’s opinions on the state of the current industry and because I have worked in it, I could relate to a lot of what was being said.
Pivot Fakie
The all female panel with Elissa, Louisa etc was really incredible. For everyone to hear their stories of what it was like growing up as a female skater was super interesting and a tiny bit relatable for what it was like when I started to start in 2002. You’ve been skating a while now but do you feel things are catching up in regards to gender exposure in skateboarding? I feel like brands are finally taking notice. Before we were a joke but now they’re being more serious about the future of female skateboarding and wanting to invest time and money which is what we’ve been waiting for. From a business point of view, it’s a no brainer. We are an untapped market, still very underground/ unique and feel like the surface has barely been scratched. I don’t wanna sound cheesy but watch this space. What’s next for your sen? I am really excited to be apart of the Vans UK family now. I have some lovely friends on the team (S/O Daryl D/Ross/Helena) and looking forward to seeing what the future holds with them.
LOVENSKATE & BEAVERTOWN
Photos: Reece Leung
Yes we’ve done it! We’ve collaborated to make one of the most artisan punk collabs of all time, skateboarding x craft beer x publication. Stick that in your liquorice rolling paper and smoke it! The keyword in this combining of forces surely has to be craft. Lovenskate are some of the craftiest people out there and by no means sneaky, the complete opposite if anything. Hand screening their own designs and merging hands-on designs to physical items all whilst heavily seasoned with humour. Beavertown is also known for it’s splendid artwork that compliments the desirable taste of their rather fancy beverages. Throw us in for good measure just to try and get some passive glory from these 2 mighty companies and you’ve got the ‘Drink Tea, Get Vague’ collab beer. We discussed this with Jonny Hamilton and Nick Dwyer from Beavertown and charisma hog Stu Smith from Lovenskate. We do get quite lucky sometimes don’t we? Interview by Guy Jones Photography by Rich West & Reece Leung Artwork by Nick Dwyer
Could you tell us a bit about the beer itself and how you came to the final flavourings and style please/key details? Jonny: The beer is a low-ABV IPA with Tea. The main idea for the beer was to make a base for the Lovenskate Tea blend, which was really important for me. When working with other companies that aren’t in the drinks industry, it’s often hard to brew something as a collaboration that sums up the personalities of the collaborators, but with Lovenskate having their own tea blend, and their love of tea being a big part of their brand, it was the obvious place to go. Plus, when I go skate with a few beers, it’s better to have something lower in alcohol and sessionable, so we decided to make it 3% so you can have a few and still skate. Was it difficult to achieve a tea flavoured beer? Jonny: Somewhat difficult, but luckily we have done a few in the fast (Earl Phantom, and The You Zoo for example) so we know how to get the flavours across in beer in the most efficient way. It’s difficult for two reasons. The first is matching the flavour profile of the tea to the beer style. So for example, Lapsang Souchong is a pretty unusual tea and not for everyone because it’s smoked, so that in a lager style might be a bit off-putting, but in a stout, it would work. In this case, the Lovenskate blend, which is a strong Kenyan black tea, and Assam, didn’t quite work when we added the blend directly to some beer in trials, but when we got the two teas separately, we discovered the Kenyan was more fruity, and the Assam, more malt-biscuity and so we decided on a 5:1 ratio of Kenyan: Assam to get the fruitiness, with just a little of the malt character. The second reason it’s difficult is physically adding the tea to the beer, without extracting too much tannin from the tea, but also adding it in a sterile way. We added
the tea to very warm but not boiling water, enough to sterilise it, and then pumped the liquid into the beer, before re-circulating the beer/tea mixture back through the tea for a while to get all the flavour from the tea. Once we had the flavour right, we stopped, and dry hopped the beer. Collaborations are always dope but sometimes conflict of interest ruins them, how easy was it working together? Jonny: It’s been pretty chilled. As with all of these things, even though the two companies are about a 10 minute cycle apart, we all have a lot of projects on our plates, so communication can be a bit slow, but the ability to visit each other and understand more about each other’s production processes has been invaluable. Being able to go see Lovenskate with Stu gave us at Beavertown a better appreciation for his work, and how precise and labour intensive it is, so obviously we were respectful with that in terms of coming up with a design that could realistically work on a board design. I hope Stu was able to get something similar from visiting the brewery. Stu: I’d met Jonny before when he’s come to the warehouse to visit The Palomino skateshop. Him and Nick like what we are about so I think it was easy from the get-go. Maybe they saw a similarity in Lovenskate with what they do at Beavertown. Small production, craft based, and independent. Perhaps we are skateboarding equivalent to a micro-brewery (laughs). In regards to the artwork did you both work together to design the proddy and did you achieve the desired result? Nick: I’m pretty sure I came to find Jonny multiple
Photos: Rich West
times with the intention of talking about the beer and design specifically but we ended up talking about tea and then something totally unrelated. I guess kind of, (we usually put our heads together) but this time I probably let my subconscious put all its stereotypes about skaters and tea drinkers into effect, along with the mind-melting colourful imagery I drew. Stu: Beavertown has a very strong aesthetic, and from my side, I thought it was very important to not mess with that. Beavertown fans can tell a can or tap from a mile off, so I wanted to let Nick take full control. I feel very honoured to have him incorporate the tea theme, and the Lovenskate logo into the artwork for the can. Aside from the delicious liquid created, what else does the collab have to offer? Nick: Bright colours, shiny metal bits, alternating rough / smooth varnish and probably a lovely small run of merch. All of the feelings. All of the senses. It will probably smell really good too, knowing Jonny. Not that he always smells good but his beers do. Oh yeah and a deck. Stu: Right from the beginning we talked about producing a range of products that would
compliment the beer, and practical. A kind of tool kit for a ‘drinker with a skateboard problem’. We’ll be making mugs (suitable for tea and beer), boards, and a shirt. As well as some great limited run products for the launch of the mag in August. Were the boards hand screened on site? Stu: Like always, these Lovenskate boards were hand screened in our Tottenham Studio (just round the corner from Beavertown). I even thinned down some of the ink with Beavertown’s finest. Could this be the most artisan x punk collab of all time? Stu: I’m not sure. I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard of one like this before. Maybe there’s a close contender in Portland, Oregon? I hear they’re pretty artisan with this stuff these days. You’ll have to ask Tom Marsden aka @hackney_beer_wanker for the definite answer. Everything to do with both companies is very crafty and hands on. How important do you feel this ethos is to both companies? Jonny: Working in our barrel store, and on special projects such as this one, I’m in a bit of a unique position as I get so see most beers through from concept, to brew day, dry hopping, packaging
Stu Smith - Noseslide Photo: Rich West
Photo: Reece Leung
and release so it’s very hands on, which is very rewarding but does lend itself to obsessiveness and struggling to relinquish control. You take on all of the onus, which can be a very rewarding thing when a beer goes right, but a very disappointing thing when something goes wrong, and there is no one to blame but yourself. Thankfully, it’s mainly highs, and incredibly rewarding when you go out to a bar, not expecting it, and a beer you were responsible for is on, and you can enjoy a glass, completing the journey from concept to consumption. That’s pretty cool. Stu: From a Lovenskate point of view, I try to make sure as much as possible is produced in the Tottenham workshop. Some things just aren’t commercially viable (I’ve learnt my lesson the hard way trying to do everything myself) but I really believe that by keeping design simple and flexible, and making production limited and in-house, you can keep costs low and still make an exciting product. On a production scale, Beavertown is
enormous compared to us, but when Jonny gave me a tour of the brewery, I saw some similarities, and I think that is what gives them their edge. Where can the public sample this tipple? Jonny: It will be available at the launch on the 25th August at Five Miles, as well as our taproom, and then whatever is left will go to bottle shops around London, and the UK. This is a pretty small run of cans for us, so it’s not going to be around for long, so if you see one, grab it, and drink fresh! We all know you both only collaborated because of how close you are geographically located minimising any logistical nightmares, but how did this combination of forces happen and were you aware of each other prior to this? Jonny: I’ve been skateboarding since I was pretty young, on and off, but more seriously got back into it about 5/6 years ago when living in Edinburgh. I remember being in Glasgow, reading an article about The Palomino, and started buying stuff from
them. When I moved to London at the start of 2016 to start work with Beavertown, I was pretty excited to find out that they were based up the road, so I emailed Nick to see if I could pick my order up in person, which I did, and dropped off some cans of beer. I was visiting there when I saw all the screenprinting equipment and discovered Lovenskate. I then checked out their exhibition at Parlour in Hackney (RIP), and loved their art. I’ve been suggesting doing a board with someone since starting here, and when Vague got in touch about doing something together, it all clicked. It took a while for all the pieces to come together but it’s finally happened. Guilty pleasures, what are some of the shittest beers you have a soft spot for? Jonny: I’m unashamedly a snob when it comes to what I drink, and so when I’m not drinking beer, I’m getting geeky about wine (podcasts and books, magazines, the whole works) as a form of escapism. That said, when it comes to mainstream lager brands, I’m a Tennent’s guy. That said again, I once gave a can of Carling a higher score in our sensory panel than some other lagers from craft breweries. So maybe I should stop being a snob,
and pretending I like wine, and just drink Carling? Stu: As far as a shit beer goes, nothing makes me happier than skating/lurking with the Dalston ‘Shreddies’ crew and drinking Holsten Pils. It’s my favourite, the warmer the better! Logan Plant started Beavertown, which son of a celebrity started Lovenskate? Even if they're just a Medway hero. Stu: Funny you should ask that. I’m Stu Smith, son of Adrian Smith, the founder of Smith’s Crisps and the pioneer of the ‘Salt n Shake’ crisp bag (packet of crisps that came with a separate little salt packet). As an avid beer drinker, my dad always believed that you should be able to add your own salt to your crisps, as a means of controlling your thirst when at the bar. It kept him sober and made him millions. Sadly he also had a taste for gambling and he lost it all on the horses, but I like to think his legacy lives on in my company a little. That’s where the name ‘Love n Skate’ derives.
ART GALLERY
Lewis Brownlie
Mike O’Shea
Matt Booker
Cecily Chua
Harriet Alana
Leo Macdonald-Oulds
NB# MALLORCA
The whole premise of this trip was to celebrate Charlie Birch getting married and this was to be his sending off skate trip before heading down the mines to provide for his new family. Scared that his native Scouse brethren would have made it too hard to get any shredding done. He consoled in Dave Mackey on how to let them down gently and who he should take on his last shred voyage of freedom. Being no stranger in sorting out anything for anyone, Mackey arranged a trip to Mallorca with some of the finest New Balance representatives the same weekend Creamfields was on, minimising any Merseyside warriors of being free and not getting off their noggin on disco biscuits, Cherry Ice and whatever consumables they could get their hands on. The squad boasted Davis Torgerson, Jordan Taylor, Tyler Surrey, Mark Baines, Tom Karangelov, Flo Mirtain, Jorge Simões, Davide Holzknecht and Nisse Ingemarsson with Russell Houghten and Nick ‘Bastard’ Richards documenting the whole thing. They quickly learned of young Charlie’s talents and his charm, to the extent that after another successful win for the young business student at the card game ‘bullshit’, discovered that Charlie was bullshitting more than just the card game and wasn’t engaged at all. The whole trip was a rouse to get out of the UK for a while for free. After a day of nobody talking to each other as the rain poured down, everyone realised it wasn’t worth falling out over and after all they were in Mallorca with their skateboards so why not have a play on them. And have a play they did, so much so that their endorphins locked for life making them all really good friends and they all lived happily ever after, apart from Torgy hurting his hamstring but he still proceeded to crush it. These skaters ay, what are they like? Words by Guy Jones Photography by Reece Leung
Charlie Birch - Ollie Over 50-50 Grind Backside 180 Out Previous spread: Davis Torgerson - Switch Backside Smith Grind
Jorge SimĂľes - Crooked Grind to Fakie Nosegrind
Mark Baines - Switch Frontside Noseslide Davide Holzknecht - Kickflip - Ollie
Tom Karangelov - Frontside Nosegrind Jordan Taylor - Ride On Backside 5-0 Grind
Tyler Surrey - Frontside Pivot Flo Mirtain - Backside Tailslide To Fakie Frontside Crooked Grind Next spread: Nisse Ingemarsson - Backside Smith Grind
Tlyer Surrey - Kickflip Noseslide Pop Over
THE SKATE KITCHEN The Skate Kitchen is a new feature length film directed by Crystal Moselle and is essentially a biopic of banana and skateboard enthusiasts The Skate Kitchen. The Skate Kitchen the name is a diss at the morons with a platform claiming that women should be in the kitchen and not skating. Not to dissect such accusations too much, it only stoked the fire within the group, whilst the chauvinistic keyboard warrior presumably starves due to lack of culinary skills. We caught up with Crystal Moselle (and Ajani Russell) to discuss this banging piece of cinema and closing the gap between gender inequality. Interview by Guy Jones Photography courtesy of The Skate Kitchen
Hi Crystal, Could you please tell us how this project came about and how did you originally come into contact with The Skate Kitchen? Were you aware of them before you met them? Actually The Skate Kitchen didn't exist before I met them. I met Nina and Rochelle on the train, they had skateboards in their hands, which was a rarity at that point in time, it's shifted a lot since then. They had very strong personalities that I was drawn to and I started speaking to them on the train and if afterwards they would be interested in doing a video project. I then got offered to do this short film for a brand called Miu Miu. From there we went through Nina's Instagram and she showed me all the other girls in New York who skated. So I met up with the girls and we created this sort of crew and that's kind of how it started. They then created The Skate Kitchen from the project that we all did together. Your first piece with The Skate Kitchen was a short film for Miu Miu short tales, was it always the intention to progress it into a full length? Well I originally just wanted to do a documentary, because I got the interest from Miu Miu, I had to create something in a short amount of time, especially to capture their lives. The concept was called 'That One Day' and it's really about the day you kind of step out of being a kid and start doing things that are a little bit more in the teenage world. Shifting into growing up a bit and the little things that bring you there. After that I planned to do a documentary but I was at a film festival with Kim Yutani from the Sundance and she had watched the short and she said "You need to turn this into a feature film, it shouldn't be a short" (laughs). You immersed yourself in The Skate Kitchen's day to day. How do you feel this benefited the overall outcome of the project? For me, my stories come about as very organic projects. It's not like I need to immerse myself, I need a group of people. I'll just start hanging out, then feel a connection happening. It becomes my life, so that's kind of what happened with them. Being set in New York depicting an almost biopic of skateboarding youth culture I can't help but
draw comparisons to Larry Clark's 'Kids', except at that time skateboarders were outsiders in terms of mainstream exposure, however now skateboarding is more popular than ever except it still hasn't caught up in terms of female exposure. To what degree to you believe in this and do you hope the film will act as a catalyst in closing the gender exposure gap in skateboarding? I feel like you made a full statement on what you think about it (laughs). You know for me I get interested in stories, I get obsessed and I need to tell the story. I think it's a story very aligned with what's going on in the world right now especially for women and yeah, women are the outsiders of skateboarding. Skateboarding men were the outsiders in terms of culture for a while. There's a real shift happening and I think that these girls are kind of in the perfect moment. I don't think "Oh this is what we've got to do" I’d rather naturally and organically do the right thing. That prevails a lot stronger I feel, you can definitely tell when it is more natural. Yeah I didn't want the film to be 'boys vs girls'. That's not how it is. They are all friends with so many guys. It's really intimidation, making a way into a different world you're not used to. It's a new thing for everybody even the guys are getting more used to it as well. Before when a girl walked into a skate park, all eyes would be on them, and they'd feel intimidated and weird. Now it's normalising it a bit more. Working on this have you drawn comparisons between the skate industry and the film industry regarding gender equality? Yeah I mean... I'm never "Oh I'm a woman, I don't get any opportunity" I've never felt that way, I just don't think about it like that. I know that maybe I'm wrong (laughs). I know it's probably true that women don't get as many opportunities, I've just always really pushed what I’ve wanted to do and not let anything get in the way. Also it's different when a woman is watching people at a skatepark, it's very different to a woman who is a director walking on set because when I walk on set I'm the boss. I don't really care what people think (laughs). I'll make my creative vision happen and that's what’s most important to me. I'm not going to let
anyone intimidate me, it wouldn't enter my brain. I know it can be intimidating, I've heard stories about women feeling that way with a crew or the way a male director of photography can treat them. But things seem to be shifting so quickly, women are having more opportunity and there's a lot of focus there. It's slowly normalising. What was your overall desired result of making this film? Was it partially to progress things for women? I hope so, one of the messages from the film is to encourage people to do what they normally think they can't do. I think that's the universal message in the film. How has the response been so far and how have been the Q & A's? It's been great, there's a really positive response! We always have packed houses of people and they're always staying for the Q&A's. They ask us questions because I think
it's a unique process of making something. Are there any more projects in the pipeline? Yeah I'm writing a project and I have another documentary project I'm working on. I hope that people enjoy the movie and get something from it. Regarding The Skate Kitchen name, is this to do with stereotypes that a woman’s place is in the kitchen or that you’re all cooking up something rad? Ajani: There were many derogatory and disgusting comments under YouTube videos of females skating. Nina and Rachelle brought this to my attention when I first started skating with them. These comments included “Go make me a sandwich” or “She belongs in the kitchen”. The name The Skate Kitchen is a way to reclaim the stereotype of women only being homemakers and change it to be something positive and inspiring. Our kitchen is the skate spots and the parks.
GIBBERISH BREWERY We just can’t help ourselves can we? Collaborating all over the shop, and no it’s not just because the people we collab with happen to be incredible brewers where they essentially do the hard work and we get an artist we adore to the artwork. Whatever gave you that impression? It’s actually because Gibberish brewery is fucking sick and also happens to be located round the corner from Liverpool’s premier skatepark. Yeah Newbird not those one’s fat Joe put in 20 years too late. You go down to Newbird and who do you see? Russ ‘WesHELL’ Longmire, shredding, serotonin inducing and generally being a borderline fictional character (in the best possible sense). And you know his artwork is absolutely divine. These components fell into place like a magnetised jigsaw puzzle, we happened to be in the right place at the right time. Shout out Gaz at Gibberish and Russ for smashing it as always! Interview by Guy Jones Photography by Reece Leung Artwork by Russ Longmire
When did Gibberish open and why did you choose the magnificent spot in Liverpool? Gibberish opened in December 2017. I chose it partly because it was the old site of the mad hatter brewery, which I co-founded with my ex partner, so I was used to the space and really wanted to transform it from a cluttered brewery into an open space with a little brewhouse in the back. Aside from this, I have grown to like the area since moving to it 4 years ago, and I wanted to stay. I hope it stays true to some of its more artistic and social roots, and doesn’t become a big car park, or student flat hell or just a place to get really pissed! What do you commonly love to brew and how did your brewing journey start? I like making all kinds of beer - from light Belgian styles based around the choice and treatment of yeast strain, to interesting hoppy IPA’s and strong dark sticky stouts. My love of brewing started the moment I realised, when I was about 14 years old, that beer could be made with a bucket, pan, a bag of barley malt and some hops. I had brewed using kits at that age, as a lot of teenagers do (when they can’t get their hands on alcohol!), but never actually realised what the ingredients in beer were, I assumed the sticky syrup that you watered down and fermented was full of crazy ingredients, but when someone told me about their granddad buying malt from a local brewery, and growing their own hops and making really nice beer I went on a mission to do the same thing. I couldn’t believe that you can just steep malt grains in hot water, strain the liquid, boil it up
with hops and then ferment it to find beer at the other end! What was the very first thing you got pissed on? The first thing I got pissed on was banana liqueur. I had brought back a bottle of it as a present for my uncle, but took it camping when I was about 12 (something like that) and drank the whole bottle. I vaguely remember trying to climb hay bales at some point, and woke up next to, rather than in my tent. Could you tell us a bit about the beer itself and how you came to the final flavourings and style please/key details? This beer is quite unusual. It is an IPA with
lots of hops, New England style (which means it has lots of oats and unmalted wheat so that it stays hazy and keeps the hop oils in suspension) but then with added lactose and cherries. Cherries with hops is a weird one. I wanted to see if they could be brought together. To add a little something the yeast is a blend of a normal strain and a strain of brettanomyces (translates into ‘British Fungus’) the latter being brought in to add a slight sour, farmhouse element. Its red, so that’s good for a start. So many cherries were added, and it comes out in the flavour and colour. So, yes, its a quenchable, slightly tart, cherry milkshake IPA with a bit of barnyard brett character. Was it difficult to achieve a cherry flavoured beer? Not particularly. In this case I just added masses of cherries!
In regards to the artwork top humanoid Russ Longmire stepped in. Were you familiar to his work previously how did you find the end result? Yes I am familiar with Russ’s work - I really love it. It has a great ‘street’ vibe to it (I’m 42 so use old dad style language these days). The label is really cool. I cant wait to get the final labels printed! Talk to us a bit about the sophisticated liquid if you’d be so kind and will it be available elsewhere than Gibberish? The liquid is very sophisticated as you say! It will no doubt be available in a few places in Manchester as well as Liverpool. I think it may also find its way to the ABV beer festival in Belfast! Who wouldn’t want to try a red, hoppy, cherry, barnyardy, milkshaky IPA?
PHOTO GALLERY
Joe Gavin - Switch Backside Noseblunt Pop Over Photo: Reece Leung
Jake Sparham - Ollie Fakie Photo: Leo Sharp
Martin Sandberg - Frontside Crooked Grind To Fakie Photo: ReeceLeung Harry Lintell - Backside Tailslide Kickflip Out Photo: Reece Leung
Ewen Bower - Howard Grind Photo: Rich West
Joseph ‘Gordo’ Gordon - Frontside Noseslide Photo: Richard Chung Shaun Currie - Wallride Photo: Reece Leung
Alex Moul - Invert Photo: Leo Sharp
Charlie Munro - Backside Nosegrind Revert Photo: Joe Buddle Matlok Bennett-Jones - Ollie Into Bank Photo: Reece Leung
IT’S NOT WHERE YOU’RE FROM: BELFAST
‘CARRY OUT’ Pronunciation: Carry ut Explanation: Picking up Cider/Buckfast.
‘BANJAXED’’
Example: “I’m not going anywhere until we’ve all got a carry out.”
Pronunciation: Ban-jacksed Explanation: Something damaged beyond repair.
Example: “I’m banjaxed man, just dig me grave now.” ‘THE PEELERS” Pronunciation: The Peer-less Explanation: The Police and the real police at that.
Example: “You want to knock that off unless you want a visit from the peelers baby D!”.
‘AM I NAT” Pronunciation: Am I nat. Explanation: I am, generally in disagreement, possibly to get a rise out of somebody..
Example: “Am I nat, I’ll back boneless the extension right now for ye Steve.” ‘BAKE’ Pronunciation: Bayk Explanation: Term for somebody’s face.
Example: “Fuck me I thought we were going to have to reconstruct yer bake after that last attempt.”
‘WEE’ Pronunciation: Wee Explanation: Literally said multiple time per sentence.
Example: “Aye a wee carry out before a wee shred and I’m game”
‘MELTER’ Pronunciation: Melt-er Explanation: Somebody who is annoying as fuck.
Example: “It may be free booze, but those so many melters there, is it worth it?”
‘SWALL/SWALLY’ Pronunciation: Swall/swall-ee Explanation: Alcohol/Getting drunk with the firm.
Example: “Right I’m a fucking legend and now I’m going to swally with the boys”
‘SCUNDER’D’ Pronunciation: ‘Scun-durd” Explanation: A state of embarrassment..
Example: “I knew we should have swerved that melter free booze fest, all I feel now is scunder’d”
‘BIG LAD’ Pronunciation: Big lad Explanation: : A term for someone of any size.
Example: “You alright there big lad, wow big lads, where did ye all come from?” Our favourite big lad Denis Lynn being a melter to the norms. Photo: Leung