Today’s installment of Big Push 2011 recaps sees Daryl Dominguez, Shaun Currie and Jake Collins reminiscing about their experience as part of the Vans crew on last years cross country jaunt.
Read on below, then head on back tomorrow for more…
Daryl Dominguez – hardflip. Photo: CJ.
Daryl Dominguez
This was your first Big Push, right? How did it compare to your preconceptions of what is expected of you on a trip like this?
I try not to have preconceptions of things as that generally spoils the beauty of it, but you couldn’t help it on the Big Push. Good people, good energy, all sharing the same love for skateboarding, new spots, getting wankered, getting blazed, partying, and kung-fu treachery. It was all those things and more man, what can I say? Shaun Currie was there, nuff said! But from a Big Push virgin’s eyes it was rad!
When someone mentions your name, most people will think of West London and the UK comp circuit. Had you travelled much around the Midlands and the South West before this trip? What were your impressions of the places you visited?
Yeah man I’ve been to a couple of the places before; Nottingham and Derby have some sick shit, so when I get some time off I’m definitely going to head that way again soon. Bristol’s’ incredible! Definitely hitting that place back up soon. The block five in the park that Barber nollie flipped is so good, wish we didn’t go there on the first day though! I’d been to Wales before but not really the cities more like the Valley’s.
Despite all attempts to avoid hitting the hammer spots early on, Vans ended up at Lloyds on the first day, right? I hear you got pretty broke off jumping down them. What affect did that have on the rest of your week?
Yeah man, I like a good leap so we ended up at Lloyds and I had something in mind so ended up thinking “try it three times and see how it goes”. Turns out I was feeling it, right there in the moment I just had to keep trying it. But, it didn’t work out, so I had to leave it. Felt it the next day for sure but that’s skate trips; win some, loose some. There was loads of shit that f**ked me up though, my board fell in river on the second day for one….
This must have been a good team building exercise for you guys, as a few guys were fairly new to the team. Who stood out for you and who do you reckon impressed you the most?
Well yeah man, it’s family. I can say that about the whole team for sure. It was sick and a really good experience. Everybody stood out for various reasons. It was sick seeing ‘Street Collins’ handle business, properly too! Shaun Currie’s ‘Twuan steeze is too sick, Dlynn can stack clips better than builders can stack bricks, Remon is an absolute retard, UK’s answer to Trapasso. Everyone just got on with it and was super cool. Here’s to another one!
Shaun Currie – heelflip. Photo: CJ.
Shaun Currie
You’ve obviously spent the last summers watching a fair few of your mates from Sheffield go off on the Big Push, how did it feel to finally get a chance to take part in one yourself?
I felt really lucky to go on something like the Big Push. But, mostly I felt like I was on a constant hype all day and all night playa!
Vans started off in Bristol and South Wales and then set up a base in the East Midlands – how did you find the spots in each area and did you have a favourite?
Bristol was bangin’! We stayed in an Ibis hotel right next to a perfect seven set which Nev, Jirka, Jake and Nick smashed. Dean Lane skatepark was so good, it made me feel like Omar Salazar or something. I think my favourite spot has to be the bank to stall in Leicester, it was perfect!
As there were so many of you young guys on the trip, every spot ended up being a session pretty much didn’t it? What was the best session for you?
Yeah, no matter what spot we went to there was at least a couple of people who wanted to session it ‘cause there was such a wide variety of skaters. My best session was that brick bank to stall ‘cause everybody filmed something. Good work Black Dynamites!
Was there anyone in the crew that you’d not skated with before and who was your MVP of the trip?
That has to be Denis Lynn ‘cause he’s just a massive Irish skateboarding warrior and as soon as I met him we got along like creamcorn! Jake Collins was rad ‘cause he knows how funny Will Ferrell is and I never really see him street skating and it was amazing to see it first hand.
Jake Collins – flaming front blunt. Photo: CJ.
Jake Collins
Vans decided to move away from last years theme of ‘park and tranny’ skating and concentrate on the younger, street guys. Being (falsely) regarded by most as a comp and skate park skater, did you feel you had to kind of prove yourself on street?
Ha-ha! Yeah man sort of, but it was all good and the spots we went to were amazing! Not too much tech manny/block stuff, just loads of variety which was rad.
Vans spent the majority of their time in the East Midland, Derby in particular. Had you skated anything up there before and how did the spots compare to those in South Wales?
The spots we went were sick man and I was stoked because I’d never been to any of them before. I’m not sure man Wales had got some good spots and the Midlands spots are dope as well. Anything new is always good!
What were your favourite spots and sessions of the week and who had you not seen much of before the trip?
My favorite spot was the two rails in a row I think it was in Derby. I dunno about my favorite session as pretty much the whole week was one long session! Everyone on the Big Push was pretty much a stranger to me beforehand apart from Denis and Remon. By the end of it all, we were a super tight crew all good mates.
With the knowledge of one Big Push behind you now, how would you approach it differently if at all, if Powley asked you to do another one?
If I go on it again next year, I’ll just do the same I guess and have a good time!
