The last of CJ’s recaps of the 2011 Big Push is now online, which sees Swoosh human Jak Pietryga, Korahn Gayle and Chris Jones talking about Nike SB’s mid summer UK mission.

Get thy read on below…

Jak Pietryga – switch heel. Photo: Henry Kingsford.

Jak Pietryga

With your first Big Push being with the Harmony a few years back now, how was you’re first year with Nike SB for you?
Pretty similar in the sense you’ve got a bunch of guys in a van driving to the best spots the UK. Sleeping this year came easier, we tented it out on The Harmony Big Push, didn’t get the best of sleeps that week. This was the perfect welcome to Nike SB for me as I got to meet a couple a riders I had yet to properly meet before and it was good to have Tom Harrison in toll as it brought back memories of old Harmony trips. It was his birthday during the trip which was sick, we got a little boozy in Leeds, I got messy, Smithy will tell ya! Was sharing a room with him the entire week, which sucked…jus’ kidding, the man’s a legend!

Known for spending a lot of time exploring London in search of new spots and always on a filming mission, how was it for you to get out to areas that you’d not skated before?
I was in my element. It’s all about skating new spots for sure. For me that’s when I have the most fun on my plank. No preconceived tricks so you feel a bit more freedom in your skating. Usually going out in London you have a trick planned, which can play on your mind a bit before you’re even at the spot. None of that on this trip! It was great.

Which of all the new spots was your favourite and which would you be keen to get back to?
That Wolverhampton spot was pretty hot. The one in the Sainsbury’s car park with the big three and ledges. Would really like to go back there, feel like I have a bit of unfinished business there. My favourite though is the D.I.Y spot in Sheffield. Had so much fun there, could cruise that place all day, every day and not get bored. Spot is well legit. Need to sort ourselves out with a spot like that in Walthamstow.

It looks like you guys had a bit rain along the way, did you get slowed down at all by the weather or was it a case of just going off more when the sun came out?
Yeah we lucked out in Liverpool. Made the most of a bad situation though, we bombed a hill and some tricks still got laid. Paid Mackey a visit too which was sick and gave Lost Art a butchers. All in all though the weather didn’t really slow us down to much at all. When there’s a will, there’s a way.

Korahn Gayle – ollie. Photo: Henry Kingsford.

Korahn Gayle

You’re no stranger to the format of the Big Push now mate, how was it all this year for you?
The Big Push was really fun, we had Jak Pietryga and Chris Jones too so it wasn’t totally the same crew as the last few years! They both killed it so it was cool to watch them skate! It’s always fun going on trips with the Nike crew. We do end up going to a lot of the same spots but we found a lot of new spots too so were all good.
By the end of the Big Push Smiffy and me usually hate each other, this time I threw a banana in his face so he kicked me to the floor then kicked me back down as I tried to get back up. Five minutes later we were eating bad chicken wings and staring at good breasts together!

You guys had John Fisher teaming up with Dan (Magee) on filming duties. How was it having someone who’s had his own video sections and mag coverage working with you behind the lens?
Yeah Dan killed it back in the day, ha-ha! Fisher’s rad! Didn’t really know he used to shred it so much!! He did a sick frontside 180 down the biggest stairs in Stoke Plaza! He’s still got it! And they’re both sick at filming/editing!

The success of trips like the Big Push are usually forged on the spot knowledge of the crew with a heavy reliance on hook ups and spot guides in each area visited. Who helped you guys out along the way and was there anywhere that you never seen before?
Yeah it’s definitely a mission finding spots! The best thing about going on a trip in England (probably the only thing, ha) is that there is always a local that one of us knows to show is round the spots so it’s just a case of getting the phone out and giving them a call! If not, someone at the standard spot will be up for jumping in the van and showing us around! All good!

Obviously you guys pretty much took care of business, who was the MVP for you and what were some of your favourite moments?
Chris Jones was my MVP! He killed it all week! My favourite moment would probably have to be going home at the end ha! It’s a long week! Fun though!

Chris Jones – hippy jump. Photo: Henry Kingsford.

Chris Jones

Just looking over the Nike edit now, you have a pretty sketchy slam at the riverside bank spot in Nottingham. What was it like skating that rough old narrow driveway?
Yeah that spot was pretty rough, there was smashed glass scattered all over the floor so it wasn’t very nice if you fell over. Apart from that, it was a good spot.

You guys passed through Leicester and you skated the roof at the Poly Drop. How was it with all the sketchy wood used for the run up on the roof, and did you get any grief from the security?
Yeah, I didn’t really want to jump off that sketchy thing, but I kind of got bullied into it. Didn’t get any grief off the police though which was good.

Looks like you guys travelled pretty much all over, what were some of your favourite spots and which ones would you go back to?
The spots in Wolverhampton were good, but Baines’s D.I.Y spot was amazing, definitely want to try and skate that again, was so much fun.

To the amazement of anyone who’s been there, you kickflipped the pump bumps at the Sheffield DIY spot. Did you struggle with this or have any near misses on it?
Yeah, it was a pain getting the timing right when you popped off it, but managed to avoid taking any bad slams which is always nice.