During his pre-Xmas downtime, Chris Johnson has tracked down and interviewed each of 2011’s cover holders to get the story behind their cover, as well a brief overview of their year and plans for the coming months.

Kicking things off we speak to Palace Skateboards am Rory Milanes, who laid claim to the first cover of 2011 with a Sam Ashley shot switch backside flip deep in London town.

After a pretty torturous Christmas holidays for most avoiding the snow and ongoing sub zero weather conditions, you helped us start a new year with a banging cover. Did you know this was going to be a cover, and when did you find out?
No I didn’t, I just saw it in the skateshop when the mag came out.

Where was it shot?
Soas, Holborn.

Were you just out on a random skate when you shot the switch backside flip, or was part of a Palace or Slam City filming mission for their upcoming releases?
It was spontaneous, I was out skating with a few people that day and I thought of going over there with Sam ‘coz I had been there previously with Henry to film for the ‘Slam’ video.

How do you go about filming a video part? Do you go out with Henry and a crew and see where you end up and kind of get inspired on the spot, or do you make lists of the things you want to skate?
A bit of both really. Sometimes I plan certain things to film, but yeah, I get inspired on new spots that we find just skating around with everyone.

Who else was with you that day, and did anything else go down?
Yeah actually, this young woman was walking past and she claimed she used to skate, and asked for a go. She started sessioning it, trying to kickflip, but was just eating so much shit! Turns out it was Rob Mathieson’s sister!

Being around the skate industry and in the lime light since a young age, do you still get hyped to get coverage like this?
Yeah, it really stokes me out to have a cover; it came as a complete surprise.

Who would you say we need to keep an eye on from some of the emerging London youth in 2012?
Farhad Hakim and American Neil have been pretty on it this winter!

So 2011 has been pretty busy with the Palace Battle of Normandy, Palace in NYC Sidewalk article/footage, new sponsorship moves and the Big Push. What have been some of you most memorable times and what have you got planned for 2012?
Yeah I got to go on some great trips. The Converse trip I went on earlier in the year, driving to Italy, was one of the most memorable times, I mean I just really liked the lifestyle in Italy; they eat good food and know how to enjoy themselves! All the Palace trips have been too jokes; it’s a proper family. In 2012, I just want to skate as much as a can, and in London especially. I need to film for the new Palace video too, and hopefully do some more skate trips.

Rory, Chewy, Lucien and the rest of the Palace boys head to France and shut shit down. One of the webclips of the year? Easily. “Tres Trill” indeed…