If BoardFree has inspired you to take up skating or any other sport, please let us know and you'll appear right here! Below are just a few people who have found the longboarding love.
BoardFree founder Dave Cornthwaite looks back a year in time…
“I remember getting my first longboard through the post. Even for a non-skater it was an incredible feeling, it looked amazing, it had wheels, I couldn't wait to have a go. At first I was rubbish. Snailing along a pavement with grannies on foot overtaking me, falling off next to a traffic jam and knowing the faces in the cars are laughing. But I had a warm feeling inside that told me it all made sense, somehow. Slowly, pushing and rolling became second nature. After a couple of weeks I stared down the slope of a local footbridge and thought, ‘I'm not sure I'll ever be able to skate down that.' Now, a year on, I push up and carve down that very same bridge a few times a day, and in between I skate the twelve mile cycle bath arpund the bay in training for a journey that I'm going to remember forever. And just a few weeks ago I became the first man to skate the length of Britain, unbelievable feeling. Skating changed my life, those four words sum up the last year!”
28th June '06
Laura Hatwell
Age: 24
Location: Glasgow
After reading about Boardfree and all the fun Dave's been having, I thought I'd give it a bash. As a wannabe surfer, I always liked the look of longboarding but never thought I'd have the guts to give it a try. However, if Dave could get from one end of Britain to the other on Elsa, and plan to go round Oz, I really had no excuses! I ordered a board through Lush Longboards, took it straight out when it arrived and had a brilliant time. What I love about longboarding is the smoothness of the ride, the cruising, the sense of watching the world go by as you and your board become inseparable. I'm really enjoying supporting Boardfree, and through it, I've got more confidence and a new best friend - my board, Duke! Remember: It's not as easy as Dave makes it look, so safety equipment is a must have! Now get out there and carve it up!
Chris Harris
Age: 22
Location: Didcot, Oxfordshire
I met Dave through playing football at Uni so I heard about BoardFree from a pretty early stage. I had been thinking about buying a longboard since I was about 17, so after 5 years of careful consideration and a large amount of inspiration and encouragement from the BoardFree team I finally had a bash! The feeling of a cruising the seafront in Swansea was awesome, I was hooked. I now own a LUSH Bahari (Leila) and it's probably the greatest thing I ever bought, I just want to skate everywhere. That said I'd never skate 6000 miles so good luck Dave!
Dimitri Nicomanis
Age: 25
Location: Hackney
I was always a fan of skateboarding but would never consider myself an actual skateboarder. This was mainly because I never knew how accessible and easy it was to get involved with the sport. You simply need a board and a road and off you go! Its not as easy as it looks and takes a while getting used to but once you do it is definitely a great buzz. I think from meeting skaters on the road during BoardFree as well I’ve discovered that there is no real snobbery in the sport either, if you cant do something no-one will take the mikey out of you for it, quite the opposite they will try to help you get better. I think this adds to the community feel the sport has. After BoardFree I would recommend anyone who hasn’t tried skateboarding to give it a go, you never know you might just like it...and who knows after that, maybe one day you'll be attempting a world record ride too!
Arthur Hendey
Age: 71
Location: Swansea
Holly Allen
Age:19
Location: Fareham
Learning about BoardFree and how Dave is giving up so much for other people inspired me to jump back on a board after 7 years, something i gave up after falling off! Dave is proving to the whole world, anything's possible if you put your mind to it. So much determination, so much compassion. BoardFree is one of the most truly astonishing projects of all time.
Neil Dyer
Age: 25
Location: Swansea
Longboarding was kindly brought to my attention by Dave back when it all
started. I worked for the same company as Dave when he wrote a local youth
newspaper in Swansea. After he returned from a snowboarding holiday, Dave was
bitten by the boarding bug and looked for tarmac alternatives to his new snowy
love. Using his editorial might and persuasion, Dave began writing articles on
varying boards of all shapes and sizes. Soon he had a collection ranging from
the Tierney T-board, to the Lush Kisiwa, to his now beloved Elsa. Basically, I
got very jealous of his new 'wheeled' buddies and Dave superbly persuaded me to
buy a Lush Legend Longboard. Teaching each other as we went along, Dave soon
surpassed me when he started rambling on about boarding to China and Australia.
Seeing as I can't keep up with him on a trek to the Mumbles Pier in Swansea I
thought it best to stick with hills and gravity to enjoy boarding (and besides,
I love having calves that are of equal size). Dave mate - I was there when you
first mentioned Boardfree Oz, it was a crazy dream then but now its just plain
crazy. I have all faith in you doing it... even if you have to sit on your arse
and push with your hands. Good luck mate! Tell Elsa, Freedom wants to meet up
soon for a roll! |
Who are Lush Longboards?
Dave Cornthwaite and Elsa, his trusty 
