Introduction & Write-up by Stuart Kinghorn
Photography by Robert Smith
Edit by Stuart Kinghorn
The park was busy, but crucially, busy with rollerbladers and young guns at that. If you have ever been to Unit 23 before you will know the standard of young kids is insane and every time I visit they have taken it to new levels. Everyone seemed on form and managed to make it through the session without any injuries. After hours we set about filming properly and the lads kicked it off big style, Rider and unit 23 Open organiser Scott Quinn showed why he is one of the most stylish bladers out there with lines including 360 souls switch and natural on the rail and box. Best trick of the session went to Adrian Wallace for a 450 back torque to TTS on the new flatbank dropbox.
After retiring into the deep inners of the skatepark bedrooms and party areas we were blown away in a whole different way. Check out tree-sixty.com for a viewpoint on how a standard Friday goes down at the Unit! It really is like living through an episode of Jackass and Dirty Sanchez, alcohol, ramps, wheeled accessories and a tattoo gun which get extensively abused in a way that would make your parents cringe. There is also the weekly Friday fight night which basically involves a drunken fight with boxing gloves till blood is drawn or whoever is most drunk can’t stand.
Competition day rolled round and the skating went through the roof. The rest of the team turned up including SSMs Dom Bruce, Lewis Bowden and James Keyre. Jack Mckell laced the biggest 900 over the jump box, back torque down the new box and a 540 transfer over the massive hip than any world pro would be satisfied with, the crowd went mad and despite all the other guys throwing notable tricks the unders was all over and Jack had the win. The pro comp lived upto expectations with Chaz, Lomax, Swain and Roman Abrate doing battle, a solid show from chaz and a 450 backslide down the rail from Roman earned them joint second whilst some sweet lines and gaps including the now named ‘Lomax gap’ got sent big time and sent Nick back to England with the win and enough cash for a few beers! Tomorrow we hit Glasgow street with the meet point 1pm at Clyde ledges.
-Stuart Kinghorn
