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sunday 14th october
By far and away, September has been the jewel in the 2007 summertime. With some great weather on tap - we've been trying to make the most of it.
The last Rolling Dead streetboard competition was held at Creation skatepark in Birmingham (previously known as "Epic") on 22nd September.
We were sharing the park with the public session, so the competition took the form of a jam in 2 seperate locations - the existing street course and the minipipe. The contest took the form of a jam rather than individual runs, giving it a much more relaxed, informal feel.
It was a great day, everyone was throwing down their best moves, mixing up fat tricks with maximum steez...:
Advanced Rail
1st Jay Nowman
2nd Max Anderson
3rd Simon Johns
4th Jon white
5th Alex Wheeler |
Advanced Mini Ramp
1st Max Anderson
2nd Alex Wheeler
3rd Simon Johns
4th Jon white
5th Richard Bulger |
Amateur Rail
1st Josh Newman
2nd Scott Reynolds |
Amateur Mini Ramp
1st Scott Reynolds
2nd Josh Newman |
 Back in Bournemouth, my friend Jon and I have spent some of the afternoons on our mountain bikes.
Riding the local area, we've often spendt a few hours cruising to Hengistbury Head or down through Christchurch to the forest.
The great weather has necessitated spending much time in or around Sandbanks - famed as having the 3rd most expensive properties in the world, and generally nice place. On one such day, CJ and I took the ferry over to the Purbecks, to explore and spent a day in a remote beach at Worth Matravers.
During the course of the day, a lot of yachts and sunseekers arrived and moored up to enjoy the sun, giving the cove a cosmopolitan feel... We stopped in Corfe Castle for a pint on the return journey, and had a really fantastic day - a lovely change from spending the weekend dashing out to skate at every opportunity...
Animal Windfest wow-ed the crowds from 14-16 September, taking advantage of the sun to draw huge amounts of spectators to watch sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, plus regular shows featuring the Animal mountain bike and wakeboarding team riders mixing up some freestyle moves on specially created courses.
 Along with the fantastic weather has come the old Bournemouth tradition of running the open-topped buses through the town and along the clifftops above the beach...
Using them taught me: they're great for sun, but piss-poor for low-hanging branches!
12th September saw CJs birthday - she had organised a party at Aruba on the beachfront, with a reserved booth surrounded by the palm trees. We moved onwards to 20/20 - the old K-Bar - where the music was louder, and the people were sweatier... Needless to say, we felt less than chipper next day ;o)
 I flew to Edinburgh recently, on behalf of Standard Life, and on the return trip I saw this fantastic moonlit cloudscape from the plane, as I flew back to Southampton.
Unfortunately the picture doesn't do it justice - it was absolutely stunning...
We have been skating around Oxford recently, for a bit of a change; the new Abingdon skatepark has provided welcome distraction from the local parks we have ridden ad nauseam. But we have re-visited Portsmouth - the site of some of the Flipside Crescent Fresh footage, and found some more spots that look good...
Next: Portsmouth street..?
goodbye grandad
 Everything has been eclipsed this month by the death of our beloved Grandad.
There is nothing I can say that will even begin to do him justice - his patience, generosity, wit, wisdom, stories and support have been the cornerstone of our family.
From his youth flying Barracudas in the war bombing German submarines, bringing up the family in the 60s, to providing constant support once my brother and I were born - he was a source of inspiration, providing non-judgemental support whoever you were - he was truely a role-model in a world so short of people worth aspiring to.
In a way, this site was written for him - I knew he was reading it while I was travelling and relaying the news to the rest of the family. I have decided to keep writing, and let this site be a dedication to him - 'cause I know that he would want me to keep it going.
We will always love him, and I don't think that the full consequences of his passing will be felt for some time to come.
Grandad - you've left a hole in our lives. I will never forget you.
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