The skateboarding world these days is putting out epic, high-budget…well, i guess you could still call them videos. They definitely look like skate videos, and they still generally behave like them, but there’s definitely a different feel to recent outputs from the big companies lately. Everything about them, not just the actual skateboarding, has to be bigger and better, with more money and more time being spent than ever before on producing something that sets a new standard in making a video. The differences between the small-time, shoestring budget, camcorder-from-argos skate videos of old and the massive, cinematic productions of today (Nothing But The Truth, Fully Flared et al) are far from subtle. Don’t get me wrong, i enjoy videos like Fully Flared. I love watching skateboarding being pushed to its limits before my eyes and i do like what a big budget and 3 years in production can achieve in the right hands, but i can also relate to those of us that prefer the smaller videos that make do without the money and the equipment and the know-how, and instead just put something out that simply shows the joy of skateboarding. It’s lucky for people of this opinion then, that Baghead Flats is one of these videos. Come to think of it, it’s lucky for just about everyone that for £5 you can get your mitts on one of the most enjoyable videos i’ve seen for some time.

Why so enjoyable? For starters, there’s a definite “session” feel to it. There are certain spots that appear in several skater’s parts, and you can pick out most of the featured skaters in the background of each other’s sections, making you feel like a participant or at least an awed spectator, cheering along with those out of shot at one of Josh Young’s blunt full-cabs, Mike Wright’s ledge tech or Joe Lynskey’s various flips to manual down banks.

Secondly, if you live in the north, chances are some of your local spots and parks will be featured in this video, and if like me, your spots aren’t what you’d call popular, it’ll stoke you out to see that these guys aren’t bothered about skating anywhere, not matter how ghetto it might be. There are actually bits in it where the noise of a rough surface is almost louder than the backing tracks. I was particularly stoked on seeing some Rampcity footage, mostly from Andy Scott. Watch for his blunt fakie at the end of his part. That vert ramp isn’t exactly small as it is.

Baghead Flats Teaser

Thirdly, every type of skating is to be found here. Ben Grove and Doug McLauglin’s parts will satisfy those who are into their hammers (though there’s some more tech stuff from Grove in there too), Josh Young stands out with his relaxed style and effortless mini ramp tech, Jason Brown would fit in well with the Preston scene, as his part is packed with wallies and flip tech, and Mike Wright shows why he’s one of the UK’s biggest talents, blending star and rail hammers with manny pad and ledge tech. There really is something for everyone in this video, and it is well paced as a whole, never sticking for too long on one style and not having any overly long sections.

Overall, i think Baghead Flats is a great example, not only of how far skateboarding in this country is progressing, but that as the big companies are pushing the cinematic boundaries of videos as far as they can, there will always be videos like this, that simply show some amazing skating by a group of mates that are obviously loving what they do. It’s also handy that they’re some of the best skateboarders this country has to offer.

Baghead Flats is available for £5 from Story. Put your hands in your pockets and buy it, you can’t go wrong.

Paul Rice