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Dave Cornthwaite doesn't want any regrets. He believes Joe Bloggs can inspire, because everyone is capable of the extraordinary. In his late teens and early twenties Dave travelled throughout East Africa and western South America. Then, while studying at Swansea University he edited the University newspaper full-time for two years, at the same time as coordinating the Welsh efforts of a annual charity hitchhike to Morocco. Graduating in International Development in 2004, Dave stayed in Swansea and founded a local newspaper, HadOne, whilst working for an advertising agency as manager of their design department. In March 2005, Dave stepped onto his first skateboard. It was a longboard with two wheels. He put his bike in the shed and started to skate everywhere. In April 2005 Dave woke up and decided that he wanted to skate a long way. In June 2005 he quit his job having founded BoardFree, a charitable initiative designed to raise funds and awareness for three handpicked charities, in addition to encouraging people of all ages and abilities to take up boardsports. For the rest of 2005 he spent a lot of time writing emails and making phone calls. On April 31st 2006 Dave found himself in John O'Groats, northern Scotland. He started skating south. On June 2nd 2006 Dave crossed the line at Land's End, Cornwall to become the first person to skate the length of Britain. His right foot looked like a soggy cabbage, but the 896 mile journey had taught him some good lessons. Which was good, because it was just a warm-up. On August 20th 2006 Dave, accompanied by a seven-person support team, began a skateboard journey in Perth, Western Australia. Five months later, on 22nd January 2007, Dave reached Brisbane's South Bank and finished his Australian journey, known to millions as BoardFree Australia. His 5823km journey was a world record distance and Dave and his team's efforts had raised almost £20,000 for three charities. This is the bit where shameless promotion happens. Dave has finished his first book, a tale about a fellow who takes up skateboarding and decides to go on a long journey. It will be published in Australia in January 2008, and in Britain in March 2008. As well as planning more epic journeys, he also gives the occasional after-dinner speech, works with rollsrolls longboards as their Director of Marketing, and is also one of three founding directors of Out Of Your Shell, a company which is based on the belief that life is a bit brighter outside of your shell. Dave also has a non-skateboarding endurance venture up his sleeve, it's on something called an Aquaskipper, and you can find out all about it on www.bouncefree.org.uk. BoardFree continues to support the efforts of people who want to skate for charity. Inspired by Dave's journeys, at least four separate skate journeys have been undertaken in the summer of 2007. Dave Cornthwaite is 28. He still likes skateboarding. Contact Dave Websites |
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