Photography and interview by Graham Tait
Where did you pop up from? You seemed to just appear during the pandemic.
I’ve always been very on and off with skating. I love it and it’s all I want to do, and other times I don’t skate for months and just focus on other stuff. Probably why these shots took around 3 years. If it wasn’t for you trying to get me out to shoot these photos, I don’t think I’d still be pushing myself in that way. Even though I don’t want to be throwing myself at concrete like that anymore, I’m always grateful after we get the shot, it’s a buzz that only skating gives me.
How old were you when you started?
I started skating when I was around six years old, my brothers got me into it and that’s all we used to do as kids. Skating outside our house in Dollar on this tiny patch of smooth concrete with our Argos ramps and rail. Watching skate videos downloaded from LimeWire even though half of them ended up being pornos. Haha! Then I moved to Crieff, which is near Perth, that’s when I started meeting other skaters and getting friend groups within the scene.
Perth had one of the best skateparks and communities for skating in Scotland I'd say. It's always class seeing them all come through to Glasgow for a session. Perth has a lot of talent, it's just a shame it never seems to get much coverage. It has some of my favourite skaters, Gary Winton, Petay Franz, Jakob Laird, Scott Sutherland, Josh Jerome and all the homies.
Crieff is where I started getting more into my photography that wasn’t skating focused. Just driving around going hill walking and generally exploring Scotland. My camera was attached to me, and some of my favourite photos come from that time.
I lived in Barcelona from the end of 2018 to the beginning of 2020, and seeing the standard of the skating there was a big influence on my own skating and photography. Towards the end one of my main goals was to try and get a shot in North. It just so happened that once I moved back to Edinburgh things just lined up. Euan Lawson posted a clip of me at Bristo and that's how we started chatting about some photos for the mag.
Boardslide
How did you get into making videos?
I used to make small skate videos with old cameras in my house. I got my first DSLR when I was 16 to start making skate videos and shoot photos. I learned the basics of how a camera works from YouTube and just slowly progressed from there. I didn't really know what I was doing for ages but the camera never left my hand, I didn’t realise you could make a decent living from it until I was about 18. I was always in denial that I was a creative person and was set on doing some sort of sports degree, but I realised I can shoot better photos than I can write essays. I went to college for two years to study photography. The first year I couldn’t get accommodation so I lived in a caravan with my pals out in Seton Sands. It took about an hour and a half to get into college on the bus so we just became veterans at Mario Kart instead. Probably one of the best years of my life. I would choose that over student accommodation any day.
You lived in a caravan!?
It was class! Was only meant to be three of us staying there but ended up being 5-6 people crashing on the couch. Spent our days kicking a ball at the beach or just playing Skate 3 and Mario Kart living off Cheesey Pasta. Once it got to winter it was a bit rough, the place was freezing and you’d wake up soaked because of the condensation. That’s when we started looking at flats in Edinburgh again. I think everyone was on the verge of getting kicked off their course too but it was worth it.
Bs kickflip
Every now and again I'll see your Instagram feed and you'll be in Greece or somewhere super sunny shooting for a bikini brand in a sick villa. How do you get that kind of work?
It’s not about what you know, it's who you know, most of the time anyway. For that I got really lucky. It was through a friend of mine - Brodie Rooney. She just messaged out of the blue asking if I’d be interested in shooting bikini models in Ibiza for a couple of days. I accepted the job in seconds, maybe I was a bit too keen. Haha! Still, every time I’m on a job like that it trips me out. Going from filming skate videos with my pals to getting flown to these beautiful places, it's such a blessing. Crazy to think that none of that would have happened if I didn’t pick up a skateboard. I owe the majority of my life to a piece of wood and some wheels.
Where have been your favourite places you've worked and did you have any time to skate there?
Probably Mykonos. I went there with the Bravissimo team. I'd never been to Greece before so I was buzzing. The weather was class, good food, and the team worked well together so I couldn't complain. The villa we stayed in was crazy. My room was underground and the view from my window was the inside of the pool, if that makes sense? It tripped you out at night looking out a window that’s underwater. It doesn’t feel like you’re working when you’re on those types of trips, hopefully I can get more jobs like that this year.
I’ve never taken my board on a work trip as they're pretty full on, but might sneak it in the bag for the next one and say I need it for tracking shots or something.
Ollie to bank
You were doing video work for an estate agency for a while. Have you ever come across anything weird?
Had a lot of weird things happen. Some I probably shouldn’t mention but here goes...
I can’t remember where the gaff was but it was a castle in the middle of nowhere. When I got there the old lady was very sweet, always offering me cups of tea and just very chatty, I thought she was just being nice. I noticed that she kept going away to spray more perfume on, which I thought was odd. The job took ages and I needed to get to my next property but she was very keen for me to stay longer. Just before I left she sat down on the stairs with this old banister, you know the ones with the wooden poles coming through them. She smiles at me and just starts rubbing the pole, saying how she loves to polish this wood and winks at me. I just awkwardly laughed and bolted to the car. Those poles have probably seen some sights. Haha!
There was a stage a year ago where I was micro-dosing mushrooms to boost creativity and help with anxiety. This was when I was still very new to micro-dosing. I was in a rush for work so I must have messed up the dosages. Once I got into the property and was chatting to the clients I noticed that the walls behind them started breathing, at that point I realised I’d taken too much. I had to pretend the way I work is that they stay in one room and don’t come out, and I’ll just do what I need to do. I don’t even think I did the floorplan properly, I just made something up, shot a couple photos and boosted. Not a great experience but funny to look back on. Sorry mum for when you read this!
How long did you do that job for and why did you quit?
A couple of years I think. It got to the stage where I dreaded picking up my camera for personal work, it took all the fun out of it. I only recently quit all that to become fully freelance, I'm slowly building up clients. Less money but I can be creative with my work, doing stuff I care about. Focus Skate Store for example, getting paid to go out and film skate videos is an unreal feeling.
Doubles with Haden
You just got back from a month long lads holiday in Thailand, which looked sick. You don't seem to have trouble separating yourself from skating. Do you feel you benefit from having some time off from it?
I want to go back already! Would love to spend a full year out in that part of the world. I only really skate when I’m in the mood to do it, don't try to force it too much. Sometimes I could go months without feeling the need to jump on a board then all it takes is one video and I’ll be hooked again!
For someone who takes a relaxed approach to skateboarding, what gives you the urge to jump from bus stops over spiked fences and hit big rails?
I think I just like to push myself to see if I’m capable of it. Normally if I have a spot in my head I need to give it at least one attempt, even if I back out after, it gets to me not knowing if it’s possible or not. I have one more rail that I want to try but unfortunately we ran out of time for this interview. Hopefully I can try that for another issue.
Bs Smithgrind
Who are some of the pros you looked up to when you were growing up?
Mainly it was just the skaters around me, like my brothers and Perth locals. I always looked up to the older guys I skated with from a young age. Especially Gary Winton, boy's got every trick possible on lock. From day one, he's always been getting me hyped to get out on the board. Also the boys my age; Scott Sutherland, Gary Bryson and Finlay Davison. We always had some friendly competition. We were all at the same level so when one person learned a new trick we all had to get something. The games of S.K.A.T.E with Scott would go on for ages. Playing back to back trying to see who the champ was. I think he had me the majority of the time but feel like we need a rematch, it's been a couple of years now.
As I got older, I started watching more videos and paying more attention to how people skated rather than just the tricks, the clothes they wore and music in the videos. Top ones I can think of would be Deedz, Ishod Wair, Tiago Lemos, Robert Neil, Gustav Tønnesen, Na-Kel Smith and Tyshawn Jones
What have you got planned for this year?
Launching my clothing brand JOY with a couple of pals as well as a creative agency, Shibby Studios with my brother, so mainly going to be focused on growing them. Hopefully a lot more skating as well.
In summer a group of friends and myself will be doing a charity cycle from Paris to Amsterdam to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention in memory of our good pal Craig Scott who recently passed. A local at Perth skatepark and loved by everyone that he crossed paths with. Just a reminder for everyone to check up on your friends, a quick text/chat can go a long way.
Rest easy brother.
Published in North 39