Have Skateboard - Will Travel

Two events in the space of a year made me very cynical about tourism. At eighteen I went abroad for the very first time and visited New York. Stood at the foot of the Statue of Liberty I felt completely bemused by how un-eventful and insignificant this iconic spot actually was. Several months later I was introduced to John Urry’s ‘The Tourist Gaze’ at University. I surrendered my aspirations to visit Angkor Wat and countless other destinations.

What I have tried to do since is to as often, and as much as possible, always take my board with me. This transforms the experience of visiting new places and opens up a completely uncharted realm of how you can actually interact with those around you. 

This video provides some insight to the rich experiences of travelling with a board and to skateboard diplomacy. Jonathan Mehring shares some of his exquisite photos and anecdotes of his numerous travels. A self evident fact is that whilst you may not be able to speak the language of the country you are visiting, you can still connect with people through skateboarding.

There is however something that is a little peculiar in the documentation of skateboarding in far off lands. It is quite bluntly, exotica. The juxtaposition of a skater in mid-air with minarets in the background is distinct. Why should it be so? But if the truth be told it is that same jarring composition of the skateboard in urban environs that makes skateboard photography so compelling. It reminds us that places have untapped potential, they can be harnessed, used and performed with in ways that dramatically extend their everyday purposes or design intent.

(Source: skatedaily.net)

BBC runs a piece of Skateistan…It is nice to get some coverage on this project that has been going since 2007. It is also interesting that this story runs on the day the news is saturated with coverage of the Woolwich attack, and less prominently this about drones in Yemen and the shooting of Ibragim Todashev. 

Previous thoughts on skateboarding and social consciousness.

South Bank, an iconic London skateboard spot is going to be re-developed. It has a rich history and is one of those universally recognised skate spots, being featured in countless magazines, videos, and of course computer games.

For a similar post look here.

Read more from the Guardian

A cute picture of two Iranian skater girls is cropping up online and it is from the work of Brandon Stanton’s “Humans of Tehran” project. I did a little digging and came up with some interesting pictures from Stanton himself (check out the parkour shot) and also some others posted on a forum. These show kid skating round Vanak Square and also the new park project and skatepark that is about to open. It looks mighty impressive.

All pretty timely as tomorrow in class we cover skateboarding, parkour and emotional ties to the city.

These pictures of a variety of skaters, some well known, some less well known, come from a blog called the Skatorialist. Little information is on the blog, but it is run by photographer Sam Ashley.

The title of the blog is a neologism and portmanteau. The emphasis being on fine tailoring and skateboarding.

I have been preparing for a course on the experience of the body in human culture. One thing that I have been looking at is our engagement with the world through material objects that in some ways become part of our physical experience.

Simply think of your phone.

For skateboarders there is similarly an experience with the board. How could one describe this? Perhaps a fifth limb? Or for those familar with the “His Dark Materials”, a dæmon? It might be described as relational but extrabodily.

Well this blog juxtaposes the two elements. without the boards, these are just people, with the boards they are given a different context and meaning. Skateboards have long been used as fashion accessories. It always seems bizarre to me. Probably because it always looks so false. Yet these photos strike a different chord to the fashion pictures. There seems to be something very simple here, but also honest. Perhaps in these pictures the camera has captured that enigmatic relationship between board and person. Between body and object.

(Thanks to Joey for the tip)

Rising Son - The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi

Hot on the tip from my old skate buddy Mr Farley, I caught up with this documentary the other week. It was impossible to be a skater at the end of the 80s and not know who Hosoi was. He left an indelible mark on skateboard culture, emphasising style and fluidity. His board designs were the catalyst for years of adventurous new shapes. I can vividly recall my friend getting a Lester Kasai Tracker deck. The photo I include  above is of the same model and it simply doesn’t do it justice. I can still remember how this board feels to stand on. The concave was incredibly deep, and the kicktail felt like it was aspiring to 90 degrees. Very much a vert board and really challenging to ride on the street. The shape was hugely influenced by Hosoi.

So in anticipation of the Bones Brigade Documentary, a nod to Mr Hosoi.