This is my friend Lucas, I have known Lucas for about 9 years or so. I first met him at Flatspot skatepark in approximately 1999 when he had just started skateboarding and was on the typical mission to chuck himself off the biggest thing in the park in an attempt to see which was stronger, his ankles or the floor. His ankles usually won.
Prior to the above picture, the last time I saw Lucas was in a pub in Sheffield in 2006, he and a few friends were on a trip round the UK skating various spots and he happened to be in the same pub that I was. I thought it was pretty random, but quite typical of the UK skateboard ecosystem that constantly throws us into one another at the strangest opportunities. Anyway, that all led to a fun weekend in Nottingham etc for the Man Rodeo, a skateboard event before you ask. Anyway it was there that I bumped into a friend/client/fellow skater completely at random also. Anyway, I'm losing the point here, the above photo was taken at 5am in Bondi this year, yes Bondi, in Australia.
You might remember that I went to Bondi earlier this year for second year running to attend the Bowlarama comp and I had a splendid time, even if I did end going alone. Anyway, I was walking through a bar late in the day after the competition had wrapped up and most skaters had vanished, when someone called my name, "Adrian...", odd I thought. Then it came again,_ "Adrian..."_, I thought some poor sod was enduring the Rocky jokes I'm very familiar with. I continued walking to find every drunken man's haven and take a piss.
I came back out to get a drink and see Lucas' beaverish grin staring back at me. Turns out he and the same group of friends were on a trip slightly further afield this time. 6 hours later and we're drinking beer and talking shit on the beach like we had planned it.
Ps. for reading that, here is a photo of a rather nice backside tailslide from Renton Miller.
