))
Within every scene, whether it be music or lifestyle based, there are companies
that jump on bandwagons to make a quick profit and there are companies that
stay true to what they believe in, those that have paid their dues and earnt the
respect of their peers through hard work and struggle. Clown Skateboards
definitely belongs in the latter group, even though it is only a year old and is still
in the infancy stage of what will hopefully be a long and productive life.
The brainchild of Jeff and Vikas, Clown is a labour of love and the reasons
for getting it started stem from a desire to represent the underground scenes
of both skateboarding and music, from a grass roots rather than a corporate
level. This ethos will stand them in good stead in industries where money talks
and bullshit walks. People know that Clown is not full of shit and that it does
mean something positive - it is not all hype and no product - it’s more a case
of no hype and a real product.
While Banksy’s logo of the clown with the gun is instantly recognisable, it is also
a guarantee that what you see is what you get, Jeff and Vikas are not trying to
be something they are not. “Clown is an entity within itself, the best way to
describe it would be ‘people working together independently’, with everyone
involved bringing their individuality and their skills to the table. A lot of people
have put in a lot of effort to make it happen, and we want to make sure that we
can continue to grow well into the future, we ain’t gonna blow up and then burn
out just as quick, we are in this for the long haul.”
Between them Jeff and Vikas have some history as well, they’re not new to this
game, and alongside the numerous Banksy originals that line the walls of the
office there is a gold disc recognising Vikas’ promotional skills for the first Roni
Size / Reprazent album ‘New Forms’ from when he was one of the directors of
Main Source Promotions. Jeff was responsible for Howies clothing and is a
notorious mover and shaker in the UK skate world, another of his events - the
Urban Beach International skate comp at Wembley Arena was a big success
last year and so it is being repeated this August. While Clown is their passion, it
is their Freewheelin’ Youth Marketing that is their bread and butter, and through
the service they provide to some big time corporate clients, they are able to
recycle money back into Clown so it can be developed at the correct pace.
Fresh from sponsoring the Beatcamp party at the Miami Winter Music
Conference (big up to Killa B and Marco) they have added an international string
to the Clown bow. The musical side of the company has also grown at home in
the guise of Lick Shot at Plastic People in London, a monthly Sunday night hip
hop and reggae session with residents including DJ Skitz, Danny Breaks, Def
Tex, Brent (Aquasky), Ned Kelly (Underwolves) and the Complex Broad
Collective with special guest DJs and MCs every month. It is just a further
extension of what they are into, and follows the motto of ‘what goes around
comes around’ and just like the skate side, it is not trying to be something that it
isn’t - it’s just a chill night to come and hook up with some crew, have a few
beers and listen to some good music. Clown mixtapes will be available soon
covering the three angles of hip hop, reggae and drum & bass.
On the skate side, Clown has an impressive team which can handle itself on any
type of terrain. The team manager is Simon Skipp, the absolute local ruler of
Romford skatepark, and despite the fact that he has been on it nearly 15 years
his love of skateboarding shows no signs of ending (shame his knees don’t
agree!). He remains almost criminally underrated and under exposed, his
knowledge of Romford skatepark is encyclopaedic and there are lines there that
only he can really pull off with such a smooth flowing style it looks effortless -
this picture of his snake run transfer being a case in point, as no one else
has really ever done that before.
Bryan Jones is the Scottish team rider, hailing from Edinburgh and he is just
as into making beats as he is into making tricks [see Turntable Masochist
feature in issue 2.19], a natural rider who literally seems to have his board glued
to his feet, he lands pretty much everything he tries and consistency like that
is hard to find. Together with the Complex Broad Collective, another set
of friends who have become business associates as well, they represent
the Scottish side of things.
Chris Oliver and Benny Fairfax are both from down Southampton way, and
while still quite young they can more than cut it with the big boys as their recent
Radlands competition results of 3rd and 2nd respectively show, big handrails or
big stairs are no match for their skills and are often conquered with ease. Mattias
Nylen is the vert skater of the team and is rapidly building a name for himself as
someone who can hang onto tricks that lesser people would bail, his recent
cover photo for Document magazine proves that people are taking notice of him.
13 year old Mark Calape completes the team and will be one to watch out for.
A strong team with a strong identity, held together by strong friendships and
mutual respect for what each other is doing means that Clown will remain a
force to be reckoned with long into the future. The Clown skate video with a UK
hip hop soundtrack is in the skate shops now, and don’t forget Lick Shot at
Plastic People in London on the last Sunday of the month.
Phone: 0207 739 0026
e-mail: info@clownskateboards.com / web: www.ukskatenews.com
KNOWLEDGE 29
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