Exploring the early skate culture of Farnborough… The post-boom years for skateboarding were a very strange time. During these ‘Wilderness Years’, the rise of BMX had gripped the nation’s youth and skateboarding appeared to be relegated to the past. Despite … Read more
By the time 1983 had rolled around, Crystal Palace half pipe had been shifted back beyond the bridge. It had also been resurfaced and had the addition of an Alpine Action logo on the back. Once again, the ESA (English … Read more
“It’s weird green thing”. I appeared sceptical at an associate’s description of seeing the Crystal Palace half pipe for the first time. Having spent the initial post-boom years simply skating Woolwich (occasionally venturing as far as Romford or Fordham Park … Read more
When skateboarding had taken off during the 1970s it had also sparked off a period of purpose-built skateparks, particularly in London. Locations such as Skate City became legendary as the early pioneers of dedicated spots for skating. 1978 saw the … Read more