I liked skateboarding for about five minutes in the early 90s. I loved a fad. I always left my skateboard out on our narrow driveway at home and was perpetually being handed a threat from my Dad that he’d “put a bleedin’ axe through it”.
He never did. He never would either. For my birthday once, I demanded to be taken to Split Skates on Church Street in Manchester, an area which back then was pretty dodgy to my young eyes. It’s now one of several roads which makes up the hip Northern Quarter. I think I bought some trucks and some grip tape. It was a few weeks later when I realised I was actually utterly shit at skateboarding and I was more interested in the culture of it than breaking my shins jumping off steps.
I graduated onto other stuff soon after but the clothes, the brands and some of the overall look continued to resonate to varying degrees. So when I spied some Altamont clobber a year or so ago it hit a spot that hadn’t been tickled for some considerable time. It’s not a straight up skater brand in that the clothes are suitable to anyone who likes well made, well priced, well wacky stuff that doesn’t look too attention seeking. It fits well, it’s not aimed at biafran-alike skinny jean lads, nor is it massive. It’s just right.
These days, the only half pipe I’m likely to be found anywhere near is the one that leads to the grid near my back door, but there’s nowt wrong with mixing and matching a bit of skate steez when I take my kids to the local skatepark.
Now, where’s that axe?
