Stowmarket Skateboard Grand Challenge 2015

Last weekend saw another skate jam happening, this time in Stowmarket. Josh asked if I'd come and take some photos and so on a beautifully sunny afternoon, I arrived early to find I'd not loaded a card into my camera. After a short trip to the supermarket I returned, ready, like a pro.
The town has had a skatepark of one form or another for many years. First a metal mini ramp, spine, flat bar etc. which I remember visiting with Dom Tinkler when I first moved to Bury in around 2001, and for the past few years a small concrete park which the local users want to improve and extend. Some inspirational poster sized prints of a few parks recently finished in the UK were on display to wet attendees' appetites. The first meeting with local authorities to discuss the desires of the user group was organised for the Wednesday after the jam and this event to raise awareness with local residents, businesses went off without a hitch. Various competitions including best trick on the big quarter, step up wedge best trick, long jump step up and overall park were held with both under and over 16 years categories.
I skate with a lot of the adult Stowmarket locals that turned up regularly at Empire Skatepark's Skate Only Night and my local, but you don't get to see a skater's true skill until you see them ride their local.

Danish Hussein - 360 flip

Elijah - f/s 50-50,  f/s early grab down (angle #1)

Elijah - f/s 50-50, f/s early grab down (angle #2)

John Howlett

David Davies

Elijah

Jordan Thackeray

Dave Davies - b/s heel flip

Jack (?) - f/s sweeper (angle #1)

Stow local #1 - f/s lip slide

Stow local #2 - f/s 50-50

Stow local #3 - b/s flip

Stow local #4 - blunt pull in (angle #1)

James Grindley - b/s lip slide

James Grindley - b/s smith, flip out

James Grindley - no idea, but he cleared the bank into the park

Dave Davies - kickflip b/s crook

Dave Davies - b/s ollie

James Grindley

Luke Jarvis

Dave Davies - b/s 360

Dandy Roy - f/s early grab

Jack (?) - no comply pole jam

Stow local #4 - blunt pull in (angle #2)

Jack(?) - f/s sweeper (angle #2)

Luke Jarvis - b/s body jar

Luke Jarvis - sal flip (?)

Jed Jolly - b/s smith

Jed Jolly - f/s 50-50

John Howlett - b/s nose grind

John Howlett - b/s smith

John Howlett - f/s nose grind

John Howlett - f/s tail slide

John Howlett - b/s nose blunt slide

John Howlett - shovit

John Howlett - sugarcane

Jordan Thackeray - f/s tuck knee

Jordan Thackeray - f/s ollie (angle #1)

Jordan Thackeray - f/s ollie (angle #2)

Jordan Thackeray - ollie up to f/s smith

Jordan Thackeray - f/s tail grab

Jordan Thackeray - Judo

Jordan Thackeray - b/s noseblunt revert transfer

Jordan Thackeray - ollie

Jordan Thackeray - tuck knee

Max Melwani - f/s tail slide

Stephen Nowak - b/s rock & roll

Stephen Nowak - b/s 50-50

Ted Condon - high to low f/s air

Ted Condon - spine to quarter ollie
Ted snapped three boards trying this transfer. Only one of them was his.
Expensive day.

Ted Condon - tre flip

Vince Condon - Texas

Luke Jarvis f/s airing over Jed Jolly's f/s smith

Winners were given prizes donated by Hardcore Hobbies, Keen Distribution, Lovenskate, Palomino, Horse Industries Skate Co, Rock Solid Distribution and Witchcraft Skateboards and kids went all out for a product toss in the bowl. Vince didn't keep the second board.

#skateboarding #uk #skatelife #pauljacksonphotography #blog #fourwheelfools #4wheelfools #HardcoreHobbies #KeenDistribution #Lovenskate #Palomino #HorseSkateCo #RockSolidDistribution #WitchcraftSkateboards #stowmarket #stowmarketskateboardgrandchallenge #suffolk #skatepark #jam #photography 

Tank Tapes Subrosa Rail Jam

Following the last weeks news concerning the refugee crisis in Syria and Europe Tom Ellam (Tank Tapes) organised an event to raise some cash for a very important cause. 
Fliers, prizes, sound and press releases were all sorted in under a week, but come Sunday morning the Bury Skatepark Committee Facebook message thread was alive with talk of postponement due to the terrible weather forecast. By 10am the word had gone out that the event was regretfully not going ahead. 
By 2pm the forecast had changed and as a group of us sat in a school playground in Ipswich sheltering from the rain, the message thread was again busy as people got the word out that the event was back on! And as our planned skate had been rained off, I headed back to Bury St. Edmunds and to the skate park. 
After a photo call for the East Anglain Daily Times and with the amusingly abusive Stu Barnham on the mic, the event kicked off at 5pm with two Subrosa flat rails positioned in the park and a high hop competition planned for later in the evening. All the BMXers had to do was donate to enter, and they did, raising around £200. This cash will be split evenly between Unicef and Calaid.

#BMX #HardcoreHobbies #UK #BuryStEdmunds #Suffolk #skatepark #subrosa #fundraiser #refugees #Syria #Europe #Calais #calaid #blog #fourwheelfools #4wheelfools #pauljacksonphotography #photography 

Bury St. Edmunds Skatepark Summer Jam 2015

In aid of Bury St. Edmunds Skatepark Experience (registered charity no: 1153237) and supported by Bury's Hardcore Hobbies and St. Edmundsbury Borough Council, the Summer Jam begun for me at around 11am on Sunday but, a group of other volunteers had been on site some time before to ready the area for the event.

A queue of users and families built at the gate towards 12 and paying their £4 entry (all proceeds - around £800 will go towards the upkeep and future improvement of the park)  got there fill before the forecast rain arrived.

Jay & Sean of Risbygate Street's Hardcore Hobbies took MC duties and legendary former staffer Dom Tinkler with his new family, visiting family here in Bury even took some shifts. With the rain threat in mind the competitions swiftly commenced, beginning with the scooter bowl, following this BMX bowl & skate bowl.

As the rain begun to invade the air, the rail elements of the comps were already underway, but as the rain fell harder leaving trails and then puddling the jam was initially postponed and after further rain, abandoned.

The outstanding comp elements will be decided during a low key evening session in the next week or so. You can get info about this by popping into Hardcore Hobbies or keeping an eye on their Instagram account.  

Scooter Bowl winners

"It can't be him though, he's not riding..."

"Naaah, that's definitely him."

"It's not him, he's injured. He's not riding. It must be someone else"

Jed Jolly - pull-up

Dom Tinkler - 50-50

Jed Jolly - Sugarcane

Connor Phimister - handrail bar spin

Jed Jolly - f/s smith

Stephen Nowak - rock & roll

Skateboard Bowl winners

Connor Phimister - up rail ice bar out

Jed Jolly - f/s seat belt

Joe Embrey

 Huge thanks go to all the volunteers involved in organising and managing the event, Tom's Snack Bar, The Rehearsal Rooms and all the companies that donated prizes and sponsored the event.









#skateboarding #uk #fourwheelfools #Jam #burystedmundsskateparkexperience #photography #blog #bmx #scooter #sorry #skatepark #skatelife #livingthedream