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I like the Urban Games, everyone goes and the weather always seems to be brilliant. For this very reason I took the day off of work and headed up there in the Sidcup Bass Van, I should of got the train, because I sweated my nuts off in Traffic for an hour or so.
Friday
On arrival I set about gaining entry and then a riders pass, which I achieved with unexpected ease. The Urban area had been greatly expanded from the year before, everything was more spread out and there was a new addition of a mini ramp. The street course was basically the same stuff as last year but in a different order. A lot of people commented that the course was more BMX orientated this year, also from a spectator point of view it was quite hard to see the whole course. The vert ramp was amazing, unfortunately all the top vert skaters were on demo duty in Cornwall meaning that there was no skate vert comp. There was also a small street course for the public this year, which was a really good idea, and it was a really good little course that seemed to be rammed the whole weekend.
I spent the day talking shit to people, stickering people/things, loitering in the Vans hospitality area and watching some of the events. Chesson managed to qualify in last place and therefore scraped into the comp on Saturday, to be fair the fat boy did pull out some stunts. Somehow Emilio didn't make it, despite some evil transfers and his usual consistency. Favourites to win on Saturday looked to me to be Alexei from France who has a chronic case of glue foot as everything seems to stick to his feet, and Chris from Sweden who looked angry and skated gnarly. I watched Aussie Steve aka "The Flying Bear" skate the vert, checked out some BMX dirt jumping and flatland, and generallychilled until it was time to get kicked out.
We gathered a small army (I think there were about 10 people and a bike in my van) and headed over to Meanwhile for a mellow evening session before retiring to the pub for drinks. Me and Chesson bailed pretty early due to general exhaustion/dehydration/sunstroke. Saturday Got the train up today, because heavy drinking was on the cards! Weather was great. Stickered everyone in site, particularly females as the is far more credible. The G, Prawny and the Downlow boys had an early raid on Meanwhile then Carnaby street to pick up the bling for the day. I was overjoyed when G handed me a diamond encrusted gold S (officially now known as The Sidcup Crown Jewels), but all the boys had done well. I'm sure they'll all be pictured on here soon. The skate comp got underway and I persuaded some attractive young ladies to shout "Come on fatboy" at Chesson during his run, which I know he liked! Somehow he managed to stay on most of his run with his usual tricks, but for a final party piece he pulled a huge 360 flip out of a quarter pipe and over a hip, it was ridiculous, he's not washed up yet! Chris Oliver the Ginger Monkey pulled some serious stunts including a sick flip f/s boardslide. Benny Fairfax was one of the best skaters I saw, he makes every flip trick in the book look so easy, he didn't have a great run in the comp though. Rodney Clarke did the big rail in his run after a few attempts. I'm sure there was a lot more notable skating, but I'm clearly not a professional!The BMX dirt jumping was ludicrous as usual. The BMX street was the usual carnage, I don't know a lot about BMX so I won't try to bluff it, but one guy back flipped a lot and another tried to blunt on the back fence of a quarter pipe and went straight over it, only to emerge smiling and finish his run! I don't know how many of them ended up in the ambulance but I bet it was a fair few! At some point in the day my original crew from Sidcup turned up, good to see you Theo and Joe.
Dont show me that mate, I'll fucking nick it, I'm a geezer Around about this time I purchased a bottle of the legendary Stag Whiskey and things went downhill. Brewster introduced me to the catchphrase "internationally known" which I thought was pretty catchy, so I told a lot of people that evening that I was the internationally known Nic from Sidcup whilst impressing them with my Sidcup Crown Jewels. There was an amusing scene when Rodney and T sported our jewellery and fashioned some gold teeth out of B&H packets,making them look like a rap crew and quite definitely the baddest brothers on Clapham Common! At some stage I also had on all the jewellery at once and had women flocking round my bling like flies round shit. After a bit of barbecue food (thanks to Sir J Cork, the barbecue maestro)We went over to the stage to check out Snuff and G put a chair in the middle of the mosh pit while I persuaded various black clad teenagers to kick him off. I'm sure there was some more incidents but things were starting to get a bit fuzzy about now.
Draped in gold and jewels
bling bling baby
Once we were kicked out everyone assembled at the Sun pub, or to be more accurate outside it because it was packed. It proved quicker to buy drinks at the offy up the road than to wait at the bar. After saying goodbye to the early to bed crew (Manimal you are a disgrace, a shadow of your former self!) we headed to the tube station, I rolled myself on the floor into a few people on the way, and to a street party over at Old Street. The crew was strong and there was an air of drunken anticipation for the evenings activities. I entertained the other passengers on the tube by inviting them to "EAT MY SHIT" and I think we all sang a few verses of the drunken anthem "Barry wants it, Barry gets it". The party was pretty cool, good sound system in the square, lots of people and a makeshift bar. We danced, we drank and that's about as much detail as I can manage, although at one stage I was on stage "presenting" the gold S to the adoring crowd. When the sounds went off, everyone started drifting off and their was a bit of a scuffle (can't remember who was involved). After drunkenly stumbling around for a while with a load of people I didn't know, I ended up at a party. I sat out on the roof and as I began to sober up a bit I realised I really didn't want to be at a party where I didn't know anyone. I therefore set off to walk home (this often happens when I'm drunk), after walking for about 2 hours I gave in and got a taxi to Leicester Square and a night bus home to SIDCUP. My feet were very very sore, but I think it was worth it. I didn't make it on Sunday, but I heard it was another good day, if Prawny ever gets his finger out of his arse you may be able to read about it soon!
Here's the skate results for the weekend:- SATURDAY 1.Rodney Clarke 2.Chris Astrom 3.Chris Oliver 4.Floriene Marfang
SUNDAY 1.Howard Cooke 2.Chris Astrom 3.Danny Wainwright 4.Mark Churchill
Also a special mention to Bexleyheath Civic Centre local James White who came 2nd in the BMX flatland.
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