RollKings Tour Update #2: Days 3 to 5

Photos by Chaz Sands
Edit and write up by Stuart Kinghorn

Day 3 started reasonably early considering we had just had our third night of Unit life. The sun was shining and we hit the classic meet up spot of the Clyde ledges to meet and session with the locals. Dom got some intelligent lines in, it’s hard to believe he is 14 and can think of how tricks go match and flow and about the variety in the stances he chooses to do. Chaz pulled some less common switch ups to mix things up. Spot 2 included a trip to the nasty ass China town rail and the Russell Dineen one man session happened culminating in a back backslide 3rd go. We then moved over to hit the red banked spot and Chaz again stepped up with a gap over a tree to land between a rail and a ledge that would have been an ender for the week if he had hit it. Next up was the newly refurbished Mitchell library ledge where enough tricks went down to fill a DVD section alone but the highlight being Adrian lacing top porn to true top porn the entire length. As a final spot we missioned up to the famous Glasgow uni kink, which changes direction quite sharp on the second downslope and instantly becomes a height even Tom Portas would find painful to split. Lewis Bowden manned up and dealt with a Sweaty to front unity then sweaty to fastslide before the day was declared done.

The next day we cruised over in the best day of the Scottish summer to skate the indoor Transgression skatepark in Edinburgh where Jake Ricketts and Chaz took over, Jake showing what spending your youth at the Boneyard park can bring to the flow and amplitude of your skating, Chaz put in some fresh wheels and sent about landing every gap in the place. Scott Quinn hucked the roll in barrier and then decked it on the following jump box which took him out for the evening.

At this point our place to crash had fallen through and an anxious text to Keytes mother later and she had somehow decided it would be ok for all 9 of us to crash there for the evening, thanks V!

The next day we trekked further north to Dundee, a park named after the original homemade park of Scotland. But that wasn’t before Jake got pulled into the office for stealing apparently, detained for an hour and then let go but as what goes on tour stays on tour I’ll leave it at that. We had a good turn out when we finally got to the Factory, especially of the younger guys and everyone of the team, including Chaz, set about destroying the lines that the parks open layout allows.

On packing the van after the session disaster struck and the realization of having one less camera and camera bag than we should have set in, as the park was locked I had a stressful drive to Aberdeen and wait until the morning to call the park to find out the bag had been held in the safe overnight even though at the time it was put in we were still filming.

The biggest turnout of the tour so far hands down was Aberdeen, so many skaters and so many rocking Rollkings groms that was always good to see. Dom and Lewis flowed around the place, only as locals know how. Adrian stomped the biggest wall ride gap, Chaz was on flatspin to grinds, Quinny was sending massive launches out the banana ramp, Jake sent a few huge airs out of the equally huge bowl and Lewis took himself out for the rest of the tour with a backflip to face plant. After this session it was time to get wild and celebrate because everyone knows the DVD from this is going to be insane in terms of tricks, with everyone having enough to fill their own section and none of the ‘park fillers’ you often get in DVDs.

-Stuart Kinghorn