How's it going Steemers?
I would like to share with you 10 photos which basically sum up my rollerblading career over the past 20+ years.
Rollerblading has been a huge part of my life and as I am getting older and old injurys keep coming back I don't get to go out skating as much as I used to.
So here is a trip down memory lane from some of my fond Rolling memories.
1
This one is from around 2001.
This was one of those shit talking over beers that turned into reality moments.
"you won't flip a kingswood doing a burnout"....
So we built a kicker just for it. I tested it a couple of times without the car there as I got towed in by a motorbike at 40 km/h to make sure I would get enough distance to clear the car as I flip off the kicker.
Then once we got the car in the mix and it started to do the burn out, I hesitated and held onto the motorbike for two seconds longer and an extra 5 kms faster and it boosted me big time!! I slid on my shoulder and elbow into the gutter.
I got up and had to hit it again straight away before the pain kicked in and then I stuck it perfectly.
The next moment the cops show up and impound the car and all the footage :(
One court case later and 6 months pass before I get any of the video tapes back.
Good times :D
2
This backslide is from 1995 I think, in my OG trs rollerblade lightnings, when I was 14 years old.
The streets of Brisbane raised us, as every weekend we would skate into the city early in the morning looking for street spots all day, getting chased by security guards, then skate home as the sun was down. It was so much fun😊
This is the Silverton rail near central station. It was undercover and lite up at night, so many sessions went down on this rail back in the day. And we never seemed to get kicked out.
3
A/O Porn from 1998 or 99 not sure...
Anyway these ledges at King George square in the heart of Brisbane city was always a fun session and the perfect warm up spot.
Despite the spot smelling like piss all the time... it was also a spot where homeless people would spend their days. (like this guy passed out on the ledge)
We always had alot of fun here. The story's we would hear from the homless people was always a bag of mixed emotions. Some hilarious, some tragic and some terrifying. Shout out to Jimmy Shakes if anyone ever met him.
These guys were always fun to talk to. And we never got kicked out of this spot!
This was also the first spot in Right 2 Roll 1.
4
Shifty 270 out on this fly out kink at Aspley high school 2002.
This school was always a good session! The port rack was fun, and there was also a kicker to rail. This flyout kink always caught my eye Untill one day I mustered up the courage to hit it. I took a photo of this Photo by Dale Travers
The clip of this is in a 3216 video.
5
AO Makio on the Ferny Grove Drains 2007. 📸 Hayden Golder.
This drain is just across from the skatepark at ferny. The pic was taken after one of the many skate tours from Victoria up to Brisbane.
Tours like "off the gauge" "splendid tour" and "back from the Dead". Were definitely highlights, always the best times with the crew.
6
Shifty down the Belco kink in Canberra 2010. 📸 Hayden Golder.
The Belco kink is another famous Australian street spot. The area has ledges down rails, flat rails and this amazing kink. Every time we are in Canberra a session at Belco is a must!
This photo was taken while on the Back from the Dead tour 2010.
7
Fish Brain at VC HQ.
Now it was every kids dream at some point to have a skate park in their back yard. And we got to live that dream for a couple of years.
So many fun sessions went down at Thompson!
We even held a competition called "The Thompson Titles" which earnt you points if you placed, towards the World Rolling Series haha. So it was an official stop in the WRS 😂
This band Violent Soho bought us some kegs so they could film their music video "Neighbour Neighbour" at Thompson. Check out the clip here.
The set up turned into a splinter pit so we eventually got rid of it. I'm sure alot of people have fond memories of the Thompson back yard 🤘🍺
8
Back flip at RampAttak Indoor Skatepark
This backy goes out to every grom at every skatepark that always ask you "can you do a backflip" the moment you rock up haha.
Also Ramp Attak has been a huge part of the Brisbane rolling scene since they opened late 2009. Hosting rollerblading nights every Wednesday 6 - 9 pm.
They have let me hold many rollerblade comps there including the throw down comps and also two Australian Rolling Opens which where alot of fun!
So as always, support those who support us!
9
360 at Happy Valley.
So I worked in a theme park in Beijing China for a couple of years, doing rollerblade demo's.
The Theme park is called Happy Valley. And this was easily the best job I have ever had!
Every show the people got super hyped to see us do our thing! We would do 3 shows a day on week days and 4 shows a day on weekends. One day off a week and 6 months on 6 months off. So I had an endless summer for along time, it was the best!
The friends we made, the party's we had and all the ghetto street food made for a special time in my life, plus I got to skate every day!
This photo was taken by Happy Valley and they hung this photo above the urinals in the toilets in the theme park haha.
Check out this video to get an idea of the daily life living in a theme park.
10
RIGHT 2 ROLL!
Right 2 Roll was a real street comp that I successfully hosted with out getting arrested haha.
One day a year we would reclaim the streets of Brisbane and battle it out for the most prestigious trophy in Australian rollerblading history. The Right 2 Roll belt! And cash prize.
Each Right 2 Roll would draw rollers from around Australia and even OS to battle it out on these icon Brisbane street spots.
And in the 10 events held over the years no one has ever won the competition twice.
I'm sure alot of people have some great story's from Right 2 Roll. As the day was always full of hammers and the after party's were the best!!
I'm going to get all 10 Right 2 Roll edits online in the near future so keep an eye out for that.
Here is a list of the 10 legends that have won a Right 2 Roll.
R2R 1 - Paul Williams
R2r 2 - Justin Buchanan
R2r 3 - Gav Drumm
R2r 4 - Brock Midgley
R2r 5 - Hayden Watt
R2R 6 - Chris Pullar
R2R 7 - Sam Bradley
R2R 8 - Rhys Bell
R2R 9 - Josh Nielzen
R2R 10 - Paulie Haack
There are alot more photo's from my skating career like competing in competitions like the X Games and Fise etc, but these are the true roots of skating.
The self progression from rollerblading has been very important for me as a person. Rollerblading has taught me alot of things including focus and to never give up.
Fun with your friends out in the streets and skate parks. That's what makes it all worth while.
A quote from the legend Evil Kenevil.
"A man may fall down many a time. But he is not a failure Untill he refuses to get back up. "
I hope you like the pics and thanks for stopping by 👍