Still Stoked Longboard Skates For Surfers

Sep 02, 2009 :: summer skate

A mean summer and lean time for waves was made up for with some great longboard skate sessions. I've been pushing the carving limits in July and August at Hells Mouth, North Wales. Endless onshore winds and lack of groundswell really tested my patience this summer and the still stoked mantra of "when the surfs flat ride the tarmac" was put fully to the test. I have to say that the tarmac ride was gloriously full of stoke.

I have been riding the retro carve on 60mm OJ orange 79a wheels on Independent 136 trucks loosened till they're about to break free. The carving potential in the carparks is just awesome, the laid back backhand carve is virtually on the pin.
The other summer test has been on Gavin Surrey's Holeys. I have to say I have never seen the point of Randalls 150 and 180 trucks over the traditional geometry and they are just too bulky, setting the deck too far from the ground for my liking. After problems getting Abec 11 Flashbacks from our supplier and a tip off from James at Ocean Sports in Hove, I contacted Gavin after a long break and just had to give his awesome looking and highly finished Holeys a proper go. My humble verdict is these trucks just rock like no other. I have worked them out on the Mk2 Travel Board with 70mm Zigzags and tried all the bushings and right now I'm carving hard on the 75a pinks whilst keeping a stable downhill descent. Silverfish says it all on these trucks and I am absolutely converted. Next up will be some tests on the 5ft Cruiser. A trip back down to Brighton is on the cards real soon this autumn to try out some new ideas and new hardware setups.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ]

Posted on Sep 02, 2009 at 16:45:38

Apr 09, 2009 :: March Severn bores 2009

A Huge turnout of bore riders in the Newnham - on - Severn area were'nt too disappointed by mediocre bores during the first spring tides of the month. We counted 40 surfers, including a few kayackers, which was a pretty crazy number. I had a short, 250 yard or so, ride in the Newnham channel. This was on the first day, on a small wave which glassed up for a while, allowing a bit of footwork on Tom's massive eleven six log, especially custom made for the bore by Mike Peet at Atlantic Surfboards. That first day I've never seen so many surfers not catching the bore, but on the Friday a good number had stand up rides at Boatyards, with hoots carrying on the wind to the White Hart at Broadoak.

At the back end of the month in super low water I had a cruisy ride at Submarines, helped by a northwesterly breeze, which cleaned the bore up for some noseriding time. The next day I saw Bendy in the distance catch that same wave, while I waited a mile upriver to catch the bore in the channel, as Katie and Ocean watched from the Vostells sluice. That was a real small wave too, but I got a cool solo ride.

Is that the Severn Bore Donny?

It's definitely not happening in the horseshoe at the moment though. Low water and westerlies really have'nt helped and despite the 10 metre and higher nines, the bores just are not anything on February, when on the backend of the month I had a super solo ride fromSubmarines all the way to the Silver Fox, on an 8.9 metre tide.

As I write this I can see from the caravan window the steam rising out of the woods of the Forest of Dean. Although we've had a bit of rain the last couple of days it's going to do nothing for these April bores. Yesterday evening I went down and had to paddle at the head of the tide for 200 yards before there was enough to even knee board it. How I stayed with that bore I just don't know and by the time Bendy came on there was just enough to attempt a stand, but we both wrapped together and came off as it started to die again. I'll go out again this evening on the biggest tide but don't hold out much hope. As for the river levels my predictions have pretty much hit the mark. I never remember seeing the ford at the Silver Fox so exposed in April with only inches covering the stones. It would not be a good place to wipeout.

I guess the highlight of the last month for me was a great surf session at Rest last Thursday the 2nd April. We got there a bit late with the neap high tide at midday, although I planned to surf the turning tide and it was well worth it. Some 13 waves some 13 rides on shoulder to head high waves. The southeasterly had got up a bit and was definitely not the offshore wind forecast, which would have made it absolutely awesome and was the main reason for our going. Anyway I was stoked and even more so when I got out to find Katie had got a stack of pics.

Donny surfing Rest Bay 2nd April 2009 as the tide turned.

Donny gliding a line at Rest Bay 2nd April 2009

Done a good bit of skating too, sold several boards and more than the average number of films, so March was a real good month. After Easter Still Stoked is going to start making wooden surfboard fins, something I prototyped at Llangennith in 2003, so its high time we made some, as they look really nice, wear well and are a lot cheaper to market than glass ones.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ]

Posted on Apr 09, 2009 at 13:18:56

Nov 01, 2007 :: Interesting Lifes

Surfers tend to lead interesting lifes. Outside making longboard skates and surfing films I am a river keeper on my salmon fishery on the beautiful Wye near the Welsh border. This autumn since returning from our summer surf camp the river Wye has been stunningly beautiful. Salmon were showing often until the end of the fishing season in mid October, fishermen did pretty well as did the barbel fishermen.

Right now I have been doing bank repairs and making a start on my hurdle making for which I am cutting willow rods from my pollards. Also with the typical low October river levels work has been in hand repairing the summer flood damage to the salmon cribs, which create and maintain the salmon pools. One of the most thrilling experiences must be to see a double figure salmon break the surface and leap in a perfect flowing curve of silvery white. It is a sight which stays with me for years and makes me realise what a lucky guy I am to be able to move between the wonderful worlds of river and sea. As each year rolls by I find myself becoming more engrossed in the world of nature and more stoked by the sensations of the countryside.
Katie often joins me on the riverbank and both here and in the sacred grove of Sabren at LittleDean she will spend many happy moments at this beautiful time of year practising Tai Chi. She has found that the TaiChi helps her balance for surfing and skating and likewise those skills help her Tai Chi thus balancing the Yin Yang of life. Katie's interesting life is taken to a logical end whereby she teaches Tai Chi as an instructor from her own Lotus Leaf Tai Chi. One day soon she will be teaching in the woodland camp of Sabren's Grove, site of the Celtic shrine of Sabrina overlooking the wonderful horseshoe bend of the river Severn, and also on the exquisite beach of Porth Neigwl on North Wales'Lleyn peninsula.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ]

Posted on Nov 01, 2007 at 16:35:26

May 26, 2007 :: I woke up today

I saw the beach on Hawaii Isle; Tom Wright had told me, today I saw it. Still Stoked is a lifestyle all about living life to the full and getting your fix on a thing well done, whether its surfing, skating, working or loving. It has got to be done well. So where does all the sh*t go, in the river, in the sea, in the air and we're all having fun?
I pride myself on being old skool, always against the Corporation, always for Nature, always for the cheaper way. What a load of cr*p. Every single one of us is killing this world of ours in one way or another. From today Still Stoked my underground persona, the Wrights' way, is going to change.
Skating or surfing is about skills not expensive tools.
Still Stoked starts here, reduce, reuse, recycle. We're proud in that self satisfied way about all the boards we've been making, the films we've been creating but from here on in the last 10 years was the comma in the first sentence, the rest will be the test and I promise you Still Stoked will do something that matters.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ]

Posted on May 26, 2007 at 18:58:12

Feb 01, 2007 :: Start celebrating 10 years of Still Stoked!

No one can believe its been 10 years already since Donny created that first board and Still Stoked was born. We're going to be bringing out a number of different ways to celebrate our birthday and the first is available very soon. Our limited edition Beanies are fab and with only a 100 of each you'll have to get in there quickly! Check out the accessories page for more information.
There will also be T-Shirts and specially designed boards. So come on, join in our year long party!

This entry relates to: [ Skating ]

Posted on Feb 01, 2007 at 13:07:29

Nov 22, 2006 :: A New Wave Rising on DVD

Well it's taken us a while, but finally A New Wave Rising; Longboarding UK2K is out on DVD. It's such a atmospheric film which brings back good memories of summer and being out on the road. With Old Red now in the great scrapheap in the sky (although he may very well be reincarnated in the not too distant future) it's almost a tearjerker!! Donny will continue to cruise on in Mole, and who knows with Still Stoked's 10 year Anniversary coming up next year and 6 years on from making UK2K maybe we'll see a newer New Wave Rising on the horizon!
Meanwhile we've got some fab offers on with almost 25% off Uk2K and Longwave and a fantastic double pack of DVD's, so we hope they will keep you amused this Christmas time!
Stay Stoked.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ] [ Videos ]

Posted on Nov 22, 2006 at 12:07:47

May 15, 2005 :: Skates on Ebay

Well, if you believe the weathermen(no comment) we're in for a HOT summer, which is perfect for those lovely early morning or evening skates. The hazy heat and the smell of those light breezes - what could be better?
So nows the time (if you haven't already) to get yourself a skate perfect for cruisin' through those humid hot days. We're back on Ebay again, putting on boards at rediculously cheap prices, starting with the Original Travel-Board and soon venturing into the Retro-Carve complete with new 2005 colours. So go find us on Ebay, add us to your favourite sellers and keep those eyes peeled for the bargains that will surely come……

This entry relates to: [ Skating ]

Posted on May 15, 2005 at 14:36:06

Apr 21, 2005 :: Keeping it going

Blogging always seems to start with the best intentions then those intentions evaporate. Or is it just me?
Anyway Spring is in the air, Rainbow has sold to Lauren who says it is the best thing she's ever bought and enthusiasm IS back in the air.
Restoration to Mole, new editing suite, new surfsk8travel plans– and I am going to be more regular!!??*******
catch you all later
donny

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ] [ Videos ]

Posted on Apr 21, 2005 at 19:34:27

Jan 01, 2005 :: Happy New Year!

To all surfsk8ers, explorers, vanlivers and vanlifers, happy people from this and the other side of life, nature lovers and dreamers et al.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, may 2005 bring you endless stoke!
Stay Stoked, Stay Happy, Keep Cruising the tarmac wave and gliding the blue

From all at Still Stoked and The Seedling Leaf.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ] [ Videos ]

Posted on Jan 01, 2005 at 12:39:46

Nov 04, 2004 :: time flies

Autumn's going fast, summer's long gone with Hells Mouth and Llangennith passing into 2004 memories,and the Severn Bore film still is'nt done. Ah well, just hope when it's finally finished the wait will have been worth it!
Katie and I just spent Samhain on the banks of the river Wye, which was pretty rad as the last flood slowly fell and the flames from our fire and sparks from a yew branch filled the night sky. Getting out in the van in autumn is just awesome; the sensations and sounds of the natural world always fill me with the stoke of life.
We've finished the autumn acorn collection and made a nice bit of cash from a pretty unusual activity. The garden,woods and river all call for our work and attention and somewhere out there a peeling wave is reeling across a secret bay.
Tom keeps reminding me that "the Bore is due" and I keep excusing myself. We checked out an awesome place with land,stream,hill and valley and views to the sea plus a pile of stones which did have planning for a farmworkers dwelling, but it was never started and its a lot of money we dont have.
Anyway the reason this blog has been so quiet is we've been constantly doing stuff and having fun and loving life - hope to catch up a bit now the nights are getting longer.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ]

Posted on Nov 04, 2004 at 18:02:18

Aug 24, 2004 :: Summer at Hells Mouth

Such a good time was had at Porth Neigwl by Katie and I this summer. We'd gone up to Hells Mouth, as we do, to sell boards, videos, Katie's artwork and our new range of jewellery. Plus, of course, always hoping for perfect peelers and calm seas, for surfing and snorkelling.

Neigwl is our secret spot, we got waves after we arrived and then the sea went flat and we had the most fabulous snorkelling which Katie introduced me to. Fortunately I didn't see the massive eel that Katie met the first time she was out, but the amazing clarity amongst the bladder wrack and maiden's hair allowed us to see shoals of fish, crabs and lobsters. Towards the end of our stay, the hurricane swell came through, clean and glassy around head high and nobody else was out!! There are still secret spots.
Every weekend and a couple of days in the week we set up stall at the Middle car park of Hells Mouth, right on the pathway. Made loads of new friends and sold a load of skates to the local guys and girls and holiday makers. The new range of jewellery went better than expected, in fact we sold out only a few days into our stay and spent the rest of the time making coconut surfboard necklaces in the evenings!!

Rainbow at the Car Park (Photo courtesy of Richard)

We've got to mention Tim(Smeg) and all his mates, who bought boards from us and Paul who absolutely raved about UK2K A New Wave Rising, thanks Guys and Girls for showing us such a welcome, which we always find at this wonderful spot.

The Blue Moon over Cilan Head

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ] [ Videos ]

Posted on Aug 24, 2004 at 16:10:01

Jun 29, 2004 :: Icon Art from Still Stoked and The Seedling Leaf

Katie and I were musing this morning over our usual surfsk8 lifestyle ideas and what to do new for our summer travelling stuff, for selling on the road.

Katie's been doing some real cool paintings lately on some new themes, and suddenly we thought why not icons of the good ole days, like splittys and the like, would'nt they just make the coolest cards and prints? Well I went off down the river bank and when I came back, she'd done this rad painting which she was transferring to photo card.

I reckon it's gonna be a great idea for selling up at Hell's Mouth this summer— that's in North Wales on the Lleyn peninsula, along with our longboard skates and other stuff. Oh ye, When it's on Hell's Mouth has the sweetest wave with the clearest water, and the summer peelers are just so lovely.

Icon Art number one: The Blue VW Splitty

Anyway hope you like the first in our series of Icon Art, its going to be one of many available from The Seedling Leaf, in card, print and original artwork. Katie's so stoked about it so I just had to write and tell you all!

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ]

Posted on Jun 29, 2004 at 20:19:45

Jun 26, 2004 :: Still Stoked Lifestyle - What's it all about?

Have you seen the classic Michael Caine film with the iconic phrase "What's it all about?". Well, people ask me what is Still Stoked Lifestyle, what's it all about?
I reply, "It's all in the surfers' word stoke, that indescribable buzz that permeates body, mind and soul after a good session in the waves".
It's a highly individual thing, often shared in the group of friends but equally sometimes not, because as the other saying goes - "one mans meat is another mans poison".
Still Stoked Lifestyle is pretty well all embracing, as I think the website shows, and that is only a little of our own Still Stoked experience.
Although Danny Cartwright coined the phrase Still Stoked back in 1997 to capture the thrill of riding longboard skates when the surf was flat, it sums up my lifestyle ethic to perfection. It has almost, if not completely, taken on the form of The Life Quest, the search for contented fulfillment.
The Still Stoked LIfestyle, like the phrase What's It All About is the expression of the 'pink feeling' of feeling good, really good, about what you are doing. It is also the point at which the other classic phrase comes into play "variety is the spice of life". A lot of guys may think I am nothing more than a surfinskatin' hippy freak and that's the rub, because My Still Stoked Lifestyle takes the form of many guises from the obvious description above to birdwatcher, river keeper, woodland worker, food grower, walker, lover of fresh air, nature and all things intrinsically free and wonderfull.
I still get the greatest buzz from the sense of movement and sitting in the van with all those travelling emotions of "just getting up and going". In many ways this rolls the total feeling of Still Stoked Lifestyle into one great ball of feeling good, it's easy to share ideas and thoughts on lifestyle and so in my blog, I am going to elaborate on my other lifestyle loves, which all make my Still Stoked Lifestyle complete, if not indeed maybe to the challice overflowing!

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Surfing ] [ Travel ]

Posted on Jun 26, 2004 at 11:39:13

May 18, 2004 :: The Landsurfer Story-Chapter2

After the testing at Brighton and Gloucester I took the boards up to Leeds. I gave Tom a 4ft Performer for his birthday and Danny a 5ft Cruiser. Both these guys and their mates were at Leeds Uni, where we found the most superb slopes and underpasses to longboard skate.

Danny had come up with the name Still Stoked, because we were all mad for surf right then. More often than not it was too small for Danny or onshore mush or just flat! We even went in one memorable December evening at Scarborough, after a classic downhill session at Oliver's Mount, when it was minus 6 degrees wind chill and 7 degrees water temperature. We were mad! So danny said "call the boards Still Stoked, to remind us always of those rare, great and wonderful days we sometimes had in the surf.

Tom performing an "off the nose" spinner on a prototype Landsurfer at Oliver's Mount.

Leeds city was such a great place for smooth surfaces around the shopping arcades, and nobody seemed to mind me skating my 6ft Landsurfer around the place. I even got hoots from the scores of kids skating outside the Town Hall as i cruised and carved around on my 5ft Cruiser. Tom reckoned I got some respect there.

We did a lot of filming and coined the "Leeds Stokers", who in the late autumn of 1997, became the first longboard skaters in Leeds' history.

The Landsurfer was prominant in our filming and we got a good section of walking the plank from "Jesus Tom" and Donny, and all sorts of fun bits with Tom and Ed tandem, all of which ended up in the Still Stoked Story video.

Leeds was a great time and had a real pioneering spirit to it. The day at Oliver's Mount was pretty radical too. That would be one hell of a hill to put on a downhill event. If banking was built into the hairpin at the bottom of the impossible first drop, it might be just about makeable. It would be an awesome test of the downhill pros!****

I plan to do the next two chapters of this blog of the Landsurfer Story as picture galleries of the days with the Leeds Stokers.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ]

Posted on May 18, 2004 at 17:21:20

May 14, 2004 :: The Landsurfer Story - Chapter 1

It was in the Autumn of 1997 that I first got the idea of the 6foot board. I had tried the 'plank' at Dig's in Woolacombe, which seemed to me to be too stiff and narrow for serious landsurfing. So I came up with a board that was possible to lie on and pop up on. That basically meant 6foot long and 1foot wide, and that could only be achieved if there was a truck able to take it.

Some early Landsurfers from 1998

The Landsurfer was born due to the obsession I had with sea and tarmac and thanks to the Independant Truck Company, without which it wouldn't have been possible.

The first testing grounds were Gloucester streets and Brighton proms. I'd already become a bit of a lone longboard freak in Gloucester and when I started skating Brighton, I got a lot of stares and a few astonished surfers not knowing whether to take me seriously or not.

I could tell James at Ocean Sports didn't really know what to say, but he encouraged me anyway. Then Stephen Pope turned up outside the shop, asked for a ride, and proceeded to demonstrate how to walk the board on tarmac. He asked "Donny, can I be a team rider when I come back from Oz?" I said "You bet", and in July 1998 he turned up just in time to ride the hill at Widemouth at the first Bude Downhill.

Stephen and Old Red, Widemouth Bay 1998

I had nine months to develop the Landsurfer, get it right and launch the pro board. Next chapter will introduce my main skating buddy Matt "Buffalo" Hammersley, Tom, Danny and the Leeds Stokers.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ]

Posted on May 14, 2004 at 13:46:19

May 09, 2004 :: The Still Stoked Website

Our fourth generation makeover for Still Stoked is now up and running. We have a few updates yet to do on boards and images. We think the new site is now really accessible and looks fantastic, all thanks to Tom Wright at Severn Solutions. Hope you will all agree and get good fun and stoke from the site. Always look forward to receiving emails from anybody and everybody.
Donny

This entry relates to: [ Skating ]

Posted on May 09, 2004 at 13:08:50

May 01, 2004 :: In the workshop

It's Mayday, we saw the dawn in up in the old wood and now I'm ready to go again. At last the new travel board 2004 series is ready to go. Hooray for that!

The new boards look really rad and I've just been in the workshop finishing some sprays, two boards going out tomorrow.

I'm stoked. Happy Beltaine!

This entry relates to: [ Skating ]

Posted on May 01, 2004 at 14:41:53

Apr 26, 2004 :: The diary of a surfsk8 explorer

This is the start of my Blog, so I thought a few intros are in order….

I started my surfsk8 explorations in 1997 when I took a sort of year out to explore the other side of life. I did this by going out and buying for £900 a 1972 Mark 1 Ford Transit autohome which was so beaten around that it did not matter what I did to it next.

I took my surfboards and my Longboard Skates and started exploring the coasts and towns of southern Britain from somewhere east of Brighton all along the south coast to Lands End, up to Gloucester along the southwest northern coastline,all around the coasts of Wales and across to the northeast coast at Scarborough, and as many towns crisscrossing the interior to suit my travels. I lived on as little money as possible, most going on petrol! I mixed with people from the richest to the poorest, spending time with the alternative groups living in tepees, benders and cardboard boxes. Always i surfed and skated and turned my van, Old Red, into a unique and slightly mad max vehicle which I somehow managed to keep beyond the arm of the law. I wrote a book which is still in manuscript and never got published, but will be one day??? I kept on travelling, surfing, skating, and making films and videos.

Old Red finally came to rest at a secret spot on the north Wales coast in 2001 where he patiently waits for revival and people occasionally pass and think: "that is Donny's van which was in the Longboarding film UK2K.

While this was going on, Tom my son created the still stoked lifestyle website and Danny, Tom's university mate and my friend, came up with the name Still Stoked for the longboard skates which we started producing in 1997.

Many of my stories from 1997 to '98 can be found on www.stillstoked.co.uk and this weblog is going to be a retrospective account of my travels around Britain, Ireland and Europe in my 30 year old vans, of which I have three. As far as I am aware there was no expression called van life before I started my travels. It is an amazing life and extraordinarily easy to pursue in Britain, how long this will continue only time will tell.

I along with many of my generation have slowly but surely progressed backwards in our mindsets to the time when life was free and easy and good – that was sometime happening probably in the 1950s for kids leaving home, for me it was without doubt the coming of pop, rock and liberation in the 60s and 70s. Those who cant remember it aren't those who were there and stoned or smashed all the time, but those who didn't get the opportunities to enjoy the radical breakout of freedom. I did and I enjoyed every minute of it. Today I enjoy it still!

My surfing and skating Blog is my diary of my explorations, discoveries, friends and new family. It will be a slow haul from 1997 to the present with random interjections of what I'm doing right now.

This entry relates to: [ Skating ] [ Travel ]

Posted on Apr 26, 2004 at 09:50:33