They do, and for some reason Grayson Fletcher left Flip for them 
(And Arbor make those surf-skate wobble planks for kooks too).
1 Like
Just had a quick flick through the stream. Two things that stood out, other than the crimes against fashion:
Other than 2 or 3 of the skaters, no one really seemed at a high enough level to realistically compete at a world comp stage. For comparison, watch that Japanese Toy Machine kid who just came 2nd at X Games.
However, what also stood out was the footage at the end of young kids going up to the skaters - particularly that yellow helmet tie guy - and getting them to sign their boards. They all seemed really stoked. Which is great. If the only outcome is getting kids more into skating, then that’s a positive outcome.
1 Like
GF left Flip for Element. He was on there for a good 5 years or so…and now Arbor.
GF has the same style as Chad Barties rickets steeze.
1 Like
My first ever skate comp was at St Albans the year that Wainwright won the high Ollie world record thing.
Not sure what year that was but it was absolutely incredible, packed to the rafters. People from all over the country there.
2 Likes
There have been lots of good contests over the years.
The three(?) War of the Roses events were amazing, for example.
2 horse race, no one else has the consistency that hinson and decunha have. seems like these guys are the only ones who really train and build that consistency to skate in comps aswell as skating/filming on the streets etc.
could that be because the uk hasn’t ever had an official comp setup that sends you around the world competing for points to get invited to even bigger events until the last couple years because of the Olympics? and why the ability difference between 1st and last is massive in both men and women’s.
i mean where are all the sponsored skaters who absolutely shred in video parts etc on the crusty streets of the uk, they not get invited? they turn it down? they too old?
plus it seems its only the young kids who want the olympic glory, i cant think of any older skaters’
(20-30yr olds) who are hungry for it in the same way they seem to be, can you?
i am stoked the kids have got the platform to achieve all this now tho, dont get me wrong. it just feels rushed and forced and not as thought out or as good as it could be, that maybe down to funding, down to facilities, any number of reasons who knows, but imo it all needs a shake up if they want the uk team to place at these big comps around the world.
which it seems like they do by bringing in these technically British but fully Americanised kids.
4 Likes
Agree that the War of the Roses were great, but they didn’t feel like contests.
More like a get together with lots of rad skating where if you wanted to you could try and win a few quid if you fancied a go at it, or you could just get into the session.
Never really liked the idea of going to watch other people skate if I can’t get to have a roll myself.
I found the GB champs things really dull, which was shame.
1 Like
I think part of it is the lack of any ‘development structures’ in this country since forever. Skateboard GB have addressed that with the skatepark hub system as a way of scouting and training potentially competitive skaters.
Unfortunately, I think the key to success at the Olympics is get 'em young and keep them within this comp system as a way to build potential Olympic candidates. Doesn’t seem much fun to me, but I am old and jaded. There is a definitely a young cohort who buzz of this and have met friends from around the country through it - thinking especially of the women here. But if you were a 20-something skater, I could see it all being very unappealing.
Also, Hinson and Decunha are both 25 now so they are the ones who are at their ‘peak’.
1 Like
Gimme a Dime Glory Challenge any day
15 Likes
Yeah, I have a vague recollection of that now that you mention it. I really haven’t paid much attention to Flip for a long time, more so for Element tbh. I get the feeling that Arbor probably has surf connections so getting a ‘Fletcher’ on the team makes sense I suppose. I hadn’t noticed the rickets steeze but even without checking any footage I think you’re probably right.
Nobody in their right mind would want to enter. You have to skate against Decunha and lose to him because he does 200 shitty points scoring tricks to your legit 10. There were more good skaters at Ben Devine’s sendoff at Deaner on Saturday than there were at this comp.
10 Likes
In the 10 years of doing Battle at the Black Country we did 5/6 comps at outdoor and indoor parks. The original reason for wanting to do it originally was a desire to emulate the spirit WOTR the best we could in The West Midlands.
The last one we did would of been about 4ish years ago, and what massively surprised me was how many of the sponsored skaters were coming over the night before to figure out the park and “practice”. It worked out cause they won some stuff but probably had spent more on the local travelodge than they won in prize money. Dedication for sure, but it certainly pointed towards a shift in mindset with some of the younger skaters.
1 Like
Blackpool Death Race was always a belter, entered once, was like skating on ice.
Got punched in the face by a cyclist on the way whilst sat in traffic, my mate in the back chucked a pot noodle all over him and he caught us up. Whilst we were parked at a junction with the windows down he hit me and tried to drag me out. Couldn’t even drive on because we were on a 4-way junction.
My mate John drove back and crashed in to a tree close to home, too much Blackpool resin. Good times 
5 Likes
Great (first) post, and welcome!
Just following on from Dent_Face there with a rambling diatribe - the whole journey of becoming a pro skater is like serving an apprenticeship of 2-4 years of media coverage (magazine interviews, video parts, contest appearances, sponsorships, etc,) before going pro, but there’s no guarantee of a job as a pro or that there’s even the national support structures in place to help sponsored skaters get by without needing to work.
That’s fine if you can live cheaply in a house share somewhere that’s good for skating and be in the whole media circus/contest circuit and eke a living out of skating that way. But for nearly all sports, it’s only the top 1% who ever make the serious cash before they need to retire, football being the obvious meatgrinder there. As a result, you need Sport UK, or SBGB to be able to guarantee at least minimum wage for these dudes “if” they are to make it to the Olympics - every few years we hear similar stories to Eddie The Eagle Edwards where a local legend who’s really good a niche sport, whether it’s climbing, badminton, skeleton or whatever, has to side-hustle their way to the Olympics because the funding isn’t there from various national bodies.
And like Jimo said, if there’s more “good skaters” at a memorial jam than at a national championship final, well, why that’s the case? Is contest skating perceived as a waste of time for most of us? Going back a few a years, they were perfect occasions to meet up with old friends, make new friends, and still, nobody ever “won” WOTR or Night of the Living Dead or the Livi Fun Day or Deaner Day or whatever. The organised chaos of all those jams is something unique, I guess it’s skating at its most democratic. No distinction between noobs and pros, or spectator and participant.
3 Likes
Tampa pro is on.
Fuck, imagine being able to watch a comp go down live bitd.
Living in the future is not overrated.
1 Like
Ishod just having fun , so sick
Hahaha the mullet chunk with his nyjah belly out .
Jaime Mateu being a massive kook.
1 Like
