You may not be a British bloke, but you probably know London’s Southbank, the graffiti-coated skate spot where Gonz did a chest-high hippie jump back in the day, Louie Lopez recently caught a free beer, and every team hits up whenever they were in merry ol’ England.
After the people behind Long Live Southbank (LLSB) announced a few years ago that the iconic British skate spot had been saved from demolition, we thought Southbank’s troubles were over.
Skateboarders: 1, Yuppie developers: 0.
Well, turns out it’s not so simple. The folks at LLSB reached out to us to explain that while the Southbank skate area is technically safe from being turned into a shopping mall, there’s a lot of work to be done to protect the skateboarder-friendly atmosphere surrounding London’s central skate hub. And to up the stoke, LLSB sent along an edit of some Southbank locals reminding us why this amazing spot deserves protection.
Southbank Centre, the area and organization in London where the Southbank skate spot is located, didn’t see their renovation plans come to fruition because LLSB was able to secure 150,000 signatures from civilians—most of them non-skaters—to show Southbank Centre that their proposal was, according to LLSB, the most unpopular construction plan in UK history.
This past year, LLSB legally secured planning permission to restore the original Undercroft (much of which has just deteriorated over time) and their next hurdle is to raise £790,000 to fund the restoration.
LLSB’s mission is to bring the space back to its full glory as a historic skate spot and cultural hub in London, instead of the commercialized area that Southbank Centre initially aimed for. To show that the Undercroft isn’t just a place to skate when it’s rainy, LLSB is allocating part of the restoration funds to build a type of safe, after-school hangout space for kids right next to the original skate area.
In addition to continuing their effort at home, the LLSB crew has taken what they’ve learned about negotiating with urban developers and begun passing it onto skateboarders across the globe to protect their own spots.
LLSB member Matthew Nelmes said, “There are a lot of examples of spots disappearing or being redeveloped to make them un-skateable right under people’s noses.”
You might remember a few months back that the Atlanta spot, Black Blocks, was going to be torn apart and shut down. But when Atlanta local and Jenkem contributor Andrew Murrell started a petition to protest the closure, LLSB heard and contacted Andrew to help promote the cause and advise an attack plan. “It was sick that they weren’t content with saving just their scene’s spot, but wanted to share what they learned with anyone else in their position,” Andrew said.
The LLSB team is currently offering their consulting services to skateboarders in Vancouver to save their skate plaza, which is being threatened by city expansion and renovation the way Southbank was just a few years ago.
So if you have it in you to help LLSB continue to preserve a skate gem for decades to come, check out their donation page, and if your local scene could use some help keeping your spots alive, hit up these dudes at hello@llsb.com.
Related Posts
-
BRANDON TURNER AND BRANDON NOVAK SKATE AROUND NYC
Turner and Novak met up in NYC to skate and create a support system for anyone wanting help managing their mental health or drug use.
-
AN INTERVIEW WITH ALEX OLSON ON THE FUTURE OF 917
We asked Alex for a general life update and tried to get to the bottom of what's going on with 917.
-
WE GOT THE MAD CIRCLE CREW TOGETHER TO WATCH “5IVE FLAVORS” 23 YEARS LATER
Karl Watson, Bobby Puleo, Pontus Alv and the rest of the Mad Circle crew jumped on a giant video call to rehash memories from 1998.
-
HUNTING FOR MUSHROOMS WITH RYAN REYES
Ryan shares his thoughts on psilocybin as we go hunting to find some nice Lobster Mushrooms to eat for dinner.
-
COOKING EGGS BENEDICT WITH ALEKA LANG AND JESS WONG
It’s like the cooking channel, except captured on Hi-8 and sprinkled with random fingerboard tricks.
-
WATCH SHARI WHITE’S NEW VIDEO “MAXIMUM FLOW”
Check out all the things that didn't make it into Vans' Credits that definitely should have.
-
TRANSITIONING FROM PRO SKATING TO FURNITURE MAKING WITH ROB PLUHOWSKI
Some life lessons from a man who decided to honorably bow out from skating in pursuit of another passion.
-
TYSHAWN JONES OPENED HIS OWN RESTAURANT IN THE BRONX
If you're a softy, grab a beverage to handle those spiciness levels.
Comments
Popular
-
MY EXPERIENCES IN SKATEBOARDING
"I've been terrified of garnering the reputation of 'ramp-tramp' or 'pro-ho' just from spending time with skaters."
-
WHAT WOULD MAKE SKATERS DITCH THE BIG SHOE BRANDS?
We asked younger skaters how small shoe brands could win back their business from the big budget behemoths.
-
8 ARTISTS REIMAGINE THE INDEPENDENT LOGO
What would an Independent rebrand even look like?
-
BRIAN SUMNER ON LEAVING THE SKATE INDUSTRY AND FINDING CHRISTIANITY
"People are going to hate you for different stupid reasons, but people shouldn’t be divided over the faith."
-
WHAT YOUR GRIPTAPE STYLE SAYS ABOUT YOU
Leave it to us to overanalyze one of the least important parts of your skateboard.
January 25, 2020 3:54 am
el_pinchelemus,
Want to be Instagram famous?
If you are like me, you’ve trawled Instagram, wondering “how do so many darn people get so rich and famous”?
I want you to imagine that it is Friday and you’ve just woken up from a sound slumber.
You spring up to check your cellphone.
Opening up Instagram.
Wow, you think, Over 1000 likes on one picture.
Heading to the kitchen, you put the kettle on for some coffee and check your Instagram while you wait.
Bam! Another 49 likes.
And another message just popped up. It is from one of your followers asking about your life, and congratulating you on your third official month of practicing yoga.
A grin grows on your face as you receive another message. This person emailed you to let you know she loves your posts.
While you sip your tea, you start typing up your response. But then your phone buzzes.
Hmmm, ANOTHER message. You close your cellphone and throw it in the bag. Time for the gym.
Listen, el_pinchelemus, most people just are not in control of their life. Hell, they can’t even get themselves to eat a balanced breakfast, much less hit the gym.
Now, let’s learn to take control of your Instagram.
Now, what if you could raise your engagement by 100%, or 1000%?
It’s not complicated to do, although almost no one does. Just hit up our website. There, you will learn how to garner Instagram followers and likes like mad…effortlessly.
Automagically see tons of likes on your images just minutes after posting.
If you are anything like our other valued compadres, you will have a great chance of hitting the “Top Post” section in a very short time.
This is all great, but you have really got to put in the work to make it happen. Actually, it is not real work.
1. Check out https://plantspace.icu
2. Enter your Instagram username.
3. Your three most recent uploads will get 10 – 15 likes. Just like that.
Hitting the Top Post page will 10X your InstaGrowth. But you have got to do more than just want it–you have got to do something about it. Are you willing?
Happy image-uploading.
February 4, 2020 4:26 pm
Hey, el_pinchelemus!
OK, I‘ve always wanted to be Instagram-”big”, too.
If you are like me, you have scrolled through Instagram, thinking “how do so many friggin people get so rich and famous”?
Picture this: You wake up early Friday, even before your alarm goes off.
Roll over, check your cell.
Open the Instragram App.
You‘re surprised at what is waiting for you: Over 832 likes on one of your pictures! There, you see a flurry of likes on your pictures–over 832 on a single photo alone.
You hop out of the warmth of your bed, and head to the kitchen. You want a drink, so you put the kettle on for some tea, and check Instagram again.
Presto! Another 87 likes.
And another message just popped up. It is from some follower asking about your diet, and congratulating you on your third official month of eating healthy.
The kettle blows and you pour your tea. When you flip out your phone, there is another message–this time from a young girl–thanking you for posting. She follows you religiously and your’e an inspiration.
While you sip your tea, you start typing up a response. But then your phone buzzes.
Oops, another hit. But no time to write back—you’ve got to hit the gym.
Let’s stop the simulation there. People have a hard time acquiring what they want in life. People can hardly force themselves to eat a good breakfast.
My job is to take people from Instagram nobody to Insta-celebrity. (It sounds foolish, but results do not lie.)
Now, what if you could raise your engagement by 100%, or 1000%?
It’s not complicated to do, although almost no one does. Just visit our website. There, you will learn how to garner Instagram likes and followers like mad…without even trying.
Our pro-rated, confidential service quickly sends likes to your pictures a few minutes after you have posted them.
The “Top Post” section, all of a sudden, doesn’t seem that far away.
This is all great, but you have really got to put in the work to make it happen. Actually, it is not real work.
1. Check out https://jabbertune.casa
2. Plug in your Instagram username.
3. Your three most recent uploads will get 10 – 15 likes. Just like that.
Hitting the Top Post page will 10X your InstaGrowth. But you have got to do more than just want it–you have got to do something about it. Are you willing?
Happy image-uploading.
March 1, 2020 12:24 pm
Hey, el_pinchelemus!
Don’t you wish you could be Instagram famous?
If you’re like me, you’ve trawled Instagram, thinking “how do these friggin people get so rich and famous”?
Now, imagine that it’s Friday and you have just woken up from a sound summer-time nap.
Roll over, check the cellphone.
Navigate your way to Instagram.
Youare surprised at what you see: Over 738 likes on a single one of your pictures! There, you can see a a huge amount of likes on your pictures–over 738 on a single photo alone.
You rise out of the warmth of your bed, and head to the kitchen. You want a drink, so you put the kettle on for some coffee, and check Instagram again.
Bam! Another 38 likes.
And another message just popped up. It’s from one of your many fans asking about your workout regime, and congratulating you on your third official month of eating healthy.
A smirk grows on your face as you receive another message. This person emailed you to let you know she loves your posts.
While you sip your tea, you start typing up a response. But then your phone buzzes.
It’s another message coming in. You glance up at the clock–almost time for the gym. You’ll have to hit them up later.
Listen, el_pinchelemus, most people just aren’t in control of their life. Heck, they can’t even force themselves to munch a balanced brekky, much less hit the gym.
Now, this is the point in time where you learn to take control of your Instagram.
Now, what if you raised your engagement by 100%, or 1000%?
Truth is, it is not the most difficult thing in the world to get more. For example, all the old pros use our website.
Our lovely, confidential service automatically sends likes to your images a few minutes after you’ve posted them.
The “Top Post” section, all of a sudden, does not seem that far away.
Sound too good for reality? Just follow these steps to get a taste:
1. Visit https://tomm.icu
2. Enter in your Instagram username.
3. The three pictures you posted last will get 10 – 15 likes. Just like that.
Hitting the Top Post page will 10X your Instafame. But you’ve got to do more than just want it–you have got to do something about it. Are you willing?
Happy image-uploading.