Skateboarding has always thrived on the fringes of UK culture. Long before it became a mainstream, Olympic sport, it existed in the overlooked corners of cities – in car parks, underpasses and DIY spots far from the mainstream lens. Where California painted an image of sun-soaked freedom and endless concrete bowls, the British kids who adopted skating were faced with rougher terrain: a culture shaped by grey skies, grit, and a government determined to treat them like a public nuisance.

In his new book, Elsewhere: The Story of UK Skateboarding 1987–2002, skater, author, archivist and British skateboarding buff, Neil Macdonald digs beneath the surface of the UK scene, documenting the people, places and creativity that shaped a pre-internet generation. Pulling together unseen photographs, found ephemera and interviews with key figures from the era, the book acts as a curated history, capturing how British skateboarding grew from an underground obsession into a movement that left its mark on fashion, music, photography and art.

To mark the release, Macdonald picks out five images from the book and talks us through the story behind the photograph.

Ben Wheeler, Southbank, 1991. Photography by Corin Casey
“Back when Southbank was grey. You can even see how the Centre management had painted over a bit of graffiti with whatever other shade of grey they happened to have a tin of. This never ran in a magazine, it’s basically just a snap, but it epitomises that era of Southbank, of locals improvising with what they could find and put together. Somebody probably ‘found’ the wood for that little ramp somewhere nearby, and quickly knocked it together, and it would have been skated until it fell apart, got confiscated, or tossed in the river. The Southbank Centre were constantly trying to evict skateboarders, and in 1991 they put barriers up to stop the banks getting skated. Over the years, they also lifted slabs, cut grooves in the ground, threw gravel down and turned the lights off, so it’s funny seeing them hosting an exhibition to ‘celebrate 50 years of skateboarding’ at what they’re now calling ‘Skate Space’. It was never called that. Southbank isn’t a skatepark. 

Jamie Bolland, Glasgow, 2001. Photography by Leo Sharp
“It’s crazy to think that this is now 25 years ago, because I think it’s still the best thing that’s been done at that spot. The slabs you have to pop off are all loose and wonky, the rail is massive, and the bank is curved in such a weird way that it’s pretty much impossible to ride out without having to step off or just getting shot into the ground. I’ve seen all sorts of people come here, probably having thought it was actually skateable because they saw this photo, but no. Jamie Bolland made this look easy – and cool too, in those big early-2000s Circa shoes and with his hood up. Jamie’s an artist and musician now.”

Jimmy Boyes, Newcastle, 1991. Photography by James Hudson
“Jimmy skated throughout the timeline of the book, and he still skates every day. And swims, and runs. He climbed Mont Blanc solo too, and cycled the length of California by himself. He also died and came back to life following a traffic accident. He’s lived in various places, but he made the biggest mark on Liverpool and Newcastle. This is him at the Queens Bank in Newcastle, doing his own thing. The businessman just looks so confused, like it’s incomprehensible why a person would be skateboarding on this bit of civic architecture, designed to make people behave and move a certain way. They’re both going in different directions, and the juxtaposition of Jimmy’s absolutely fucked board and the businessman’s shiny leather briefcase is just brilliant. James Hudson is a very underrated photographer.”

Ben Bodilly, Penzance, 1995. Photography by Wig Worland
“This was on the contents page of the first issue of Sidewalk magazine, the UK title that ended up running in print for the next twenty years. It’s still one of my favourite photos from that magazine, and one of my favourite Wig Worland shots, which is saying something. To get that much height out of such a little kicker – the sloped ground – is wild, especially for how windy you can tell it is. Ben’s got the perfect ’95 outfit on – people who don’t skate dress like that today – and the Volvo adds so much to it. Compositionally, and in terms of timing, it’s just an incredible photo with a lot going on.“

Colin Kennedy, Sheffield, 1996. Photography by Andy Horsley
“This is one of the most British-looking skate photos ever. The crustiness of the spot, the general feeling of dampness, the leafless tree, the winter dusk light, and, of course, he’s wearing a North Face. This sums up the difference between UK skating and what we were getting fed by the Californian industry. Colin would have had to push extra hard to be able to slide along that rough, mossy ledge – even with a bit of wax on it – and they probably got chucked out very soon after. Style-wise, this trick could be in a US magazine, environment-wise, it’s just so UK.” 

Elsewhere: The Story of UK Skateboarding 1987–2002 by Neil Macdonald is published by Batsford.