The final Last Orders of 2008 can now be found below, with Vans TM, UKSA representative, Backroom Operations main man, Dr Shitknees and all round ‘Boss’ type, Nic Powley.
As of next Saturday, we’ll be catching up with various people to find out what they rated over the past 12 months, but for now, get reading…
Last…
Drink you ordered: It would have been whiskeys if I’d remembered to come out on Saturday night but I guess it was a coffee for me and Biscuits at Redcar Skatepark on Saturday evening, more to warm up than anything else.
Person you had call ‘a mug’: Probably the last person I spoke to! Actually it was a guy that phoned me up about buying my van and was wasting my time. Chesson uses the expression way more than me, he’s a true master.
Time you claimed to be northern: I do it all the time mostly to wind up Tez or Bingo. I claimed it to Wayne in Division 24 a while ago and his mate seemed to take real offence to it. Result!
Time you missed Sidcup: F*cking absolutely never, that place doesn’t really have anything for me these days. All my mates moved away as soon as they could, I only go back to see my parents now and again. Every time I drive into town I have an overwhelming feeling of failure, I can only stay there for a few days before it drags me down. I miss Broadstairs more, the people are cool and the year I lived there was a lot of fun, same goes for Manchester.
Incident that made you stoked to be living in Wakefield: Ha, too hard to pick one. Getting kicked in the back for no reason whilst walking down the High Street was a real stoker! Seriously though every time I pay my rent and think about how much the same house would cost me in London and also every time I drive past the soon to be completed skatepark.
Thing Nordberg did that made you see red: He does it a lot. He caught me in a bad mood on Friday and I went off at him a bit. Before that probably the last time he stayed at my house and left shit everywhere or did something stupid. He’s a wind up merchant and a noble adversary, you can’t help but love him. He tore this Canadian guy in Croatia to pieces talking to him in South Park voices the whole time, it was amazing. Every time I think about it I laugh.
Person who was due ‘the boot’ off Vans, but then you changed your mind: I haven’t booted anyone off yet have I? Frank and Howard always require some creative writing when it comes to my team reports.
I’d say Nordberg gets pretty close on a daily basis.
Pikey type to install them self on your couch: It was actually me! I was on there for a week, I booted my girlfriend out and she took the fucking bed! Ikea came through though and I’m now installed back in my room. Before that it was Sweeney and McKeon although J-Gards, Nordberg and Niall K have all got spots booked from Thursday.
Ridiculously pointless item bought off ebay: I don’t buy anything pointless do i? I bought a table and chairs for my kitchen for a fiver the other day. Before that it was a pair of Carrera 80’s sunglasses and a Dinosaur Jr tour poster and album on vinyl. The best thing I bought lately was the portable sauna though, that is amazing! I want to install it in the back of my van for next summer!
Comedy t-shirt you rocked in public: I got a Hellraiser one through the post today and have got that on but I haven’t been outside yet. I wore that ‘Hoodfella’ one the other day though or maybe ‘peace through superior firepower’ when I went out on the bike. Not sure if they’re comedy but they’re the only ones I’ve worn that aren’t plain white so that’s my answer.
Time you grew the ‘tache: I don’t really grow them, it’s more when my stubble turns into a beard and I have to shave, sometimes I feel a bit creative. I had one a few weeks ago. They have a weird affect on females – some really hate them but some go mad for them. I like them because it makes me look like a sex offender and that’s a big look for 09.
Time you wanted to smash your phone: Daily. Wednesday to Friday last week was ridiculous, I must have managed 2 hours work in 3 days despite being at my desk for about 36 hours! I equate the phone ringing to having more work to do. The amount of phone calls that start with “Alright Powley, can you do me a favour….” Is pretty funny. The last one I actually smashed was on the Vans tour last year, I’d just sat down to eat on one of the last days and Jasper from Vans phoned me to be somewhere ‘right now”, I had a ‘Falling Down’ moment!
Person you introduced yourself to as ‘The Boss’: Everyone, once again it really pisses people off so I love it. I can’t remember specifically though. I answer the phone with it and sign my e-mails off ‘The Boss’ a lot too.
Time you were outraged: Every time I watch the news or read the paper. The idiots are taking over the world. You only have to look at Saturday evening TV and general celebrity culture to realize that our world is going down the toilet. Humanity on the whole disgusts me, I try to have as little to do with it as possible.
Thing that made you laugh til you cried: Amy Winehouse on a ‘Never mind the Buzzcocks’ re-run made a little tear appear but properly piss myself was when my mate G phoned me up the other week and told me about how he was on a stag do in Majorca or somewhere and he got a bit bored/excited and ran into the toilet of the apartment where his mate was taking a dump and smashed him over the head with a tray of roast potatoes! There’s never a dull moment with G around, the guy should have his own TV show, he’s a liability. There’s not one trip I’ve been on when I don’t laugh non-stop, the Nueu ‘Ride with Us’ tour this summer was a classic example just a good crew and so much fun.
Piece of advice you followed: I never follow advice, I’m a stubborn bastard, I’d rather learn from my mistakes! The best bit of advice ever would be from that modern philosopher Mark Munson “Fuck ‘em all they’re c*nts” which can be pretty much applied to any situation and generally is. Mob Rule.
Song you sang along to: The whole J Mascis live at CBGB’s album in the sauna at about 1am! Ha ha Rock ‘n’ Roll. I could never get tired of singing along to Dinosaur Jr songs. I do a mean Nina Simone too.
Film you watched and enjoyed: ‘V for Vendetta’ I’d say was the last one that really really impressed me but that was a while ago. I saw ‘Blood Diamond’ the other week for the first time and I really enjoyed that. Got a massive pile of DVD’s in my front room that I’ve bought and not had time to watch, I’m looking forward to ‘There Will be Blood’. ‘No Country for Old Men’ actually, that was pretty special too.
Film you watched and hated: The new Hulk one was pretty shit, especially as I loved the original TV series when I was a kid.
Skate video you watched from start to finish: I can’t really do it, I don’t even try these days, I much prefer watching live skating or actually just going skating. Probably the Lakai one at the premiere, I really enjoyed it actually. I tend to watch bits and pieces online when I feel like it. I’m surrounded by skateboarding so much these days that when I want to relax I don’t really want to watch even more skateboarding. Ha ha actually was the Vans tour video after that? I watched that every time someone came round and wanted to see it before it came out, I tired of that one pretty quickly.
Classic skate section you re-watched: Jason Jesses bit in ‘Troops of Tomorrow’ on Saturday. Old stuff like that makes me want to go and skate a lot more than newer stuff. Even though current stuff blows me away I think I just relate better to the older stuff, it’s a nostalgia thing. Actually I watched bits of ‘Shackle me Not’ while I was working last night. Cheers to Mondon for sending me that DVD!
Operation you underwent: Shit knees tune up at the start of summer. Thought I was getting keyhole, came out with a knee the size of a melon. I’m still technically in recovery. It’s pretty fucked still though, bends backwards and does whatever it wants. Apparently it should be ‘good as new’ but I can’t see it myself, at least it bends a bit now.
Random blagger hassling you for shoes that got denied: It’s died off really. When I first started at Vans I got myspace messages from people I barely knew asking for shit they all got ignored. Other than that it’s not my money so I’m fairly free with product when I can be. Sean Currie is by far the worst harasser for shoes though!
Shitknees update: See for yourself: shitknees.blogspot.com I posted up a Schroeder pic off the Pocket Pistols website and the aforementioned Jason Jesse clip yesterday I think. I’m pretty sporadic with my blogging.
Skateboarder who impressed you: The list is long. I skate with Manhead a fair bit and he never ever lets you down in terms of doing something stupid. I was stoked on Carradog Emanuel and Tom Harrison at the Uk champs, they were pleasant surprises. I was really stoked for Nev at that too, he really had it. Obviously Vile, Ross and Chroliver are always on fine form and impress me on the regular. Everyone on the Vans team impresses me at some point otherwise I guess they wouldn’t be on there. My new housemate Biscuits surprises me now and again too.
Time you said “never again”: Lending team riders money. Nearly crashing my car from driving too fast. After splitting up with my girlfriend. Trying to learn a new trick. All of which I’m sure I’ll do again! I was an emotional/nervous wreck after organizing the UK champs so I would love to say it about that but I’ve already started work on next years.
Item of importance that you lost: Every trick I could ever do on a skateboard (not that many). I lose shit all the time, probably 5 things a day at least, it annoys me the amount of time I spend looking for things. Although it sounds pretentious I’d have to say that I’m gutted I lost the naivety of my youth. I’m not bothered about getting older as I’ve had a pretty amazing life but I’m a bit gutted that I know all the stuff I know about people, the world and of course the skate industry. Life seemed so much better when I lived in blissful ignorance and thought everyone and everything was great. Whoever said knowledge is power probably had too much experience of both to know any better! I don’t think you can really value something like that until you’ve lost it for good.
Time you feared for your life: Tough one. Not for a long while really, I’ve been lucky somehow. Any night out drinking normally has at least one scary moment if the crew are feeling a bit boisterous! I thought we were going to get a real hiding off security at events a good few times especially at Download a few years ago when we clotheslined the entire dancefloor in the After Shock tent and I headlocked a security guy after kicking girls off the pole and climbing up it. I had a real ‘what the fuck am I doing’ moment there. I think that was the same night I wet myself going to the toilet because I forgot to get my cock out so I guess I was pretty drunk!
Time you made someone else fear for their life: Hopefully the last time I threatened to fuck someone up and my ‘fight face’ came out! Realistically maybe Ben Powell when I gave him a lift to the offy a while ago, he screamed like a girl!
