With skateboarding it seems a common law that each and everyone of us should be "unique" and that we "choose our own path"...or some quote inspiringly individual along those lines. But to be honest we all kind of become very similar when it boils down to the dusty concrete paths in the end.
It takes a special kind of skater to blaze above the standard lines that we all begin on and keep up the momentum to really inspire others or push them on. A rather rough looking shralper, a good few years back, that I was introduced to turned out to be one of those shredders that managed to push himself, other skaters and the whole Scottish scene forward.
I'm pretty certain he has some evil, brutal, pillaging viking blood (or hair) in him. And he fucking loves a party tae! SYB will now conduct it's first 'Legandary Concrete Slayer' interview with:-
Iain "Youngo" Young
Classic Rock & Roll @ a classic skatepark - Livi!Right first things first, congratulations on being awarded the first SYB ‘Legendary Concrete Slayer’ interview. Awarded to folk that make a massive contribution to the Scottish Skateboard scene, through building shit, shralping hard and partying hard!
So Tree beard: - Count the notches on your trusty wooden battle axe, how many years you been shralping now, and where did you learn those bad ass hesh skills from?First off tho, let me say how honoured I am to be the first ‘legendary schralper’ interviewed for the SYB Muthafuka!!!! Cheers, seriously! Well I got my first skateboard as a christmas present from my uncle mike (r.i.p mike) when I was 9 years old, I didn’t even know what a skateboard was or what it was for. Therefore I was an avid kneeboarder until I was 10/11 until someone at school asked me if he could buy it off me, I asked why and he showed me a copy of RAD magazine. It was then that I realised what could be done standing up on the wheelie board and promptly refused to sell it, got RAD and the rest as they say is history.
So I started skateboarding in the spring of 1985 with a crew of boys from strangemouth (total cess-pit of a place, don’t ever go there!). We used to build ghetto ramps in disused buildings and wasteland, probably did about 5 ghetto ramps/parks until I built two official ramps for falkirk council (after much harassment and fundraising by us) with Jason from Angelights, he taught me a lot so big props to Jason where-ever he is now. Those ramps seen many a sick session from the likes of Cubic, Russ Hall, Russ Crighton, Davie Phillips, Jamie Blair, the locals and many more.
As for my so called hesh skills, I basically stole all my tricks from Davie Phillip (he hated it, lol), Aaron Deeter (old Zorlac pro) and all the classic old vids. These were learned either at our ghetto ramps, Ali Stables spine ramp in Airth or at the Grail, that’l be Livi to you and me the old fifty pence piece was hectic back in the Eighties!!! So much fun, as it is now. Oh aye and I built my first ramp when I was 12.
Good shit! So just to clarify then about 25 years smashing your body up! Rad man. Second question – Best park in Scotland? (I’ll accept 2 answers – all-time best and best new park).....Yep mate about 25 years body smashing been going down!
As for the next question I think you could answer that for me mate, obviously, Livi and Edinburgh. For indoor parks it has to be unit 23, hahaha, does it fuck A-deen aw the way, best indoor bowl and mini ramp in britain mate. Scotland has some sick parks.
Aye I knew that wis what you were gonna say! But those 2 parks are worth mentioning a fucking lot! Right so - Raddest thing you have ever built?It’s hard to say really because everything I build is Rad! Nah seriously I would say for me it would probably... no - definitely be all the derilect building/broken into warehouses ramps and ghetto parks that the chemical skate crew built back in the 80's because they were the beginning of it all, the search, the build and the sesh! Also because it was all you had, you would put so much energy into shredding the shit out of it as well, unless we convinced parents to drive us to livi or the train to church! That was it you know - it's was and still is all about the DIY shred, go build something to session - its the shit.
Big fat Lien grab (over a big old o'beast's legs) @ Spalding
Feeble Fakie @ Stanground
Backside Early grab @ StangroundWord on that you animal! Where was the best session you’ve ever had. Where/when/how smashed/drunk you were that night...I’ve had too many rad sessions tae name just one, its all about the sesh, the sesh is a beast. As for drunk sessions, that would be chevvys aviemore, crazy nights, great sessions
Gnarliest slam you’ve ever had....Just had a belter this morning, a bit of a tennis ball on the hip right now, that’s why I’m writing this and not skating. Wouldn’t really class any slam as the best!! They generally all suck, I have had some sair yins tho, dislocated most joints, broken some stuff, had one in canada where I couldn’t pick myself up and some kid asked if I was ok, to which I said I was but couldn’t pick myself up, looked around and my arm was the wrong way around and lifeless, poor kid almost spewed when he seen it, I decided a&e would be a good idea about then....
Best picture I have of a slam is me falling from 10:30 in reedsport fullpipe, gravity just let me down for a moment,
that wis pish tae 7:30 in the morning tae, just out the car at 1st light
Hip FS Floater @ Old Meldrum
Stale @ Old MeldrumOfft - that sounds pretty sare! Next question - best transition skater you’ve ever seen in the flesh.Too hard to answer really mate, ehhhh ehhhh, fuck knows, probably anyone who treats every skate like their last and/or Mark Burrows & Greig Nowick. Although Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain and Cab at livi were sick to see although Rattray, Stu, Benson, Div and Colin always rip it up tae oh aye and Paris on vert!! Actually - it has to be any SYB crew, especially that spad who does the dump truck! haha
Haha, aye yer right about that fucker who does the dum trucks, he's a spad! If you had to have 1 last ultimate skate session before you bite the dust, where would it be and who with? (SYB crew are already there man)SYB of course!!! haha. Generally it would be everyone I skate with and makes the sesh a beast, to chose 1 fully charged session head it would have to be Mark Burrows hands down without a doubt best person to have in a sesh, apart from his fucking snaking!!!
This one could be tough - Your shralp beer of choice?My schralp beer of choice eh, well I don’t really drink when I skate anymore due to too many serious hospital
visits (ed - getting too old for both!). But if I had to it would be a guid I.P.A. or Bud-wiser ya know?!
Nice choice dude. Your next question relates tae that bit of savage animal skating in your demonic soul:- What kind of wild beast would you most associate your skating with?Wild beast, wild beast.... eh man I dunno - a Tasmanian Radshark Schralp Demon! hahaha or a smoking toad beagle who knows...?!
Top 3 tunes to get a shralp to?1. AC/DC = Hells Bells
2. Iron Maiden = flash of the blade
3. Motorhead = Motorhead
Sweeper @ Sick indoor mini, England
Nosegrind @ Sick indoor mini, England
Big Lien @ Sick indoor mini, England
Sweeper Fakie @ Sick indoor mini, EnglandFucking ace choice man! Finally, any words of wisdom to the shralpers out there that want to build something to skate – secret cement mixture maybe?That is a secret aye, haha!!! Nah just get out and start mixing, basic 3-1 mix, 1 cement, 2 sand, 1 gravel (for stuctural strength) and a bit of pva carefull tho if its warm weather itl go off like a rocket and yeh might need some plasticiser in it, all available from your local builders merchant or wherever you get yer goods.
Go build and learn how tae finish crete, its an art form. Rough it up, leave it, then float it, make sure its closed tho and like a good shite, wipe it!! Then shralp it tae death and build some mare!
Well SYB, this has been good, it brought back rad memories. Words of wisdom = go on road trips, skate til death and follow yer gut/heart it'll no let yeh doon. Sheeeeeeeeeeraaaaalllllpppppppppp.......... ya basssss! Forever.
Over and out. Party time with the SYB LADS
