When We Was Rad:
Skateboard History from UK Vintage Magazine

Category: Issue 58 November 1987

  • Pacer Street Scoot Advert

    The legendary Dave Currey was both the featured rider and the designer of the advert. He also did the graphics on the scooter itself. Dave was a colossal influence at this time, but largely unrecognised — the Pacer advert hints at the work he was to do later for Vision. He then went on to…

  • Hills Skateboard Advert

    Hills were a BMX shop in Muswell Hill, London, who took to skating in a serious way. Their ads were very professional, but the skater in this shot is uncredited. The ramp is Chingford. Can someone help out with a name, please? Looking through this advert you can see all the usual suspects and it’s…

  • Where? Guide to Places to Skate

    This is the one part of R.a.D magazine which is still flourishing, but under a different name. The “Where?” guide started its life as “Concrete Corner” in Alpine Action back at the end of the seventies, and moved on line as “Knowhere” in the nineties. At the time of writing this it is still going…

  • BMX How-to Double Fire Hydrant to G-Kruze

    Lincoln Blacksley was the featured rider. He was also able to describe how to do it in slightly more detail than was usual, as well as suggesting how it could be built into a sequence of tricks.

  • The Wall Reader’s Classified Ads

    The Wall had its roots in the “Sales and Swaps” page of BMX Action Bike, but was already part of the progression which gave birth to this web site. While “Sales and Swaps” had been dedicated to the standard fare of reader’s classified adverts, The Wall was an early attempt to encourage reader participation. The…

  • Spalding BMX Advert

    OJs, Slimeballs and Bullets for on £3.50! Skate T Shirts for £9.50 and complete Santa Cruz boards for around £60? I’m not sure what was going on there. Most of the advert was devoted to BMX, naturally enough, with complete bikes such as a Diamond Back Pro “Similar to Harry Leary” going for only £159,…

  • Ninja Scootech Advert

    The Ninja Scootech was the definitive British scooter from this period. My recollection was that they were really responsible for it all… Ninja Nicholls makes his appearance here alongside his fellow team riders of the time. There’s also a roll call of stockists which provides a snapshot of the BMX shops of the day:

  • Surrey Skateboards, R.I.P Skateboards and SPK Action Ramps Adverts

    Surrey Skateboards were a hugely important part of skateboarding right through the dark ages and on through this period. Their low prices and independant approach caused frequent friction with other shops; they were unique. In contrast, the modular trick ramp is a prime example of the kind of stuff which was churned out without much…

  • Readers Letters from Issue 58 of R.a.D Magazine

    Letters from: The Joe Lush Does Our Head in Mob, A Confused Skater from Bradford, Ollie Spackman from Thornton Heath, Sean Goff writing from Bakersfield USA, Jimbo The Mosher from Doncaster, A Trickless Skateboarding Freak called Nat, Mark, Carl Anderson, Pup, Crav (Sec of Squashed Squid and Semolina Skate Squad), Matthew Butterworth from Ormskirk, Mark…

  • Skate How To: No-handed Bone-up by Shane O’Brien

    “Approach the object at a moderate speed.” The classic skate how-to opening! Writing trick tips can be a real struggle. Shane O’Brien obliged at the Shell Centre.