Welcome Skate Store – Paul

Welcome Skate Store has decided to celebrate Yorkshire Day in style with an upload of their 2017 full length video ‘Paul’. Filmed and edited by long term Yorkshire VX wielder and Sidewalk pal Josh Hallett, this was another worthy entry into a lengthy list of videos documenting just how banging the Leeds, and the wider Yorkshire scene, is.

Press play now up north shredding from Tom Zealand, Will Sheerin, Tom Brown, Cainan McEwan, Liam Hobson, Blinky, Joe Howard, Dean Greensmith, Mike Clarkson, Dale Starkie, Martyn Hill, George Worthington, Matlok Bennett-Jones, Mike Arnold, James Foster, George Smith and more.

As an added bonus, you can download the whole thing for free via this Dropbox link right here!

After the usual intro shenanigans (slams, security, hen parties etc), a shared part kicks things off properly. Mike Clarkson opens proceedings with legs well trained in making the most of Yorkshire’s architectural quirks via quick footed stylishness, while Will Sheerin takes a more powerhouse approach to his spots (but can still take care of a switch inward heel down a Leeds staple when the need arises). Shop part-owner and Leeds OG Tom Brown is always something we’re pleased to see on our screens and he has a few dope lines in here, before ‘Viral’ Mike Arnold brings the part to a close – and we’re sure we don’t need to describe his particular brand of nonchalant gnar to you!

Tech wizard (and Mike’s former partner in crime when it came to Hyde Park flat bar decimation) Cainan McEwan starts the next part, cementing his place as one of Leeds’ most underrated proponents of the ledge boogie, and is backed up ably by Derby-turned-Leeds resident George Worthington’s silky steez.

Squeaky ninja assassin and Leeds’ biggest canine enthusiast James Foster can skate anything, which he reminds us of here, with a cameo courtesy of Liam Hobson who takes on some similarly unusual lines and has a good eye for a no comply curb flip. Pretty much any of Foz’s last ten tricks could have been the ender, but the one which is – we’ll let you find out for yourself what it is – is particularly gnarly.

This is followed by a transition heavy montage led by Welcome riders Blinky, Joe Howard and Dean Greensmith, which sees them tearing up The Dustbowl (RIP), Hebden Bridge, Hyde Park and more with cameos from Rye Gray, Doug McLaughlan and yours truly. Tom Zealand starts his part with a slam that you won’t want to see twice, luckily recovering enough from his mangled innards to attack all sorts of Yorkshire crust with back up from Tom Van Den Hoeven.

Welcome rider and employee Martyn Hill comes straight in with the hammers to get the next part going, which also features Dave Tyson, Josh Young, Alex Appleby, Stefan Maile, Mark Kemp, Joe Paget, Chris Parsons, Ryan Lonsdale, Lloyd Clipston, Farran Golding, Reece Leung, Matlok Bennett-Jones, Mike Wright, Robert Woodward and Jake Mitchell.

We posted George Smith’s section as a standalone to hype the video when it first came out, but it’s probably worth repeating that it’s fucking gnarly; massive pop, pure power and general pisstaking towards the forces of gravity… Following on from this is no easy feat, but UK Etnies rider Dale Starkie and his penchant for hurling himself lemming-like at the worst spots he can find manages it ably. Dale closes curtains on the video for a reason, that reason being that he’s gnarly as fuck.

For a city which doesn’t boast a decent skatepark to its name (Hyde Park can do one), it’s a testament to its residents as to how well rounded and hype inducing this video is. Big up Josh Hallett, big up Welcome, big up the Leeds scene. RWTB!

Check out our interview with Josh for more background on the video.