FISE UP FEBRUARY | STREET GURUS
FISE UP FEBRUARY
STREET GURUS
With Infamous/hideout crews
Introduction : Ben Bello
Text and pictures : Alexander Thorogood
They don't walk down the street like the others, their eyes always on the lookout for the stairs, the head looking at the end of the alley; they are the streeters. Explorers of our tormented cities, persevering with some improbable lines, free and creative spirits to conquer the rare set up, here is a tribute to all these street gurus through a keyword interview with one of their own, Alex Thorogood from INFAMOUS crew who do us the honor of sharing their latest mixtape in collaboration with HIDEOUT. It comes from England and it rides on spots as rough as they are enjoyable, good words here and a video that makes you want to ride ! And to support those who do real things, you can even wear their clothes, read through their pages; it's quality proof, made in London baby!
DEDICATION
Dedication goes hand in hand with exploration. Without going to new places it’s difficult to maintain dedication. Riding with friends also, without them I can't say I’d be out much.
Boarding – Calais.
BROTHERHOOD
A good crew is always the key factor when it comes to productivity. When you are amongst your good friends that all share the same commitment, that’s when the good stuff happens. Like when you throw the idea of a last-minute trip and everyone gets on it. That's what it’s all about.
LONDON
I think London is at a major turning point, it’s evident crime is on the rise and there are some major problems the city is experiencing, but on the whole, you’ll always see friendly faces even in the worst of neighborhoods. Providing you’re not out rightly disrespecting, people are generally pretty sound and show interest in what you’re doing as it’s not something they see every day (riding street furniture). A lot of the original crusty spots in London face demolition in the near future, as development never stops in the city if there is an opportunity to build. This contributes to the challenges of street riding, but keeps us on our toes.
Oz and Gaz – London.
COLLABORATION
This collaboration of HIDEOUT & INFAMOUS means a lot to me. I am grateful to have met these guys a few years back, as we all share the desire to find new spots and enjoy one another’s company when trawling endlessly through the different cities we’ve visited. There are always laughs and jokes whether we ride anything or not.
HIDEOUT have spent a lot of time traveling down to us in London as well as accompanying us on numerous trips abroad so it made perfect sense to collaborate. Myself and Mikey both have an interest in artistic practices so it was cool to bounce some ideas around for the designs we used for our collaborative merchandise.
Although it’s a collaboration of crews from different parts of England, essentially, we are one crew
MEDIA
I for one enjoy some involvement of Instagram in BMX and that is the ability to communicate with riders all around the world. You can visit any country and without a doubt, link up with some riders with the help of the app.
However, I feel it has impacted on the image of BMX. It’s not so common to see road fools style road trips nowadays. Instead, a lot of progressive riders choose to put clip after clip on Instagram, rather than working on a video. It does take time, but a clip on the gram everyday doesn’t give me much of a visual buzz. The same applies to print. Sit on photos and footage and they're worth so much more the time comes to show them.
Sam Marden – rail hop – London.
BROKEN BODY PASSIONATE SOUL
My entire time riding BMX I have been plagued by injury. Returning after injury is a mental battle as well as physical, knowing you’re going to continue that very thing that damaged you in the first place. Injuries teach you patience and can help you understand your body and its capabilities. There is also an element of not wanting to quit when you don’t succeed which I believe is a valuable life lesson too. Unfortunately for myself I damaged myself pretty badly so I am no longer able to ride how I did, but I’ll continue to get out there with my mates because it’s ingrained in me and brings me infinite smiles and good memories.
Rich Thorogood – wall – London.
#HIDEOUTBMX
@INFAMOUS_LDN
@ALEXANDER_THOROGOOD
