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Vans Rowley Solos and Manchester Skateboarding Q&A

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  [caption id="attachment_5698" align="aligncenter" width="700"]vans-rowley-solos Introducing the classic styled Vans Rowley Solos.[/caption]     I honestly don't know why I'm sat here trying to write an introduction for Liverpudlian expat Geoff Rowley cause if you've known skateboarding in any shape or form over the past 25 years then you'll obviously know his name and also know he's firmly left a legacy of 'stepping it up' in this world of skateboarding we live in. Geoff's Liverpool roots are firmly set and still stand strong today with his Lost Art connection along with old friend and shop owner Mackie. For a sponsored skater from the age of 15 who's spent as much time living Stateside as he did doing snap-backs at the police bank it's truly stoke inspiring to see him representing his home town to the fullest. With all that said and his already well documented Liverpool and LA tales mostly been told I was angling some questions back to the early days of skate missions via the good old national rail and more specifically his jaunts into the Manchester skateboarding scene.     [caption id="attachment_5701" align="aligncenter" width="700"]Vans-Geoff-Rowley-Solos Northwest represent! - Photo by James North[/caption]       - Firstly thanks for taking the time out to answer some questions for us, guessing it's been pretty hectic for you and the Vans riders since the World Wide launch of Propeller. Have you managed to make it home now and just reflect on the video as a whole? I’ve been home for 6 days in the last month, it’s been totally nuts. Super rad traveling with all those dudes though, Cab, Hosoi, TNT and the whole crew are full of amazing stories and guys that are seasoned road travelers. No video reflection yet…I’ll let that happen in its own time. Haha!   - I know it's been well documented in the past with your history of street skating in Liverpool but at that time and era the L'pool crew was well known for it's traveling/causing mayhem/general carnage of surrounding towns and cities, any fond memories from the likes of Shrewsbury, Barrow etc that spring to mind? Oh man! Where do I start? Camping, sleeping in bushes, bins, roofs or wherever we could get our heads down. Barrow was a filthy set-up, basically sleeping in dirt and skating 24-7. Honestly loved every minute of those trips, especially the ones way out in the countryside, dealing with farmers and such.       - Whats spots of Manchester can you recall and do you remember skating with any of the locals from round here back then like Rick Cooper, Femi etc.. ? I remember the first time I got off the train to skate Manchester, it felt like a foreign country to me, it stank like sewage and industrial waste. The exploration of every single skate able terrain commenced, I only skated the BBC curbs a few times, I saw Rick Cooper there and he was ripping and cool. Rick had a great style and did his tricks fast and solid. Femi was never cool to any kids from what I could see, in fact quite the opposite.   - Thanks for indulging an old man reminiscing from skate days gone by but to finish up and bring it back to present day what's on the agenda for yourself now? I’m working on a skatepark project locally right now, after that i’m going to start filming another video part. I had filmed a few things after deadline that got me all psyched for the next blast. Feeling good and strong, healthy knees and ankles…lets do this!   Massive props to Geoff for the words and also to Vans for making the House Of Vans reunion possible. And really this should go without saying but keep a look out next week for the European release of the next timeless classic Rowley Solos and apparel line.     [caption id="attachment_5712" align="aligncenter" width="700"]Vans Rowley Solos and apparel line available at the black Sheep Store 15th June. Vans Rowley Solos and apparel line available at the black Sheep Store 15th June.[/caption]   Daily happenings from Geoff Rowley on Instagram http://www.blacksheepstore.co.uk/vans-geoff-rowley-solos-biking-red-skate-shoes.html
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