NEW JERSEY'S FINEST
GRACE HELBIG
on Comedy, Cancer, and Keeping it Weird
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY by Evie Friar
This article contains references to breast cancer, diagnosis, treatment and recovery — please take care when reading. For resources on dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis, please visit Macmillan Cancer Support.
The celebratory opening event took place on Saturday 27th July with a launch party, a skate jam and entertainment provided by Palace Skate DJs. It was a perfect summer night in Manchester with locals turning up to eat, drink, skate and soak up the atmosphere. The global adidas Skateboarding team were also out in full force, with standout appearances from Vitória Mendonça, Nikolai Piombo, Jarrad Carlin and Gabriel Summers. The team treated the people of Manchester to a show of impeccable skill, making use of the custom built course to stretch their legs and demonstrate their signature tricks.
Over the course of the following 12 days, the pop-up course was home to skate school lessons, tailored to different ability groups, alongside workshops from local group Gooseside DIY which broke down everything you need to know about skate equipment. The pros returned for a second team rider demo on 1st August before the event concluded with a closing skate jam and film premiere the following week which was hosted by local skate shop, NOTE, who were celebrating 25 years in business.
From attending the skate jams and seeing how many people turned up for the events, it was clear to see that events like this is something that the city of Manchester welcomes with open arms. More than just skate demos and workshops, the 'Build' project feels like a celebration of skate culture, which often goes hand-in-hand with a celebration of community. Locals were able to mingle with pros, skate alongside their heroes, screen-print custom t-shirts to rep in the day-to-day lives and leave feeling inspired to connect with others, more often, through the sport that they love.
Hopefully this is the start of many events like this for Manchester. Aviva Studios and Factory International are certainly leading the charge for bringing big name brands to community sized spaces so they are definitely one to watch if you're looking to attend future events like this. As for the skateboarding community, NOTE and Gooseside DIY are always there holding down the fort until the next group of pros roll into town.
