Words: Sam Hutchinson
Photography: Josh Rose, Sam Hutchinson + Reece Leung
The Dustbowl site was originally scoped out and found by Garry ‘The Wizard’ G and Vince Orr, soon after the old ‘Joint‘ DIY was demolished. The first time I went along with them I couldn’t have been more gutted at how shit it was. Not only did it seem a trek, but it was a mess and to make things worse, the main plot was watched over by a double decker bus every 5 minutes – something our smaller, more private spots didn’t have an issue with.
Garry G Jewish Billionaire + Pope’s arse (ready to take it to farmers market). Photos: SH
The Wizard’s creation, feat Blinky. Photo: RL
After a few clean up missions, it started to look way more like an actual piece of land that you could skate on. The first ramps were built by the Wizard and a combo of PUMF / RWTB groups which resulted in a foot high, foot wide flat bottom, near vert, garden edging coping’d ‘half pipe’ (if a pipe was shaped like a schphincter).
This initial build, although fun, didn’t attract many skaters out those ways for the frustratingly brilliant 10 minutes you could sash it for. It also didn’t attract many people willing to feel like it was good enough to build more, to progress the spot. So, the spot lay dormant for a year.
OG quarter build with Jordan Kaye + Joe Howard. Photo: JR
OG Quarter completion. Photo: JR
In April 2015 a few of us went down to the spot with the intention of making an actual legit sized quarter pipe. A few weeks later, the OG quarter pipe was born.
Blinky – lien air. Photo: JR
Lee Rozee – frontside ollie. Photo: JR
From there the spot naturally expanded, with more cleaning and building and discussion, we ended up with a doorway, and wanted to continue building something more interesting than standard DIY.
Blinky – backside ollie during a build. Photo: JR
Martyn Hill – pivot fakie while slingshottin’. Photo: RL
Somehow we made ‘The Clam’, which was probably one of the most fun ramps I’ll ever skate. Just under two years worth of building created everything that ended up before the demolition.
Jordan Kaye – layback air to fakie. Photo: JR
Lois Pendlebury, Laurie O’Hara + Josh Rose. Photo: RL
Blinky – carve grind salute. Photo: RL
I’m pretty proud of what we did. I think the dustbowl was the first spot for most of us in the RWTB crew in which everything had been done by ourselves, after years of helping out and skating good DIY we finally had our deformed baby that we had as our own.
Blinky – gap from one hump to the other. Photo: RL
Garry G gaps into his own creation. Photo: RL
The Wizard, meditative boardpath cornrow situation. Photo: SH
We wanted to build things that didn’t exist in skateparks and have our own personal squat. Two memorable events would be the ‘Clam Jam 2015‘ and the ‘Halloween Jam 2016‘. It was the type of spot in which people stayed after dark and had a fire nearly every weekend, and its been very sad to see it go.
Joe Howard – backside one foot during the Halloween Jam. Photo: RL
Flatbank progress with Dean Greensmith. Photo: JR
Illustration: Martyn Hill
George Smith – switch wallride. Photo: JR
What was also worth noting about ‘The Dustbowl’, which I haven’t experienced much previously, was the support from the local community we received, with the local council getting in touch to show their appreciation, even to go as far as to invite us to meetings.
Lee Rozee – frontside rock. Photo: RL
Cliche sk8 DIY spot concrete pile + Laurie O’ Hara (Venice Beach Babe). Photo: SH
Laurie O’ Hara – boosted nosestall nollie 180. Photo: RL
Its amazing to see support for what we do as skateboarders by those of all ages and backgrounds, and for them to appreciate the time, money and effort that was put in- and we welcomed anyone from the local community that wanted to experience it.
Dusty Ian ‘Parfitt’ Blackburn. Photo: JR
Lee Rozee + Laurie O’ Hara. Photo: JR
We still don’t know much about its demolition apart from the quote ‘the landlord payed us to smash and clear everything’ and that Tesco own the land- they still haven’t built anything however seem to be paying for 24 hour security.
Laurie O’ Hara – one foot. Photo: JR
Although it was only technically a short lived spot, I don’t think i’ve skated any one place as much as I did there, so many good things happened, so many slams, so many good tricks, so many people came out to help and visit.
Josh Rose – front shove the hip. Photo: RL
Doug McLaughlan – front pivot the extension. Photo: RL
Parfitt + Doug, self-cut nipple holes and outstretched shirt (sensual nights and male hormones). Photo: SH
RWTB X DIY lives on though, hit us up if you want to come and support Leeds/Yorkshire DIY and peep some things we have in the works- watch this space! Long live falling to the flat bottom. Long live hanging up. Long live dust in your eyes, concrete in your cuts, sweat in your shinner and long live the Dusty B.
Garry G + Dougie. Photo: JR
R.I.P. THE DUSTBOWL
A photo taken before demolition. Photo: JR
DUST NEVER SLEEPS ONLINE VIDEO PREMIERE
An exclusive premiere of the ‘Dust Never Sleeps’, a 20 minute edit filmed by Josh Rose.
Featuring the whole RWTB crew skating mostly the Dustbowl, Stanmore Hill and surrounding Yorkshire spots. Probably the last edit to be produced before the Dustbowl got demolished.
Props to all the boys and good luck for the new DIY build.
Filmed and Edited by: Josh Rose
DONATIONS + ZINES
To purchase Dustbowl zines and for contributions to the new spot please email:
(All zines come with a DVD, all sales go towards the new DIY fund, keep ya eyes peeled, RWTB.)
