All words & pictures by Paul Jackson
Not having organised a team for Lord Of The Swords, now in it's 10th year of carnage or being able to get to the start event at Urbside, we agreed with the organiser Luke, to conduct an extra points challenge day at Paul Carroll's epic Delside DIY, located in Rayleigh Weir in Essex on the second day of this 3 day road-tripping competition across the county.
So after a two hour drive from Bury St. Edmunds, I eventually negotiated the ever sluggish Saturday traffic slowly dragging itself past my destination on the A127 and made it to a residential street just up the road and lugged the gear into the woods to find a couple of teams already getting business done on the smooth concrete shapes bathed in mottled sun.
The work that Paul and a few likeminded individuals have put into this haven of curves & coping is outstanding. I've visited intermittently since it's birth and every time, something new has been constructed. Whether that be a new corner, a new brick transition or a new pair of floating quarter pipes hipped with a 3 foot channel. And Paul keeps building!
Delside experiences it's share of dickish behaviour in the form of people smashing holes in transitions or starting fires on the concrete. The last of which ended up with the fire service attending to put out the flames in the trees above and threats of demolition from the local authorities. After all, this construction is not officially sanctioned. I'm sure there are some busybody do-gooders that would love to see the site cleared and put to better use and until now, lady luck has been on the skateboarders side. And every time some bored kid realises fire is fun or that smashing shit up gives an otherwise empty existence some meaning, Paul gets it sorted out. After all, Paul wants somewhere to skate. So he makes it, for himself. We just happen to be lucky enough to share it with him.
Materials are always needed.
Click HERE to donate some cash to the next Delside build.
Back to the day in hand...
Luke and the Lords management team arrived as we did, I had a little session - my first since the top end had been constructed and cracked on with shooting.
Take a look at the photos. Then get over to Lords Of The Swords HQ to watch all the team's edits and vote for your favourite.
#uk #skateboarding #lordsoftheswords #fourwheelfools #blog #competition #tenyearsofcarnage #essex #thankyouskateboarding #delside #diy #diyordie #thanksPaul
