Darren Richards’ Post

I was excited to see Skateboard at the Design Museum before the exhibition closes this weekend. To many, skateboarding can a noisy irritation. To skaters, the pursuit of landing a new trick is a thrilling compulsion. I’ve taken a lot from this sport over the years. It helped me foster a mindset of continuous improvement long before I came across the term in the business world. And creativity is an innate part skateboarding. When you start skating you begin to look out for new spots to skate. The world around becomes an opportunity to subvert the urban landscape into an impromptu skate park. The better you get, the more opportunities you see. Unsurprisingly, professionals take this to the extreme. They see things no one else can. Whether it’s Jeremy Wray jumping a huge gap between two buildings, or Aaron Homoki jumping the Lyon 25 (25 steps!). If you’re at a loose end in London this weekend, check it out before it closes. #Skateboard #continuousimprovement #Creativity

🛹 Skateboarding: More Than Just a Hobby, It's an Art and Lifestyle 🎨 Skateboarding isn't just about mastering tricks; it's about self-expression and creativity on four wheels. From the fluid movements to the design of the boards themselves, every aspect reflects an artistic sensibility. But it's more than just art—it's a lifestyle. Skateboarding fosters a sense of community, resilience, and individuality. It's about pushing boundaries, both physically and creatively. Whether you're shredding at the skate park or cruising through the streets, skateboarding is a form of expression that transcends sport. Embrace the culture, embrace the art, embrace the lifestyle. 🤙 #Skateboarding #Art #Lifestyle

"🍕PIZZAZILLA " Just finished a custom hand-painted skateboard deck for VINCENZO'S Pizza to hang proudly on their wall! Bringing together two passions - pizza and skateboarding - in one vibrant artwork. Give it some love if you think it's a slice of creativity! #PizzaArt #SkateboardDesign #CustomCreation"

New blog post alert ❗ How Skateboarding Made Me Less Scared Written By Ida Wiedel Photography By Melissa Zabihi Skateboarding has profoundly shaped my confidence and outlook on life. From hesitant beginnings to fully embracing and learning from the skate culture, here’s how taking up space at the skatepark helped me grow both physically and mentally. Read Here: https://lnkd.in/eg9gjeVS #skate #skateboarding #girlskate #girlskateboarding #skateboard #skatelife #skateculture #blogpost

It’s WK49 and we are well and truly on the countdown to Christmas here at Openshaw & Co., which for some of us, has sparked conversation as to what presents one should get children and those still young at heart. Fortunately, our routine foray into the distant patent past has thrown up a bit of a leftfield gift idea, and one that is making a bit of a comeback. With some of us also wanting to be on trend, and topped with a hint of danger, this pricked the attention somewhat.  So, strap yourselves in. On the 9th December 1884, Levant Richardson, an American inventor from Chicago, was granted a patent for the ball-bearing skate, US Patent US 308,990. Now, it’s worth pointing out that, in 1884, roller skates were not new, but had by that time become very popular. So, it’s worth us rolling the clock back a touch (pun intended). The first roller skate was invented much earlier, the use of which was first reported on a London stage in 1743. It was in 1760 that the first patented roller skate was introduced, the inventor was John Joseph Merlin (1735-1803), from Belgium, and is credited as being the father of the roller skate. As the popularity of these skates grew, so did innovation. James Leonard Plimpton (1828-1911), an American inventor, developed a safer and easier-to-use skate that allowed people to steer simply by leaning to the left or the right. These ‘rocker skates’ were patented under US Patent US 906,281 on 8th December 1908, and transformed skating, the action is still part of skating today, especially with the traditional quad-wheeled skates. The fundamental benefit of Richardson’s 1884 invention was to reduce the resistance and friction of the wheels on the axle, thus making the skate much more free-rolling. In 1898, Richardson founded the Richardson Ball Bearing & Skate Company, establishing a reputation for producing the world’s fastest skates. Fun fact – whilst the average speed on flat and even ground is around 10 mph, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the fastest a human has travelled on roller skates (rollerblades in this case) is 81.93 mph (131.86 kmh) by Gabe Holm in Canada on 16 September 2017. Realising that his invention had many other applications, through licensing and other efforts, the ball bearing wheel was then incorporated into a vast array of products including fly fishing reels, conveyor belts, auto parts, and wind turbines, making Richardson very wealthy – a high roller, some might say. The humble roller skate, who knew it was so old and that it triggered quite so much innovation that had a direct impact on wider industry and product development? Here at Openshaw & Co., some of us are of an age where Roller Discos were a thing, and indeed, at least one of us took up the sport of roller hockey as a child. If you are in the market for some adrenaline-fueled excitement this Christmas, a pair of roller skates could be just what the doctor ordered (along with crash protection gear and health insurance).

a story about skateboarding, and a lesson in not giving a f*** last summer I was in Venice Beach: one of the best skateboarding communities in the world. picture a bunch of Tony Hawk’s doing crazy shit, and 100s of people watching in amazement. “I’m going to rip the half-pipe” I said, so I went up and stood on the edge. for context: I'm not a skateboarder. I think skateboarding is fun, I skateboard to get from A → B, but I cannot do the skateboard tricks. but being in Venice, I felt inspired to try, so I went up and stood on the edge of the half-pipe. I got to the edge… and something happened: I looked up. I looked at other skaters ripping up the park, I looked at 100s of eyes watching and critiquing, and I chickened out. I’ve thought about this moment for a while: I let the hypothetical thoughts of other people stop me from doing something I really wanted to do. I wanted a chance to redeem myself. then yesterday… we pulled up to a coffee shop, I looked to the right, and there it was: a half-pipe. it wasn’t as big as Venice... but there were skaters skating, and people watching. so I grabbed a skateboard and went to the drop-in, but this time I did something different: I did not focus on other people, I only focussed on “experience.” 🏎️ experiencing the speed of the skateboard; 🔥 the adrenaline of risk; 😡 the frustration of f**ing up; 🏔️ the triumph of getting better. this teleported me into a room by myself; it was almost like I couldn’t see the other people. all of my attention was inward, feeling every single feeling that came up. it was one of the best experiences of my life. I think I experienced unfiltered life for the first time; the thoughts of other people never crossed my mind. so here is my action step moving forward: people say "picture the audience in their underwear." I say forget about the audience entirely. focus internally; on maximizing YOUR experience, and don’t let the thoughts of other people get in the way. #unfiltered

A realistically depicted cat performing a skateboarding trick on a city street. The cat, with a natural appearance, is in mid-trick on a skateboard, showing agility and skill. The background is a typical urban street scene, with elements like buildings, street signs, and parked cars, emphasizing the cat's street skateboarding setting. #chatgpt #dalle #cat #skateboard

Skateboarding debuted at the Olympic Games in 2020 when the Games were hosted in Tokyo. 🛹 That year, the Japan Skateboarding team took home three out of four gold medals, and a few silver and bronze medals for three of the four disciplines. 🥇🥇🥇🥈🥉 Japan’s impressive performance in skateboarding has since captured the world’s attention as they gear up for the next Olympic Games. 💫 Although the Skateboarding category is new to the Olympic Games, Japan embraced skateboarding as a legitimate sport earlier than other countries and in unique ways that showed their respect for the sport. 🛹 Niall Neeson of the international World Skate company explained that due to Japan’s geographical size, street skating doesn’t exist the way it does elsewhere, so instead Japan established dedicated parks and facilities like skateboarding schools to foster talent and innovation in the sport. 🏅 Hayakawa Daisuke, coach of the National Skateboarding team, expects the team to win medals in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games while communicating the good of skateboarding and its culture to others. 🛹 Read more about Japan's outlook on skateboarding ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games here: https://bit.ly/3XoLciR Are you looking forward to seeing skateboarding in the Olympics this summer? 🛹💫 Let us know your thoughts below! #Japan #Paris2024OlympicGames #Olympics #Paris2024 #Skateboarding #JapaneseTeam #GoldMedals #Tokyo2020 #JapanSkateboardingTeam #OlympicGames #JapaneseSports #JapaneseCulture

"Thrilled to unveil my latest work, showcasing the exhilarating world of biking! 🚴♂️✨ Capturing the speed, freedom, and passion on two wheels with top-notch editing skills. #Videography #Editing #Cycling #CreativeStorytelling"

Imagine chasing after a skateboarder with a camera, weaving through obstacles, just to capture that perfect shot of their incredible moves. It was like a high-speed adventure where every moment counted. The end result? A video that truly brings the raw energy and excitement of skateboarding to life! #skateboard #videoshoot #videographer #videoeditor #skateboarding