You are the driving force behind the idea but you have a bunch of different advocates who are part of the network too – how does that work and how do you work with these people?

I’m the curator of No Comply; it’s a window into the world of our members and their creative output that I capture by doing interviews, graphics and videos.

I also maintain the website which automatically updates itself with each Instagram or other social media post any No Comply member makes. Basically the intention was to create a platform to enable a clearer way to see recent work by creatives based in the skate community. In terms of who gets involved, it’s usually people who I know, have met or just respect as a creator.

“We celebrate the creative, wild and weird shit in skateboarding and beyond. If you got it, let’s geddit!”

The only thing that members have to do is their own thing and to let me know what they want me to put up for them on No Comply, that’s it. I have also worked with Si Peplow, Eloise Dorr and Sophia Bennett to create tees that you can get in shops in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

My mate Trav Wardle, who was the first person to join No Comply, helps out a lot with graphics and occasionally makes his own No Comply Video series called ‘Trav Tapes’. I think as things grow more No Comply members will start to produce and release stuff for No Comply. It is a great platform for amazing work and skaters that can’t seem to find coverage anywhere else. We celebrate the creative, wild and weird shit in skateboarding and beyond. If you got it, let’s geddit!

Is this a ‘job’ or is it more of a voluntary exercise to promote skateboarding that you do on the side of doing a regular paid job?

I work at an advertising agency in Soho right now, 5-days a week. I do No Comply before work and when I get back home. I’ve never been paid to do it and I don’t do it for that. It’s not a job because it is fun to me. I feel like I’m just doing what should be done and what I want to do, so I’m hyped.

How do you go about the logistics of them? They’re pretty much just ‘happenings’ right? There’s no interaction with local authorities of permission as such I’m assuming…more just a case of creating hype around a pre-existing spot and making something happen on a particular day?

I’ve done three events so far. I invite everyone online, do all the promotion, approach the sponsors, MC the jam and also skate in the events. In terms of the logistics it’s just emails and phone calls really. For the first jam we had seven different brands that sponsored the event whereas for the last one we had twenty, including Vans who were the official footwear sponsor and Pabst Blue Ribbon as our official drinks sponsor.

“We do events at plaza spaces as they have the space and versatility of spots and lines to make sure some creative shit happens”

For the first event in Giffin Square, I did work with the local authority group but it was not that hard. They were stoked as nobody ever did anything like that in the area and they said we could have one every Sunday that month if we wanted! Their enthusiasm was paramount to me, as I knew they were hyped that I was doing something different in the space then the norm.

We do events at plaza spaces because they are sick and also have the space and versatility of spots and lines to make sure some creative shit happens. We are not going to be doing a Beyond Skateboarding event at a skatepark or pre-fabricated place. It’s more about places that allow your imagination to run. If it’s iconic within skateboarding culture too – even fucking better.

You used to attend a lot of events when you were younger, lots of the skater-run, chaotic jams and whatnot back in the early 00’s that used to go on with Bob Sanderson and everyone – it seems as if your approach to doing this is influenced by some of those experiences as a kid – is there anything to that?

Yeah, as a young dude I used to skate at events like War of The Roses and StokeaPalooza with Bob Sanderson and they always felt like jams to me because he was so funny on the mic. I hated skating in comps. The idea of dropping in and doing a planned line on a skateboard does not really interest me so I wanted to make something that’s just a free for all that kind of favours skaters who do mad, creative wildcard shit. As they say, consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. That’s not what I’m about and that’s not what skateboarding is all about to me.

What about the 3 Cities SOS city-takeover events – were they an influence?

I didn’t actually ever skate during the 3 cities SOS city takeover events. I started skating a few years later in 2001, so I missed out on those sessions. They were definitely an inspiration for this event and Beyond Skateboarding in general though. It was mad that guys like Damon Leventhal made it to our event and actually said how it reminded him of those old events back in the day. So stoked about that.

How do you balance ‘chaos’ with not blowing the spots out?

We didn’t see or hear from any police or have any complaints the whole day. We didn’t blast tunes overly loud and just kept it low-key the entire day – except when people landed sick shit of course and we all screamed our heads off. Let’s face it; organised chaos is chill for us. Skaters know when and how to push the limits but we keep it civil. No Comply is all about doing your own thing but you’ve always got to stay positive and look out for others. That’s how you truly build real connections.

“Organised chaos is chill for us. Skaters know when and how to push the limits but we keep it civil.”

What was your stated aim in doing this particular event? Obviously you’re from Birmingham yourself and that spot will have a lot of associations to you personally because of that I guess…

We set up the skate jam to inspire skaters in Brum to come, have fun and see some great skating in the hope that other rad, creative shit would go down. It did, it really did. I hope it helps to fire up the skate scene and also pushes the city council to realize that they are missing a trick down at Fastlands, that it deserves proper curation and management for the city’s skate community.

In terms of pre-planning – was there any? Or is it a case these days of creating hype online and then just turning up?

I just organically promoted Beyond Skateboarding Birmingham as best I could and when I could, as I could, using found footage and photography and my personal knowledge of the city; I hoped people would get it, and they did.

Who helped you to make it happen?

Aside from the sponsors and media partners and the people who came, there are a few people who deserve their shout outs.

“Over 250+ people came over the course of the day. We went to multiple legendary spots and everybody smashed it”

Ideal Birmingham stored all of the prizes for the jam and built all the hype we needed. A Third Foot Birmingham built the Cigarette Hippy Jump that looked amazing and inspired people to go off. My friend Ross McCabe laid down some fast-drying resin on the stairs to help people get down at the event. John Vile, Kris’s older brother, helped me to keep things organised and locked down; he kills it on a board and can do kickflip front blunts on ledges whenever he wants so how was he ever going to go wrong?

From your perspective as the organizer behind it – what’s your take on it? It was a success surely? How many people were there? Did you get any negative feedback from any one?

The event was fucking next level. It was a sick celebration, I’m hyped as fuck. Over 250+ people came over the course of the day. We went to multiple legendary spots and everybody smashed it. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

What do you have planned next?

There’s a lot on for No Comply at the moment but I just want to skate, do more events, add new No Comply members, promote more creatives in skating and continue trying to make more rad shit – that’s it basically.