School Of Skate

We recently found out one of our team riders (Liv Lovelace) was working at a local indoor Skate park on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, called School of Skate. Liv told us how rad the place was and that it was basically her Skate crew that ran the classes and had private session after on the daily.

Her rundown of the characters got us intrigued, they are a small tightknit crew consisting of, Liv, Jamie Strada, Kai Shimakage & Lachlan O’Rielly. Each has their own unique style on the board, but all sharing similar traits off the board... one of which, their love of baggy pants! We took each of them a pair of our new Billow pants, a 19inch out seam designed in Europe as a throwback to 90’s skate culture, had a Shred and chatted all things Skate.

WHAT BRANDS ARE YOU INTO?

Astro: Ahhh, FA, Frog Skateboard.

Jamie: ummm Volcom, Spitfire are really sick.

Kai: Def Vans!

Lachy: Anti Hero, All the brands at Deluxe, Polar are doing sick things, but yeah Deluxe are killing it.

Liv: Vans, Spitfire, Volcom.. Thunder

WHAT SKATE TRENDS ARE YOU INTO?

Astro: Baggy pants!

Jamie: Tranny skating for sure.

Kai: old school 90’s skating.

Lachy: All the raw guys that put their head down and skate... Pedro, all those raw dudes that just get it.

Liv: I don’t really follow them... but just anyone that owns what they’re wearing.

Skater: @lachlanorielley

TOP 3 SKATERS

Astro: Sean Pablo, Kader Sylla, Louie Lopez

Jamie: ishod, Louie Lopez, Mason Silva

Kai: Paul Rodriguez, Kevin Baekel, Ishod... ohhhhh and Kevin Romar haha

Lachy: GT, Raney Beres & Daan Van Der linden aka Skankie

Liv: Nora, Ishod, Pedro Delfino.

HOW LONG YOU WORKED AT SCHOOL OF SKATE?

Astro: I don’t actually work here... haha

Jamie: bout 5 months

Kai: yeah, same here... 5 months

Liv: like 2 months...

Lachy: Since it opened 7 months ago.

Skater: @kai.shimakage

HOW’D YOU END UP WORKING HERE AS ONE LITTLE CREW?

Jamie: Basically, through the owners, Scotty and Angus...

Liv: I asked scotty through Boarders Skate Shop.

Kai: Yeah, through Harry I used to skate with him down at Cromer.

Lachy: Yeah, the boys Harry, Scotty and Angus are my mates, so they got me in when it opened... I love it here.

Skater: @jamie.strada

HOW LONG IS A SHIFT?

Astro:

Jamie: arrrr, I work the arvo. Its 3hrs coaching kids with the boys... its chill.

Kai: yeah, 1hr lessons... we do 3hrs an arvo.

Lachy: when the owners are here, I kinda manage it. we just get the kids stoked, build that confidence up and getting them amped on skateboarding...

WHATS THE SKATE SCENE LIKE HERE ON SYDNEY’S NORTHERN BEACHES?

Astro: Really good crew. After school we all meet up at Mona ... it’s the shit.

Liv: Pretty close community, everyone knows each other. You can skate anywhere, and someone will be there and down for a fun session.

Jamie: It's solid here, we skate it pretty hard. Every arvo at Mona, even the weekends... pretty much have fun and just Skate.

Kai: Pretty much no one at my school Skates, so I Skate with all this crew from outside of school... we got each other backs... just get out and skate. Mona during the week, then try hit the streets on the weekend. head out to the city and shit.

Lachy: I moved here a couple years ago. Been sick getting into the local crew... everyone super tight and we hand every day and Skate... drink beers and have fun. Cromer Skate park was the go-to for a while...

Skater: @liv_lovelace

WHAT OTHER CREWS DO YOU CATCH UP WITH?

Astro: Bato Bay boys

Liv: I like getting down to Melbourne and hanging out with Hailey and Kat and all the girls.

Jamie: Yeah, they love it here, same kinda zone.

Kai: Cenny Coast lads... they know what’s it like around here...

Lachy:

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO SKATE?

Astro: Flat bars, Rails and Ledge...

Liv: Everything... I like when you can flow and skate multiple things. And I love filming in the streets.

Jamie: Tranny and rails I guess

Kai: I like skate gaps... many pads. I like getting a bit tech.

Lachy: Man, I like skating curbs, right transitions and bowls... random shit.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THESE PANTS?

Astro: Their baggy! Sit around the crouch area, materials good, colours good. I usually buy size 42 pants to get the fit I need. But in these I can wear my true size... which is 32 hahaha

Jamie: These are sick... baggier than my last pair of Volcom pants.

Liv: They are so comfortable out of the box. And they are super baggy, but the fits so good they work really well skating. Never have anything interfering with a trick...

Kai: I always like skating baggier pants, these ones remind me of the old 90’s vids. These are dope because they come in the right size, I don’t need to size them up...

Lachy: Perfect leg length and opening. Ready to go!

Skater: @astromarty

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF FROM VOLCOM?

Astro: More baggy pants in different colours

Jamie: Yeah, more baggy!

Liv: A bigger hat/accessory range.

Kai: Def some more of these in steez colours

Lachy: More pants of this fit in different materials... cords, light denim, canvas.

WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL OF SKATE OWNERS LIKE?

Kai: They're weirdo’s... ha-ha naaa, the legends.

Jamie: haha yeah, na... they are bloody legends

Liv: Super mellow... always down for a laugh and a good time. super supportive of the Skate community.

Lachy: Scotty, Angus Harry... supporting the local community with jobs for us and getting groms into skating... its rad, its sick to see and be part of!

OK SO THE OWNERS ARE RAD, LETS CLOSE IT OUT WITH ONE LAST QUESTION: WHATS THE BEST THING ABOUT WORKING AT SCHOOL OF SKATE?

Astro: Getting the place to yourself after hours

Jamie: All the boys having fun, throwing down

Kai: Cranking tunes after work and shredding

Liv: Meeting new people and watching kids get stoked about Skating.

Lachy: The mini ramp sessions with the crew after hours... good times!