Ok so let's start. So what are your names?

My name's (NAME).

My name's (NAME).

Em where do you live at the moment?

Eh (pause) I live in North Shields, em in a little town called Meadowell.

And I live in Washington em (pause) i- little village called Blackfell in Washington

How long have you lived there?

Em I've lived in my house ee for about six months I've just moved there.

I've been in my current house about (pause) six seven year, em but I used to live in a separate different house in Blackfell still, (interruption) so

(interruption) Right, so do you live with your parents?

Aye I do I've moved back in with my parents unfortunately

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter)

Em (pause) Where were you born?

Em I was born in a little village just outside of Peterlee and soon after I was born they knocked down the hospital (pause) (laughter)

Wonder why, I was born in em a place called Consett (pause) eh in a hospital called Shotley Bridge which is still there

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) Good for you

So em what made you move to your current place?

Em it's close to the city centre for work and I -- I could afford a house there.

mine was em (pause) it's were my parents live so when I lost my own place I had to move back in with them.

Right have you lived anywhere else outside the North East?

Em no I haven't I've lived in the North East all my life.

I lived in eh Bristol briefly, Oxford briefly, em (pause) and briefly on a cruise ship.

Was that long periods of time or?

No em sort of eight nine month maybe.

Ok how old are you guys?

Eh I'm twenty six.

Twenty five

Right

Feeling young.

(laughter)

Em how many years of school did you manage to finish?

Eh I was at the secondary school for five years, and then collage for two years, and then University for (pause) two years.

Is it five year you do at school is it?

Yeah

Yeah, I did five year at school eh and then two year at college, possibly should've stayed there a bit longer

(laughter)

Right what did you d- what -- what did you do right after school?

Eh I've -- I went straight to college and I did there an IT course em it was a years course and then I went on to do eh another IT course for a year as well.

And after that?

After that eh I went into full-time work

All right

No uni for me

(laughter) (pause) and you?

Em (pause) I did my A-Levels, eh after school, it was em ICT, media and business, and then I went to university, to do media production and towards the well end of the second year I was offered a place at a new business to go work for them so I left straight from university after two years to work for the business I work for now.

Oh great. And how long have you worked for them now?

Ee about five years now, think? just sort of five years.

Do you like it?

love it. Best job in the world. (unclear)

What do you do?

I'm a music publisher and licenser and we publish and licence music for film and TV, and I get to choose what music is played in what adverts and TV shows and things like that.

Oh sounds interesting uh

It's really good, next time you go to The Gate, at the, you know the cinema?

Yeah

And advertising The Gate it's self, you know why you should go there? The music is what I've chose (pause) that music's from me.

(laughter)

Just watching and go (pause) that was (interruption) me

(interruption) going to stand up in the pictures and go like my mate chose that (interruption) music

(interruption) (laughter)

And w- what are you doing at the moment?

Eh at the minute I'm a health care advisor, eh I work in a pharmacy just basically people came in with problems and I have to give them creams for eh things like that em I've only been there about a year now

All right

So I've had quite a few jobs in my time though.

Any interesting situations, like, form the current job?

The current job, oh em

Must have been

Oh God yes loads, I don't know if you want them mentioned on this

Sure I do

Em I -- I get old ladies who come up to me and ask me what's good for vaginal dryness (pause) em (pause) I had ee people show me their colostomy bags eh their rashes em (pause) people come in with like massive wounds and they're like what -- what have you got for that, thinking that we can just patch them (interruption) up in a pharmacy

(interruption) (laughter) here's the phone here's three numbers

Yeah, people come in with like asking for help on SDD's and things like that and it's like it's just a local pharmacy ye know what I mean just go to your hospital you freak

(laughter)

But eh yeah some of the stories I could tell you would be all day if I was eh telling you about them. I'll tell you one quickly one of my colleagues had a lady who eh she -- she was like this she had a humble infection under her breast and eh it progressed that far that there was actually a little mushroom growing out of it.

Oh dear.

Well that's my job.

(laughter)

Oh my God (laughter)

Right so em what are your hobbies?

Skating and playing video games (pause) and watching movies.

Em mine's pretty much the same yeah skating's the big one em and then if I'm not skating it's anything to occupy my time, movies, video games (interruption) anything

(interruption) TV shows.

TV shows yeah

(laughter)

Vegetating in front of the box

Could you tell me, like, something more about skating like what is it and

For me it's just eh passion flash

It's a way of life

Yeah it's a way of life, it's an escape from the norm, you know you go to the skatepark and it's completely different from anywhere else in the society.

You feel like you can relax when you're skating just (pause) crack on and have fun sort of thing with it as well

And you can progress, and train and get better

Yeah it's all about like pushing yourself em learning what you want to learn and progressing at the speed you want to progress and pushing yourself to be better and things like that

When did you start?

I think I've started at about ninety five', em (pause) I just joined secondary school (pause) em and I knew a few, I met a few people that played street hockey em and I got into skating through roller hockey em and having involved in that, and then sort of getting bored of batting a ball about with a stick I started jumping of like curbs and steps and just sort of found more places to do it and more people to do it with.

mine was pretty much the -- the same actually mine was eh well I -- I started I think one of the probably ninety seven ninety eight maybe think I was twelve or thirteen you know being a bit younger and it (pause) eh (pause) we played roller hockey as well but then it just as he said got boring and we -- we just started looking at stairs and things and all right I can jump that set of stairs on a (interruption) pair of skates

(interruption) Yeah that's what skates do, they give you that creative freedom.

(laughter)

So you just sort of look at things and you think well I know I could jump it on my feet but can I jump it with wheels on my feet

Yeah

And it make you look good and things like that like eh spins and flips and things

Yeah, like (NAME), he can basically bio anything, can't you? (pause) You jump straight off it.

mm right did you have any, like, inspirations from (pause) anywhere?

To get into it (interruption) or like just?

(interruption) mm-mm Yeah

Em I mean I for me it was my (pause) my sister's boyfriend at the time he used to -- to rollerblade and when I was doing like the street hockey and things he was already grinding and jumping things and things like that so that sort of pushed us towards that way as well. He was my inspiration just 'cause was amazing. He was who I used to look up to.

I think I just started (cough) seeing the em videos or sort of TV shows where was em competitions were people in half pipes, I think it was half pipes that I first saw in skating and I thought I really want to do that. And then obviously not a half pipe everywhere, so you just make do what you've got and that's how I found going street skating 'cause it was just sort of, you know you can meet up with a few people and go onto streets you don't need any ramps or skate park or things like that so, I think my inspiration was just seeing it, seeing it somehow on TV or something and saying oh I want to do that, that was cool, it was the cool thing to do.

Em do you go into competitions now?

No I've -- I've never been one for competitions I -- I mean most competitions eh park anyway but I'm not really a big park skater em and street competitions I wouldn't say my level is that good anyway, I just skate for myself rather than anything (interruption) I'm not really up to level with anyone else I wouldn't say

(interruption) Yeah now I did one competition once, it was the atmosphere, was completely different, it was really sort of em strict and sort of strenuous and (interruption) ee

(interruption) took the fun out of it

It took the fun out of it, completely yeah. Em I mean it was great because people were pushing each other to do the biggest thing they could, em (pause) but it was just a bit too sort of eh it was far too formal. Whereas skating it just about doing what you want to do even if you done for you know five years and you're not very good it doesn't make a difference. You know as long as what you're doing feels good and you're happy, whereas the compactions was like, the best man should win (interruption) and that's not what skating is not about

(interruption) aye

Did you win anything?

Obviously not (laughter) 'cause I'm very bitter (interruption) no em

(interruption) (laughter)

No it was -- was one of those competitions where you know the regular guys turn up and then people from nowhere who've been skating for years and there on TV and stuff they turn up and they just like (pause) just wash the floor with ye. So you're just like, all right so (pause) (laughter) em so no I'd -- I -- I -- I've just done the one, it was just for a laugh em it was at that Thornaby skate park (interruption) and before it was closed down, so eh no -- no prize from that

(interruption) oh aye

(laughter) right what kind of equipment do you need to start skating?

Just skates really, isn't it? (interruption) I mean

(interruption) Yeah, just a pair of skates

People would, some people prefer pads and (pause) things like that em helmets and whatever but you all you really need is skates if you're prepared eh put up with the injuries

Yeah stand to your sort of personal preference you know you all you need to skate is skates but obviously if you want to you know walk the next day and not have like injuries and burses and stuff then em it's best to wear pads em I only wear sort of lower body pads on the knees and shins. I don't wear elbow pads and helmets unless I have to

I mean to start out you can get a pair of skates for really cheap as well though so to learn the basics it's a really easy sport to get into (interruption) like money wise 'cause it costs next to nothing doesn't it?

(interruption) Yeah

How much about does it cost?

I mean if you were starting you could pair of skates to start learning to roll about for twenty thirty (interruption) quid I would think, not -- not much

(interruption) Yeah thirty pounds would get you a -- a pair of skates

If you wanted a pair like (pause) once you progressed and you start grinding and jumping and things you're looking at at least a hundred, would you say?

ee I would say a least a hundred and fifty

For at least a hundred and filthy for a -- for a decent pair (interruption) anyway

(interruption) Yeah, I definitely think that it's something where once you wanted, you know like any sport, once you want to do it properly, you need to invest in some decent gear to start with em because with the skates you got like the frames which are different from skate to skate the wheels which are different the bearings inside the wheels.

That's quiet customisable as well (interruption) from what you want

(interruption) Yeah (pause) so you can put a lot of money into it to start with, once you get going, but I think once you bought the right set of skates that's it. You know, I mean I've had my skates for (pause) about ten years

Jesus aye

Em I don't really want to change them until they start disintegrating around feet.

I mean then progressing the aesthetics as well so I mean you can module skates to be certain colours (interruption) and -- and things like that as well so it's not just like

Yeah (interruption) and I'm gone from sort of hard boots skates with four wheels to a soft boot skate with two wheels

Aye

And this is crazy but this big hard shell and with four wheels and then this soft spongy thing with two wheels either side and this huge gap in the middle

Aye so it takes awhile to get used to when you're change your set-up (interruption) as well

(interruption) Yeah

What's the difference between the soft and the hard one's?

(interruption) Em

(interruption) Flexibility

Flexibility Yeah, I think eh with the -- the hard boot the- they are more solid (pause) em but with the -- the soft boots you get more sort of movement in them and you can (pause) (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) It doesn't really put as much sort of strain on the feet on ye -- on ye on the tops of your feet (interruption) 'cause the

(interruption) More, more precise with them and things like that like you (interruption) going to be more

(interruption) Yeah it sort of cushions them better then what a hard shell would. With the hard shell you cannot obviously tight them so much so obviously they're too slack (pause) or ee too tight you know if it's crushy if it's -- if it's a very slim fit it will you know it's not going to go anywhere it's a hard shell whereas with the soft stuff it obviously expands a bit you know bit of a (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) the thing with the soft stuff as well if you're like me and you fall over a lot it just rips it all so (pause) (interruption) best to go for hard boot if you're not very good

(interruption) (laughter)

And where would you get the equipment from, are there like shops or (interruption) internet?

(interruption) I wouldn't say there is really (interruption) shops

(interruption) there's not really shops with skates. I mean there's a few in the country but not many and the nearest one would be the Metro-Centre em but they don't really have a big selection (interruption) for rollerblades

(interruption) kind of small

(interruption) mm-mm very limited supply. I always bought mine through mail order. Em there was once a shop that opened up in Durham

Yeah I remember

It was great it was perfect but because it's such a specialist sport he wasn't selling skates every day you know to the general public so he kind off closed down there wasn't that sort of.

It's not sustainable sort of income for just skates. There's normally like there'll be a skate board a BMX shop and they'll have a small wall with a few skates (interruption) they're never really a full (interruption) business to be honest

(interruption) so th- (interruption) I think it's very hard to come by the right equipment these days just because it came and went as a bit of a fashion like a bit of a fave like a hobby for lots of kids to do and then it disappeared. And em it's just mail order and internet now.

I think if ye -- if ye just ask most people who skate where they would order or get the stuff from the UK they'd probably tell ye most skaters would tell ye the same three or four websites (interruption) probo-

(interruption) uk skates, uk (interruption) skates rollerskates

(interruption) rollerskates em, (interruption) Kate Skates

(interruption) I think Kate Skates or (interruption) something as well yeah

(interruption) Aye

That's about it. I've never shopped from Kate Skates before, (interruption) I tried it

(interruption) Yeah Route One -- Route One as well actually

ah Yeah -- (interruption) Yeah, I forgot about that

(interruption) that's an all right one (pause) we're just finding out where to get skates now (laughter)

Aye yeah (unclear) there

(laughter) have you had any injuries?

Phew! Em th- this is only an hour, isn't it?

This is the scroll out

I was going to say yeah, as I said with me not wearing padding much eh yeah I've had quite a few (pause) em my shins are really bad, I mean the palms of my hands are (pause) (interruption) I'm wearing stigmata

(interruption) (unclear) (laughter)

eh just scars and (pause) like burses everywhere I mean he'd probably tell you just as much as I like (pause) w- w- you've had some really good one's haven't you?

I've had some fantastic ones. I haven't broken a bone really touch wood

oh neither have I

Yeah but eh I've split my head open, I've dislocated both shoulders

Oh my God

I've ripped a tendon in my right arm (pause) I've eh (pause) got a scar on my shoulder from where I cut it, although that was riding a trolley in a pair of skates in Durham once.

Does that count?

Eh I think I had skates on the time I was just riding a trolley it was a Jackass stunt, you know (interruption) they t-

(interruption) Yeah if you were in a car with your skates on and you crashed would that be classed (interruption) as skate related injury? (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter) if you crashed at eighty miles per hour while wearing your skates, beat that, em (pause) yeah just general sort of shin injuries just eh cut and abusions all the time which is why (interruption) I wear pads

(interruption) I think you've probably got photos of most of your injuries actually, don't you?

I -- I like I do like to photograph them (interruption) ee

(interruption) your hand that was a good one, your hand

That was climbing over fence on feet

But on the way to (interruption) the skate part

(interruption) On the way to the skate park so half counts yeah

Aye

Every time I see a spike fence now I feel a bit groosy

So yeah injuries are pretty rife, yeah

mm-mm

It's a -- it's a -- it's a -- well it's a -- it's a dangerous sport where you can call it's an extreme sport you know

Extreme

Yeah (pause) it is even if it's a bit of fashionable word. It is extreme because at the end of the day it's your body versus gravity. If you don't do what you plan to do you can fall over and hurt yourself, and if you fall on the wrong way, or you've got a bit of a fragile body, man I can take a pound and (unclear) full, time and time again and I

I'm just thinking of a (unclear)

(laughter) I can take the right beat (pause) I can no, I can fall quite hard, and eh I can get back again, but some people they fall and they don't get back up, it's really painful I think yeah

It was the eh the other day when I did my eh shin like that set me down for a few week I think, I think you were out as well, weren't you? (pause) oh no he's not meant to be here is he?

(laughter)

What was the most dangerous injury like you've ever seen, someone else's

I was trying to think of that while I was sort of looking over the questions thinking what would be the worst thing that I've seen em or even if it was on TV or in person and luckily I've not really been around anybody who's (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) mine, mine would be (NAME) he -- he dislocated his elbow and it was -- it was right in front of us em (pause) and he (pause) he funny enough he was trying my skates on because his were broken

(laughter)

And he I was standing there waiting for him to stop and he just fell and it looked harmless and he -- he just sat and he the way he say looking at us I was like something's not right

(laughter)

And he held his hand up and the bone were it comes out there it was like over here

(interruption) ugh (laughter)

(interruption) aww

(interruption) and it was his arm was just sort of swinging weirdly and he just looked at us and he was like I think that's -- that's not right is it? And I was like (pause) (interruption) em call the ambulance, that was it. That's the worst I've seen.

(interruption) (laughter) you seem to have a (unclear) like being round people when they injure themselves

I'm probably the cause (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) It's 'cause you're a pharmacist man, it's the eh the knowledge

Aye

I'm going to knack myself I'm going to do it for the (unclear)

Quick take some ibuprofen

(laughter)

Has eh anyone ever died from skating like injury?

Not that I've known but there are people there was a -- a while back there was a lad who was going downhill

Into a lamp post

Aye he already had a bad knee or something and he his leg gave way or something you know he was going really fast down a hill and he -- he collided with a lamp post and died (interruption) so em

(interruption) oh my God

It wasn't (NAME) (NAME) was it?

No he's still -- still (interruption) alive

(interruption) oh yes (pause) (NAME) (NAME) (interruption) that's the one

(interruption) (NAME) (NAME). Yeah -- yeah (pause) I just got a voice from God telling us (interruption) the

(interruption) divine intervention (laughter)

Yeah, well I mean eh I mean the thing with that like it even when he died rollerblading his parents weren't sort of (pause) what a horrible sport they should have to wear pads and blah blah blah that his parents had a really good view on it and just said well he died doing something he loved so

Yeah, I've -- I've sort of said it many times in recent sort of recent years that (pause) I would happy to die young skating, eh I'd prefer to die young skating doing what I love and be quick in sort of like you know boom pump dead, rather than growing old and sort of I like wish that I could skate now but I'm too (interruption) old and I hate my life and I'm bored and just dragging it out. I'm happy just to go down the flame of glory

(interruption) Aye

mm

I -- I -- I'd be up for that like I think I -- I'd rather that (pause) definitely

(laughter) How often do you skate?

Not often enough

Yeah it's em

It comes with (interruption) like getting old

(interruption) it's a (unclear) really as well isn't it?

Yeah, it comes with getting older and the time of the year and having a job and things like that (pause) em (pause) I mean I used to skate like every night after school. It was the case of taking your skates to you to school and skating in Durham (interruption) for a bit

(interruption) Yeah, noth- nothing else was in the way though was it like

No

Like life gets in the way as you grow older don't it?

Yeah, if you do like let's say nine hours in the office in the winter you can't go out skating after work 'cause it's dark and it's freezing and it's cold (interruption) I said it's freezing ah

(interruption) I mean, there's not, there's not really anywhere locally to skate like indoor either, I mean Dynamix is opening soon but at the minute it's not really finished em and other from that there's nothing local

So I'd say once a week a- a- at the moment

That's if we're lucky at the minute isn't it?

Is there a lot of places where you can skate?

Not really I mean if em if it's a dry day we can skate outdoors

Yeah

Em and eh it's just where there's like a handrail or a edge or whatever we decide to skate, but for eh like indoor parks and things there's nothing (pause) Dynamix is just opening we used to have Vert-X in Sunderland which closed down (interruption) Thornaby closed down

(interruption) there's two s- yeah two skate parks closed down in the -- in the last five about t- ten years I think. Which were -- which were places to go so it meant that you know you could -- you could always go skating any time of the day cause it was open till ten or whatever so you could always go, but now the only options is em there's only one in Redcar which closes at eight o'clock on the weeknights and it's you know they do it in sessions so you have to get there for six till eight and when you finish work at six o'clock it's kind of a bit hard to get there. So it's -- it's basically organising a session where every everybody's free you know one day a week at the weekend and either somebody's working or somebody's got to do something or they haven't got the money or whatever so it's -- it's really hard.

I mean eh- eh- a lot of would prefer the street than skating park anyway so (pause) when it comes to winter I mean I -- I pretty much just sit out during winter, I hate skating parks so for me it's like I might get six or seven day during the whole winter to skate

Yeah

And that's if I'm lucky so it's -- it's a hard sport to really (interruption) do weather-wise

(interruption) you passed out the other Sunday though when you said if it's it was raining on the Saturday or the Friday and you were like if it's somehow tomorrow nice sunny day I'll fall out skating and it was a perfect day and you spent it in bed

(laughter)

Well I know but I had had a late night so I (interruption) find that purely acceptable

(interruption) it's not a -- it's not an excuse, not an excuse at all

What are the best tricks that you can do like?

Is that (pause) our opinion or?

(interruption) (laughter) the technical the difficulty factor

(interruption) Yeah yours

It depends what you class is good in the sport as well really isn't it?

Yeah, I mean there's a trick that I can do on more or less any handrail which I love it's like my kind of safety trick where you just take it to the hand- you can take it to any rail and you can just do it. So I'm quite happy I've got one of those grinds where I can just take it to (interruption) the rail and do it

(interruption) Yeah, see I mean stuff like that like I would say back-farv is probably my safety now and it's always good to try y- your trick you know that you can do. And then once you get used to the rail doing your safety trick then you can progress out (pause) but em I think my -- my best trick is probably like what would be called em this isn't make no sense to people who don't know skating eh back side farveghnuen to step over em (pause) savana

(interruption) phworgh!

Yeah so I mean nothing to (interruption) you

(interruption) what does that look like? (laughter)

Em I mean if you imagine obviously you won't pick it up that now but yeah (pause) like that there (pause) so

Thank you (laughter)

Basically your feet you slide along on your feet em and then step over your over foot while you're sliding still

All right

For the audio

(laughter)

(laughter)

How long does it take to learn a new trick?

How long is a piece of string em

Yeah it depends on the trick (interruption) em

(interruption) depends on the trick, depends on where you're doing the trick

Yeah

Em (pause) depends on the weather

I would say for me when it comes to learning a new trick (pause) em I'd probably say two (pause) em what like two sessions off doing the trick. So say you try on you know the Friday of one week and you kind of start getting to feel for it but you won't quite get it (pause) right until the you know if you come back the next week and you still decide you want to have it a go the you'll take eh sort of em confidence from the previous time and you probably land it like the next time, you know if you really sort of trying for it but for me if I try to do a trick I'm not going to -- I'm not going to get it down in the first sort of day, for me it takes like you know couple of -- couple of goes for my two separate times

I mean em for me I'd like to say ten minutes

(laughter)

(laughter)

But em (pause) no a- as eh he says em it's em (pause) depends on the trick I mean there's a lot of variables like for me I would say if it was a really hot day there's more chance of us learning something quicker

Yeah, Yeah

Cause if t- the, I don't know em the colder it is the more it hurts when you fall

Yeah, concrete somehow gets (interruption) colder, really colder

(interruption) so if it's -- if it's hot, your confidence is a bit higher

yeah

em (pause) (interruption) depends on who you're out with and all sorts doesn't it I mean?

(interruption) it's just, yeah it does, I mean, I can't -- I -- I can't skate by myself

no, no I can't

Skating, you know you cannot skate by yourself 'cause you feel like an absolute idiot. It's strange you know like y- you know what you're doing you respect it and think it's great but by yourself you just feel like a tool

I think there a lot of things is well if you skate with the people like you do push each other so if you're skating with a -- a group of people and you're trying a new trick then you've got four five people sort of saying like come on you can do it and pushing ye and then they'll help ye, but it's (pause) em

Just giving each other confidence and praise, (interruption) it's really really good

(interruption) Yeah I -- I would say depends on the trick, I would say eh eh k that's just however long you are, I mean if you're full day you might do it in one day (interruption) it's just, yeah

Yeah that's it, yeah, (interruption) if just for a couple of hours maybe -- maybe in two sort of sessions, but Yeah if you're out for a long day

Is it a popular sport in the UK?

Not really

(interruption) No

(interruption) It's definitely -- It's definitely a minority sport (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) Yeah, it's a I mean if you compare it to like skateboarding or BMX and all the extreme sports than it's -- it's nothing compared to them

It's not that you can do it leisurely, with a skate board you can just carry the board around and just you know hang out with people and the like put it down and do a few tricks and you're considered a skateboarder (pause) with a BMX you know you can sit on it and ride from place to place kind of thing, you can use it as a motor transport. With skating you know if you got skates with you, y- you know you're going out to skate, 'cause they're heavy, you got all your stuff in the bag and like that so you only will take them out with you when you plan to skate (pause) so em

I mean I have to admit though they are motor transport but more when you're younger like (interruption) when you first got in it you would skate from spot to spot

(interruption) Yeah, (laughter) yeah like everywhere was like I could just skate there I could there half of the time (interruption) but now skating, especially with two wheels

(interruption) Yeah, no yeah I would say I -- I would If I was skating from (pause) I don't know here to down the road there I'd probably take my skates of put me shoes on walk down than put them back on

Yeah

But I think that's probably laziness more than anything now (laughter)

(laughter) (pause) no but the eh paths aren't that smooth with two wheel like I remember I tried to skate to work once from Byker

mm

And it was just tripping over every single slab that wasn't perfect it was just like th- but if you have four wheels, with the more wheels you've got the easier to come over things and if you go down (interruption) cobles I mean I usually get (interruption) through Durham

(interruption) Yeah (interruption) I was going to say I went down Northumberland Street once and it was heaving Saturday it was loads of people and I had me skates on skating down (pause) and me -- me skate sort of got caught on a -- a bit of concrete sticking out and slid with it and then I just went on me back (interruption) and the amount of people laughed just watched (interruption) and laughed and I was like ohh       

(interruption) (laughter)

(interruption) (laughter)

Em do you know where, form where that sport originates

I would say America

The -- the big name that comes to my mind is like Arlo Eisenberg (pause) is he not (pause) sort of creator or

(interruption) He is definitely the

(interruption) One of the first few

Founding fathers

Yeah

Yeah Arlo Eisenberg, I'm actually mates with him on Facebook

(laughter) aye?

Yeah, shout through (pause) em 'cause he's like old school (interruption) medieval guy and

(interruption) Yeah

em he was even one he was kind of one of those skaters that lived the dream he eh got into skating early and kind of got the first bit of eh media attention sort of getting more people into it and getting a bit of attention (pause) and then this parents basically bought him a warehouse and said build a skate park (interruption) inside it

Yeah yeah

so he build it was the Eisenberg Skate Park eh which made him super popular and got people in that area skating and you know sort of helped the community and stuff

I mean as far as where it originates from it's just the case of people with skates in an area probably all sort of slowly maturely start saying instead of skating down the beach we'll just on that bit of metal instead (interruption) so

(interruption) I think it does come from the beach I mean same as skateboarding and surfing I think it just like you know evolved from the sea like we did (laughter)

I think it's probably like em well as you say like a form of some sort of transport that people decided that (pause) (interruption) might get extreme

(interruption) it's ice -- it's ice skating as well isn't it you know you've got skating and then like ice hockey (interruption) and roller hockey, it could have come from there, I mean I do remember back in the early days you know TY McGurks he used to have like skates, he used to have like hockey skates

(interruption) (unclear) where was that?

There was one in Sunderland and one in The Galleries as well

The Galleries, aye (interruption) I think there was I think that's where I got me first skates from

(interruption) Yeah, they sold like hockey skates when they started selling it like one or two aggressive skates as well

Yeah my -- my first skates were Verte

I got my first pair of proper rubber wh- proper set of rubber wheels from there, gone from plastic to rubber

Them were the days

Ahh

Has this sport like changed over the years, from the first time you started skating to now?

Yeah

Oh it did definitely just the -- the style what's considered to be a good trick (pause) em what people wear, the skates themselves the technology in the skates (interruption) and the

(interruption) it started out as people in baggy jeans and baddy t-shirts and you know (unclear) and stuff like that like doing it and then it was like kind of a sort of a metally punky transition then it became like hip hop and sort of drum and bass (interruption) and sort of like

(interruption) Yeah, (interruption) wave isn't it

(interruption) rhythm bass and sort of you know like sweat pants instead of jeans (pause) and like twenty five t-shirts on (interruption) there's a Newcastle like

(interruption) Yeah, baggy t-shirts on your knees

Yeah, and then em it kind of took a bit of a spell where it went to the sort of a hipstick kind of em (pause) what do you call like you know trendy (interruption) s- s-

What like emo (interruption) sort of

(interruption) skinny jeans stuff like that

Trying to skate in the tightest jeans (interruption) (unclear)

(interruption) Yeah that didn't last 'cause it was just physically or logically imposable it's that you want as much flexibility as possible yet you're wearing jeans which are spray painted on your legs, so em I don't think that really stuck a few of the main big skaters did it but it was just like what you doing

Aye, it's I mean you know the technology as well in the skates compared to when they first started. I mean if I remember looking at the my first pair of skates compared to those I've go now it's ridiculous I mean some of the skates you can get now I mean are made of like carbon fibre em

Stronger and lighter

Yeah I mean the -- I mean the weight of them it's like two of these new skates weighs like half of the one I've got you know what I mean it's

and that helps people do crazier tricks because they don't have to lift so much weight when they jump so (pause) the technology of the skates allows people, they even had suspension at frames at one point

Yeah I mean even the types of tricks as well how big people are going and what they're doing that's it's just ridiculous now like

Yeah, with faster wheels or bigger wheels or different frames allows you, you know (pause) frames with two wheels as opposed to four there's more space in between the wheels so you don't have to grained something which is only thick you can go thicker and then more open up to you on the street which wouldn't normally available

What would you say is the most craziest trick you've ever seen or you ever did?

Either the tipple back flip (pause) or the double back flip one eighty invert

Aye, That you've done is that I take it?

No no that's what I've seen

oh (interruption) right

(interruption) (laughter)

Em (interruption) (NAME)

(interruption) I've seen a triple back flip?

No, Matt Lindenmuth is an American guy who did a triple back flip in a half pipe which was (pause) unbelievable. And there was two Japanese brothers who used to do (interruption) back flip one eighty's so double back flips one eighty's which is where you back flip twice and then turn round (interruption) and back down

(interruption) the eh (pause) aye

(interruption) oh my God

But then there was that oh that YouTube video of a back flip soul grind

Yeah I've (interruption) seen that as well actually yeah

(interruption) Yeah, just th- how?

I think for me the best I've seen (pause) in person was re I went to a competition in Glasgow, just to watch em and it was it's called the SYS and it was ee a guy called Michael Tiu (pause) he it was like two sets of stairs sort of a set of stairs then a little bit of flat then a set of stairs with rails down and he jumped from the top set of stairs to grind rail on the bottom missing out the other bit and that's -- that's probably the best I've seen.

Yeah I've seen (interruption) that

(interruption) Em the best I've seen on the internet is probably that, have you seen the triple king drop rail (pause) is it Jeff Dalnas does it?