The BoardFree Diary 2006
Just in case this is your first visit to this page, the most recent entries are at the top with the originals down low. Start at the bottom if you have the time!
Whizzing through the flatlands of south eastern England towards London , I'm breathing easy. A long journey came to an end yesterday as I welcomed the last member of the BoardFree team aboard. Holly Allen applied to be the BoardFree photographer one month ago, she joined us in Hyde Park two weeks ago and is now officially going to be joining us in Australia later this year. It's a relief to have found a photographer at long last and I didn't expect this kind of weight to lift from my shoulders, but boy do I feel better. Besides a placid ‘you're in the van' for Rae and Phil, I've had a little bit of fun welcoming everyone aboard and I couldn't lose my last chance for wickedness with Holly. But man did I nearly blow the big day. The team met on Wednesday to reach a conclusion, would Holly join us or not? The decision was unanimous and instantly I set about creating the girl's web-blog and email accounts. Then, on Thursday afternoon I receive a text from Holly. ‘Dave, did you by any chance set up a gmail account for me?' I swore loudly to myself, looked at my wall map of Oz and thought, Dave, you're a bl**din' idiot. I'd completely overlooked the fact that putting Holly's current email address on the registration for her new account would result in an alert being sent to her, a day before she knew she was on the team. Well I was flustered, but then lied through my teeth about everyone involved with BF being given their own email address. Gullible thing fell for it, thank god, but the whole fiasco meant it was a very relieved Dave uttering the glorious words, “I'd like you to come to Australia ” in a Portsmouth pub yesterday evening. Holly was chuffed, excited, a little mad at me for being such a jerk about letting her know, but I get the feeling I've left a very happy young lady behind in Portsmouth . So, with seven lives now being directly turned upside-down by BoardFree, I now have to keep them and their families happy! Spent the night at Becki's on Hayling Island, met her great parents, multiple siblings, houseguests and crazy pets, ate my fill and drunk it too, then had a skate and a traditional leaflet passing session on Southsea seafront this afternoon with Becki and Chris, a girl that Skippy the kangaroo bumped into on the Underground a fortnight ago.
So I now have a team. A 56 day stretch remains until BFUK kicks off and my mind turns to this. It's almost as if a switch was flicked last night. A six month hunt for people to fill the support van is over. I tick photographer off my list of things to do, draw a smiley face next to The BoardFree Team on my spider chart that infiltrates my mind, and start to concentrate on the next task, the most physically and mentally challenging exercise I've ever set myself. I worry now, about the chances that the wrong driver will round the wrong corner at the wrong time and meet Elsa and I. I worry that as I skate I won't be conducting any fundraising events and that I will roll into Land's End in late May with our fundraising total still swilling in the low thousands. I have made a commitment to myself, to my team, to three charities and countless sponsors and supporters that BoardFree's aims will be fulfilled. I'm prepared for the nightmares; the misty images of a man with a swag bag stealing into the night with my board under one arm and our fundraising totals in his sack. But I'm also prepared for reality, that these journeys are happening and they're happening soon, and that my team has to be on their game to honour their own commitments and their place on a vehicle that will circumnavigate Australia in pursuit of a skateboard. The next two months are going to be busy. It's going to be so much easier with six people getting my back. Welcome aboard Holly, you're onboard with a cracking bunch. Guinness Book of Records for Christmas 2007 guys, how's that for an aim?
Monday 27.02.06
Funny funny day. This morning came a knock on the door. A chubby postman delivered a parcel from France. France? What is coming to me from France? It had BoardFree on the address label. But why France? Who's in France? A helmet company, that's who. Two shiny Tony Hawk helmets to keep my bonce intact throughout 2006. Rock on, and thank you, Bell.
Then, in the mid afternoon, my old friend Kerri got excited about taking the BoardFree fundraising total over the £1000 mark. 'What do I get in the goodie bag?', she asked, supremely confident that she was about to win the prize of the year. We had £974.29 on the ticker. She made her donation. I checked www.justgiving.com/boardfree. We had £999.29. Since when does £974.29 + £25 = more than £1000? Since always in Kerri's head. Bless her. Another £2 later and Ms Kerri Hall wins the goodie bag. We're over £1000, people. Roll on two grand.
Eleven months ago my first longboard arrived in the post. Exactly six months from today I'll be stepping onto Elsa and pushing out of Perth, Australia. By then, if everything has gone to plan, I will have already skated the length of Britain, taught several hundred people how to longboard and raised somewhere in the region of £20,000 for Link, Lowe and Sailability. A few sacrifices have been made in pursuit of the BoardFree team, and one of them, as of last Wednesday, is football. My first sporting passion, my Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning fix, it's not a part of my life anymore. At least, not for the next year. My last kick on Wednesday turned out to be a 90th minute winner. Couldn't have written it.
So sacrifices are made, but justified by a year of gain. One of my most important personal benefits of BoardFree has been meeting Arthur Hendey. In late July 2005, in response to the South Wales Evening Post article that introduced BoardFree to the general public, Arthur called me up wanting to learn how to skate. He's 70, I jumped at the chance. His youthful exuberance and positive outlook on life is an inspiration, and I'm privileged to have him as a friend. Just this week Arthur called me up with some news, "Dave" he told me, "I've been invited to the televised audtions of Strictly Dance Fever. I can't dance, but I'm going to give it a damn good go." Typically, the BBC featurehounds sniffed out an opportunity to exploit Arthur's personality and paid a visit to Swansea yesterday afternoon to get Arthur's longboarding on film. Joining Arthur in cutting wind on Swansea's seafront, it was easy to see that his supposed eccentricities would make good telly, but even then I was amazed (and I must admit, quite worried) that Arthur had told the beeb reporters that he occasionally had a swim in the winter ocean. My god, I was fully wrapped up in jeans and hoodie and gloves but Arthue was willing to strip down to the bare necessities and jump in the sea. 'He better get through the first round for this' I thought to myself, as Arth ran across the beach, did his piece to camera and dived into the icy depths of Langland Bay.
So this morning, apparently fully recovered from the brain-numbing cold the day before, Arthur went to Cardiff for the Strictly Dance Fever Auditions: Stage 1. Standing with Arth in a holding room full of stretching, leotard clad young women I would have forgiven him for going to pieces, but did he? Did he hell. Mr Hendey's greatest strength is his grasp of the English language, and boy does he work a camera well. Myself, Dan and Kate from Link were with Arthur this morning, purely for moral support, but I don't think he needed us. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you whether he got through to the next round or not, but suffice it to say we'll be going back to Cardiff tomorrow morning for round two. Arthur Hendey, celebrity dancer and raconteur, will hit the BBC screen sometime in mid April.
(We took some video of Arthur's interview and dip in the sea yesterday. Click here to see it.)
Clockwise from bottom left: Dave enjoys himself, Dan licks his lips, Peter Sanftenberg with the Venturi Black Feather, Dave's calf, Si during filming, Becki posing, Kate as Skippy.
Photos and montage by Holly Allen
I'm tired, real tired. Two early mornings, god knows how many miles skated, well over a thousand leaflets handed out and I'm sure still a bit of musty sweat lingering after wandering around the English capital in a kangaroo costume. We learnt some lessons: however gallant the cause, whoever the beneficiaries, the people of London aren't often keen for their routines to be compromised. We live in a time of donation fatigue, and even if a simple offer of a leaflet is made many cower back, terrified that they're about to be asked for money by a complete stranger. So on the not-so-promising side we must have spoken, albeit briefly, to over one and a half thousand people this weekend, but only managed to sell 40 wristbands and three t-shirts. But it's hard to be down after such an enlightening weekend. Dan and I had a brainwave last Thursday; "let's get a kangaroo suit and skate around, it has to turn heads." So we did. Escapade in Camden Town had a roo costume, I put down my details and walked out with a plastic bag containing a bunch of material that was soon to become a very dear friend, not to mention an invaluable awareness-raising tool. For all the effort in the world, and trust me there was plenty, you dress someone up as a large animal and it puts smiles on faces and leaflets in hand. I mean, how do you say 'no thank you' to a 6 foot kangaroo? So, "Skippy" has become part of BoardFree folklore, the roo will show his face again in future, no doubt.
On Friday afternoon Peter Sanftenberg, the CEO of rollsrolls and designer of the longboard I'll be riding on throughout this year of journeys, flew to London to join in the weekend's festivites. This was the first time I'd met Peter, who has been nothing but supportive of the BoardFree project since he sent over a longboard for me to test for a newspaper review in the summer of 2005. That longboard, nameless when I removed her from a 4 foot package 8 months ago, is now known as Elsa. She's got a long year and many many miles ahead. I have to mention Peter's other contribution to longboard design, the Venturi Black Feather. I'd seen the Venturi website and admired the futuristic design of the board, but it was great to have a chance to see it in the flesh (so light!) and ride it across London.
So Peter joined myself, Becki, Dan and Simon (Rae and Phil were otherwise engaged in Swansea, continuing their preparations for their wedding in July) in a chilled out Friday night in North London, courtesy of Link Community Development's Events officer Kate Brackenborough. The next morning we rose at 7 and headed out to be in Hyde Park by 10am. Pete and I skated from Holloway into central London, letting the others lug the bag of merchandise, spare longboard and snacks down south via the underground. We set up camp on Serpentine Rd and giggled as Kate, aka Skippy, hopped and skipped around, taunting exhausted runners and lone tai-chi'ers. Friends and strangers dribbled by as the day went on, we tried slalom boarding (in and out of the roo suit) and even roused a few rounds of applause from the boathouse restaurant, I guess they don't see a kangaroo on a yellow longboard very often.
By 4pm we were all flagging, but wanting to shoot some more video footage and make the most of the day we headed to Trafalgar Sq via Buckingham Palace. And there, in spitting rain and wandering amongst the hardy snap-happy crowds, Skippy became saught-after. Half an hour of photos with tourists later and feeling more popular than most London-bound kangaroos do, Skippy et al continued to Trafalgar for a bit more fun and a much needed feed.
All in all, what a weekend!
We'll definitely be heading back to the capital shortly before BFUK begins. And I get the feeling Skippy will be joining us!
This is going to be a cool weekend. I'm sat in a house in London, dressed as a kangaroo, supping a beer and looking forward to hitting Hyde Park with the BoardFree team tomorrow. There's barely time to write this diary entry before an earlyish night and a very early wake-up, but we had to get a picture of the roo suit online!
Peter Sanftenberg of rollsrolls, flew in earlier today to meet up for the weekend. Excellent to meet Peter after months of chatting on the phone and getting excited about Australia . Dan, Becki and Simon have also made the trek down to London, bless the people in Hyde Park tomorrow, there is no way anyone walking by the Serpentine tomorrow will walk away not knowing about BoardFree. Let's do it, people.
It's been a strange day. I woke up emotionally drained because of a variety of things, but mainly because amongst all of the positive feedback and success BoardFree is experiencing some of my closest friends are being affected negatively by the project. I guess I have to apologise for being me and chucking myself headfirst into these bizarre ideas of mine, sometimes I neglect those around me because of this. I won't change,I don't think I can, just know that if you're being affected I don't mean it, I'm just a project obsessive.
So, I'm finding my feet on a longboard again after an ever so shaky start back after a week snowboarding. I thought to myself yesterday, cummon Elsa let's go for a ride. She felt all foreign, so responsive after a plank of a snowboard being strapped to my feet for six days, but slowly we remembered each other and I promised my yellow friend that I wouldn't snowboard again this year.
This afternoon Dan and I joined old friend Chris and went-a-longboarding around Swansea bay. Inspired by the dudes from www.whoisadamcolton.com a little bit of dodgy cross stepping was followed by a quick about-turn to give an intruiged passer-by a BF leaflet. Cue some slippy tarmac and the bemused face of said passer-by as I pulled up beside him only to have my standing foot cruelly displaced by a leaf. Yep, I fell over, felt like a ponce, and thanks to Dan it's all on camera.
So, emotionally and now physically bruised, I skated over to the house of Dog Days, the local band I've asked to cut some tunes for some upcoming BoardFree videos. Sam and Graeme played me some recordings and I perked up. These dudes have talent. They can both sing, play guitar, do some funny stuff with their feet and a box of sorts that I don't understand, and they make sweet sweet music. Personally, I sing like a badger in a trap but I can hear a good song, and I reckon these boys are going to be on Top of the Pops before too long. For the time being, keep your eyes and ears peeled for some BoardFree videos on this site, featuring the sultry summer sounds of Dog Days. They made today better again. That and Roadie Phil's blog, which featured the funniest photo I've seen since that one of the cat with all its limbs shaved like a poodle.
Dear diary, I’ve neglected you, sorry. But if you’ll forgive me I have some good news. 75 days until John o’Groats! Less than 11 weeks. Are you ready, calves, you’re about to get physical. I’ve been slack on the diary front for a couple of reasons. The first, I’ve been snowoarding. Life of riley eh, sure is. But I’ve realised that I’m rubbish at the sport. Especially landing jumps. There’s a purple mark on my upper thigh as proof. And one on my shoulder. This holiday was booked last April, a week before BoardFree was born. Mad. Where's the time gone? The second reason for my slackness is busyness. Busy busy busy, every day is chock full of duties old and new. To give you an idea, I wake up, remember a billboard I saw in London promoting a psychology magazine. There was a feature tagline about how to leave the job you hate. Bang on. So I have to write to this magazine to see if they like the idea of an article about a guy quitting his job and skating around the world. Worth a shot. Then I have to call a company that might sponsor BoardFree. Sunglasses, right. Then sort out the inbox, apparently Jonathon Ross wants to meet next weekend. What! The day goes on and on like this, new ideas pop into my head, ways to publicise BoardFree, editors to write to, jobs to give the team to do, a slogan for an online advert on a US skating forum that have pledged their support. I check the justgiving site, no one has donated in fifteen days, arrrghh! It’ll come good, once I get skating people will start giving, otherwise I have to start begging. Oh I hate begging.
A few interesting chaps have been suggesting that donating money to BoardFree is tantamount to paying for a skating holiday. Ok, setting the record straight for people who have time to slag off a charity project but don’t have time to read about the project they’re dissing. Every penny donated to BoardFree via www.justgiving.com/boardfree goes straight to Link Community Development, the Lowe Syndrome Trust and Sailability. Every penny. The costs of the trip are being covered by myself and my support team, and perhaps a couple of corporate sponsors. If they want. There’s a big fat straight line between costs and donations. Nothing crosses that line, people. And I have a fat calf and bags under my eyes to prove it. Let’s get serious: lives will be saved and lives will be changed for the better by BoardFree, this is aim numero uno. We can do our bit, you have to do yours. Did I mention that no one has donated for fifteen days?!
Donate online here!
It has been a long week, peppered with a few highs and a few lows. Last week we got the first press coverage of the year, but the article didn't mention either the BoardFree website or the donation website, which at this stage is incredibly frustrating. It's all very well BoardFree getting coverage, but if the public aren't given a way to donate or actively help out the end result is largely dud.
I've finally had time to edit together
the video blogs most of the team did a couple of weekends ago. The results are online now. They shed a bit of light on the backstage side of the BoardFree project, and give a human face, and voice, to the team. This adventure we're all on is exciting, but harrowing at times too. The looming financial implications aren't easy to forget for most of the team, the ticking clock does impose some pressure, but at the same time being involved in BoardFree and having the UK journey - and of course Australia - to look forward to - is spine-tinglingly wonderful.
I'm off to France for a week in a couple of days and have a list of things to do as long as my arm (what does that mean, exactly?) before I go. Myself and Dan are the only team members not to have video blogged so far, Dan is planning to change position every now and then during his blog, so the edited version looks crazy! I'm expecting to use up half an hour of tape just to summarise BoardFree so far, deep breaths...
Spoke to Simon earlier, he fell off a longboard and almost bled to death this weekend. The longboarding equivalent of man flu. Bless his cotton socks. I reckon there are going to be a fair few times in Australia where all four of the boys will be skating together, just keeping each other company. Rae and Becs have both tried longboarding and got the hang of it very quickly, but I'm not sure either of them would be up for hitting the road for any length of time (prove me wrong girls!!). We're still on the lookout for a photographer, and it's a unanimous feeling between us that the snapper needs to be female. The composition of the team is solid as it is, but I think another guy could be one too many. We shall see.
An amazing few days have flown by. Last Thursday I left Swansea for a much needed bit of R & R, plus the usual BF business, and returned this afternoon with a glow of achievement. When this madness was born my main fear was that established boarders (whether they be skaters, longboarders, snowboarders, whoever...) wouldn't be taken by the idea of a long-distance skate, that they would disassociate from the journey because I hadn't been involved in the sport before. I didn't want to step in on this amazing worldwide community - although skating was new to me I respected its roots, admired the boundaries that had been broken down, was even awed by the camaraderie within the sport. I decided to roll with BoardFree for two reasons: I was in desperate need of a change of scenery and needed a selfish way out, and at the same time wanted my selfishness to be unselfish, in as much as if I was going to do something different others had to benefit. I had no intention of stepping on toes, if anything I had just discovered a new passion and wanted other toes to discover one too. BoardFree is barely scratching the surface yet, but it has already had a positive effect on a few individuals and I get the feeling there are more on the way.
Last Thursday I met Michael Stride of Octane Sport at a Lowe Syndrome Trust Fundraising event. Michael imports skateboarding products into the UK, he had already heard about BoardFree and as soon as we met started to volunteer his services. On his recommendation I visited Hyde Park two days later to hook up with a few slalom skaters, I wasn't quite ready for the countless different types of skating that graces the road north of the Serpentine on Saturday mornings but the great weather and generous nature of Mick, Sam and Ian, the slalomers, created an atmosphere I can't wait to return to. The weekend was rounded off by several other plus points including some luck with sponsors (more to come later), an email from Tony Hawk (see message board), good fortune just north of Kings Cross saw a second News & Picture Agency take an interest in BoardFree, and all round good company saw me skate from Hampstead to Paddington this morning with a big smile on my face. Two weeks of Swansea I have left before going abroad for a week: in the meantime the countdown clock on the homepage shows 96 days until John o'Groats, I have a bunch of naked calendars to shift before the year drags on too far and hopefully during the next week BoardFree's 2006 press season will kick off. And maybe, just maybe, the £1000 charity total will be surpassed this week - see www.justgiving.com/boardfree to help out
I dreamt last night that I woke up in the car on the way to John o'Groats. Nothing had been done to prepare for the journey, no newspapers or radio stations contacted, no rucksack packed, no nothing. I was a bit disappointed.
Many people's first reaction to BoardFree is along the lines of "is that guy crazy?" I'm not sure how many people have doubted that I can skate the distances planned, but to me it has never been an issue, it's going to happen. I'm not crazy, I'm perfectly sane! I've been lucky enough to be born with a fully functional body and I think I'd be crazy not to take advantage of that. I was reading Roadie Dan's submission for his team page and realised he was the first member of my support team to mention the true physical challenge BoardFree has in store for me. Why haven't the others mentioned it? I'm not sure, maybe they haven't thought about it, or maybe we've all spent so much time together talking about BoardFree that the skating itself is probably the one thing we don't have to worry about. There has been no talk of the journey failing, and there will be none. Every possible occurence has been thought over and over. Which is why dreams like last night's freak me out!
Good day today. Another sponsor appears in the form of Khiro Skateboard Products. I tell Becki that we now have another sponsor, she gets quite excited. I tell her they're giving us bushings and she stops jumping, a frown appears on her head. "What are bushings Dave?" I tell her that bushings are part of the longboard and she seems satisfied, but not impressed. Hopefully in a couple of days our sponsorship hunt will bear more fruit, our biggest challenges ahead are covering the costs of flights and the support vehicle and until those are sorted I'm not sure I'll sleep more than three hours a night, so if anyone knows Richard Branson please tell him about BoardFree!
I should mention Saturday. The fourth AND LAST roadie was welcomed aboard. Dan Loo will be responsible for all of the vehicles and equipment used during BoardFree, and he's also pretty handy with a camcorder so Si will be backed up. I had to cook up a sneaky way to tell Dan that he was in the team so asked him to film the first ever team video blog, before interupting said session to tell Dan he was on the wrong side of the camera. Heart of hearts, I expected the team blog to be a genuine communal summing up of the BoardFree situation, but frankly all hell broke loose and it was like being in kindergarten. I'm sure we'll try a few more 'teamers' in Australia, but there's enough to worry about without having to touch Crikey the crocodile when you've got something to say (See the team video blog for an explanation!) so we'll leave it for now. Everyone bar myself and Dan (who had already done a 'select me please' blog earlier) spent some solo time with the camera and now I have a busy few days editing these vids, plus seeking sponsorship and planning fundraising events and updating the website. And maybe I'll even get to go out for a skate sometime!
To wrap up, thanks to Manchester United for sending us a signed football to auction, Nizlopi for the signed stuff and Patrick Stewart for the signed photo. And check out the countdown timers at the bottom of the homepage!
Knock knock. It's early. I open my eyes. "Dave?"
"Yeeees?"
"Dave, there's some presents!" It's Dan, my housemate. Before I tell you about the presents it's a big day for Dan. He doesn't know yet, but tonight he will become the next member of the BoardFree support team. He has two packages in hand, just delivered by the postie. It's not my birthday, so what could they be? "This one's from Nizlopi" says Dan, handing me a padded envelope. And he shakes the remaining bag, "This one looks distinctly football shaped, and it's from Manchester." What could it be?
The last week has been full of emailing celebrities and agents, asking for quotes and signed memorabilia to auction off for the BoardFree charities. Nizlopi have sent a couple of shirts, a poster, a signed album and JCD Song single. And the football shaped package form Manchester? Well you'll never believe it but it's a signed football from Manchester United. Awesome!
Two days ago I spoke to Paul Lees from Legends International, who became BoardFree's first sponsor. Legends are now also our exclusive signed memorabilia dealers, and I'm confident that our partnership will generate a sizeable amount of funding for the BoardFree charities.
Today Si Thorpe is driving to Swansea to join up with myself and the rest of the team for the first time since being asked to join the support team. Lots of talk about BFUK and the Australian journey will follow a bit of filming this afternoon. The clock is ticking, BoardFree is now in first gear. Ok. I promised in December that I'd write at least two diary entries a week this year. It was a resolution. Now it's the 10th already and this is my first blog of 2006. Sometimes I tell fibs. Sorry.
So, it's a big year! A really big year! The most asked question of 2006 so far (to me) is, are you training much? Ummm, no, not right now. It's wet outside, sure, but that's not the issue. The thing is, there is so much to do! There are sponsors to find, routes to map, volunteers to recruit. Dozens of fundraising events to arrange in support of three deserving charities. Tip of the iceberg. At one end of the scale there's £50,000 to be raised and a world record 5000 miles to be skated around the world's fourth largest country. At the other end I need to get some t-shirts made for the support crew and find someone to look after my cat while I'm rolling along a road on the other side of the planet. So training can hold off for a couple of weeks, there's organisation to be done. Mentally I'm ready for this, I can't wait for it. But I'm not fooling myself. There will be close-calls with speeding cars, blisters like saucers, tears and jubilation, fatigue and exhileration. But ultimately if a Lowe boy keeps his sight this is worth it. If Link can set up their projects in new countries and benefit another thousand students in Africa, this is worth it. If Sailability can spread their proven belief that disability isn't a barrier to success, this is worth it. BoardFree is just a little drop in the ocean but myself and the BF team are working towards making as big a splash as possible. Watch this space, I promise to fill it every couple of days!