Skateboarder hopes to tackle stigma around sport
A skateboarding coach said he hoped a two-day festival would help break down any stigma around the sport being "rough".
The Two-Toed Skateboards event, which took place on Saturday and Sunday at Woodbridge Skatepark, Suffolk, included skateboarding lessons, live music and skating competitions.
Advertisement
The money raised throughout the weekend went towards Skatepark Respect and the Ben Raemers Foundation, a charity that ensures the skateboarding community has the resources to help people struggling with their mental health.
Lewis Anderson, the founder of Two-Toed Skateboards, said: "I wanted to bring everyone together and show skating is more than just people on a skateboard."
Mr Anderson founded Two-Toed Skateboards in 2017, after he qualified as a professional skateboarding coach.
He said each year he tries to make the event bigger and better.
"I wanted to bring everyone together and show skating is more than just people on a skateboard. It is rooted in the culture of art, in skateboard design, in graffiti, in music, in skate culture - so a skate festival just makes sense to me.
Advertisement
"I want to break down that stigma that skateboarding has... we're not rough, we are a community."
Joe Bourne started skateboarding when he was about 13 and says it acts as an escapism [Angelle Joseph/BBC]
Joe Bourne attended the event, which was held in collaboration with Woodbridge Town Council, and has been skateboarding since he was 13.
He said: "It's the one thing that keeps me pushing really... it kept me out of a lot of trouble. It kept me sane at times, as my little escape from reality."
He hoped the Woodbridge skate scene could be kept alive by the younger generation.
"It's nice that it's still here. It used to be a bit bigger so it's a shame that it's dying out. It's good to see a lot of younger generations picking it up," he said.
The event also hoped to give people the opportunity to have their say on how they would like to see the skatepark improved [Angelle Joseph/BBC]
When attendees were asked what improvements could be made to the skatepark, their answers included more skating events, a graffiti wall and repairs.
Advertisement
Mr Anderson hopes with repairs and improvements, the skatepark will become a place where skaters can "feel a sense of ownership".
Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
More on skateboarding
Related internet links
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
38 minutes ago
- USA Today
Five takeaways from LSU baseball's super regional win vs. West Virginia
Five takeaways from LSU baseball's super regional win vs. West Virginia LSU baseball is headed to Omaha. After sweeping West Virginia in the Baton Rouge Super Regional, LSU punched a ticket to the College World Series. The Tigers erupted for 16 runs in Game 1 before plating 12 more in Game 2. It was just what we wanted to see from the LSU offense after the Tigers' bats were inconsistent at points this spring. Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson didn't pitch at the elite level they did in the regional, but both were good enough to get the wins. Anderson allowed six earned runs, but made it through seven innings in Game 1. Eyanson held WVU to three runs and struck out seven of the course of five innings in Game 2. Tigers' head coach Jay Johnson has now led LSU to Omaha in two of his four years in Baton Rouge. LSU's last CWS trip came in 2023, when the Tigers won it all with Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews. Before LSU continues its quest for another national title, here are five takeaways from LSU's Super Regional win. 1. LSU responded in the seventh inning LSU controlled the game early, scoring six runs in the first two innings. WVU began to stage a comeback. The Mountaineers scored three runs in the fourth and plated another in the fifth. Then, LSU had a response of its own. LSU scored six runs in the seventh inning, putting the game out of reach. It started with a two-run single off the bat of Chris Stanfield. Not long after, Derek Curiel scored on a throwing error. Steven Milam kept the rally going with an RBI double. Jake Brown capped it off with a two-run shot to center field. West Virginia had the momentum entering the seventh, and the Mountaineers were a couple of swings away from tying it up. Good teams respond like LSU did in the seventh. 2. Anderson and Eyanson were good enough Good pitchers find a way to do enough even when they don't have their best stuff. Neither Kade Anderson nor Anthony Eyanson had their best, but they combined to pitch 12 innings and both got the win. Anderson held WVU to one run through five innings, which allowed LSU to build a substantial lead. West Virginia put up some runs in the later innings, but Anderson hung in there and threw 109 pitches, keeping LSU's bullpen rested. On Sunday, Eyanson held WVU to three runs in five innings. Between the regional and the super regional, Eyanson allowed just three runs over 13.2 innings. LSU can't expect eight shutout innings from Anderson and Eyanson every night, but the Tigers proved they can win a different style of game vs. West Virginia. 3. Steven Milam was a star Steven Milam had ups and downs in the regular season, but he's been a star for LSU in the NCAA Tournament. He stayed hot vs. West Virginia. On Saturday, Milam came to the plate with LSU up 3-1 and the bases loaded. Milam put one in the bleachers to give LSU a 7-1 lead. Milam walked twice and scored two runs. On Sunday, Milam had two more extra-base hits with four RBI. Again, he walked twice and scored twice. If Milam is going to hit like this, it changes the outlook for LSU's lineup. It gives the Tigers another all-around bat in the middle of the lineup. "He will play baseball for a very long time if he takes the caliber of at-bats that he has," Jay Johnson said of Milam last weekend. 4. Potential emergence of Cooper Williams Aside from Casan Evans, LSU's bullpen has struggled in recent weeks. Even Zac Cowan has faltered after being one of the nation's most effective relievers for most of the year. LSU needed another bullpen arm to emerge -- it might just be Cooper Williams. Williams, a true freshman, was ranked as the No. 12 left-handed pitcher in the 2024 class by Perfect Game. He began his career without allowing an earned run in his first 12 appearances, but didn't see a ton of high leverage spots in the regular season. After LSU struggled to get outs last Sunday vs. Little Rock, Williams entered and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings. Then, a week later vs. West Virginia, Johnson called on Williams with the tying run at the plate. Williams delivered and gave LSU 2.2 innings, allowing just one run. That'll play. In 19.2 innings, Williams owns a 1.83 ERA this year. LSU will need a strong effort from the freshman in Omaha. 5. LSU looks like a complete team The Super Regional was LSU at its best. The Tigers have not played two straight complete games like vs. a quality opponent all year. Sure, the Tigers have found ways to win, but LSU was dominant in every phase of the game vs. the Mountaineers. This team is good enough to go all the way in Omaha. We had questions about the lineup entering the weekend. Those were answered. We know guys like Derek Curiel and Daniel Dickinson are going to produce, but when Milam, Brown, and Josh Pearson are showing off the power too, it's hard to find outs vs. this group. And Tiger fans should feel better about the bullpen now, too. LSU finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the polls for a reason. When this squad plays to its potential, it's the best in the country.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Emily Eavis reveals Glastonbury capacity cut to avoid overcrowding
Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis has revealed that the festival sold 'a few thousand' fewer tickets this year in an attempt to reduce overcrowding. Last year, complaints emerged of huge crowds at certain sets to the point that security were forced to shut down entry to more fans. The 2025 event is sold out but apparently will not use its full 210,000 capacity when it takes place at Worthy Farm in Somerset later this month. Speaking to the BBC's Sidetracked podcast, Eavis said she wanted to see if the reduction could 'make an impact on some of the busier times'. 'It'll be interesting to see just how that affects the dynamics on site,' she said of the reduced crowd sizes. Organisers have apparently also created more room at the Other Stage, the festival's second-biggest arena, where Charli XCX will headline on the Saturday night. After the festival bought extra land, there will also be more room at the Shangri-La nightlife area. Eavis said she had held a meeting of around 250 Glastonbury staff and asked whether anyone believed the festival was overcrowded last year – apparently no one put their hand up. 'I was like, [that's] interesting because there's a lot of talk, some people think that it was,' she said. Ticket-holders will also be encouraged to use different routes and make use of the entire site in a bid to ease congestion. Eavis said that the festival's app planner, with which fans can note which artists they want to see, had helped organisers predict which areas were likely to be busiest at specific times. 'The app was really accurate last year. People plan what they're going to see,' she said. 'We can see what they're going to see, which is really useful for us from a crowd perspective.' She revealed that, since the Covid pandemic, people tended to move 'more in a herd' and so her goal was to emphasise that there are 'like 10 routes to anywhere'. This year's festival takes place between Wednesday 25 June to Monday 30 June and will be headlined by The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. Other artists on the eclectic lineup include Grammy-winning rapper Doechii, rock band Wunderhorse, pop star Charli XCX, singer RAYE, Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap and mysterious band Patchwork.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Fun French Open whets Wimbledon appetite
In the latest edition of Second Serve, our weekly snapshot of the tours, BBC tennis reporter Jonathan Jurejko reviews the French Open and looks ahead to the grass-court season. Everyone needed a lie down after two intense French Open finals. Advertisement When Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz both fell flat on the court after winning the respective Roland Garros singles titles, it summed up a chaotic conclusion to a thrilling tournament. It was a French Open that delivered the lot - and whets the appetite for the Wimbledon, which is just around the corner. Recent editions of the clay-court Grand Slam tournament have been rather predictable. Rafael Nadal regularly handed out one-sided beatings on his way to a scarcely-believable 14 triumphs over a 17-year stretch, while Iga Swiatek did similar in her four victories between 2020 and 2024. So two exciting singles tournaments this year - both going all the way with nobody able to predict which way they would turn - were a fitting finish. Advertisement Alcaraz facing Jannik Sinner in the men's final was not a surprise. But the first meeting between the ATP Tour's standout pair in a Grand Slam showpiece ended in an all-time classic to further fuel what is fast becoming a must-see rivalry. That rounded out a men's tournament where Novak Djokovic showed he can still have a say at the top of the game. Would you rule the Serb great out of winning Wimbledon for an eighth time and matching Roger Federer's all-time men's record? Absolutely not. But you'd think he would need to avoid defending champion Alcaraz and world number one Sinner on the way. Advertisement Throwing in a genuine British hope with Jack Draper - who is now fourth in the world - further fuels the excitement for the All England Club. On the women's side, Sabalenka will remain favourite despite the painful nature of her defeat by Gauff. Sabalenka's powerful game works on any surface and, although she fell agonisingly short of a first clay-court major, you would still back her to win a non-hard court major. But, with eight different winners in the past eight years, the women's singles at Wimbledon has been unpredictable in recent years. Bring it on. [BBC] The debate about the French Open night sessions reignited. No women's matches were chosen for the primetime spot, leading to accusations the tournament did not think the female stars were worthy of it. Rafael Nadal, a 14-time champion here, was given an emotional send-off following his retirement last year. The other members of the 'Big Four' - Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray - joined thim on court. She might have insisted it was not a "miracle", but French wildcard Lois Boisson reaching the semi-finals in her first Grand Slam tournament was incredible. [BBC] Britain's Draper might have lost earlier than expected when he was beaten by 62nd-ranked Alexander Bublik in the last 16 in Paris, but he has reached a new career high of fourth in the world. Advertisement Italy's Lorenzo Musetti moved up to sixth after reaching the semi-finals, while American Tommy Paul - up to eighth after making the quarter-finals - is the third man in the top 10 to climb to a new career high. Britain's Cameron Norrie is the sharpest riser in the top 100, jumping 21 spots to 60 after reaching the fourth round. [BBC] It always felt Iga Swiatek's reign as the 'Queen of Clay' was under threat going into Roland Garros - and so it proved. The four-time champion's semi-final exit means she has dropped to seventh in the world - her lowest ranking since the start of 2022. Advertisement The biggest leap in the WTA rankings is, of course, 22-year-old Boisson. The French wildcard started her maiden Grand Slam ranked 361st and has climbed a whopping 296 spots to a career-high 65th. [BBC] [BBC] Who says the British can't play on clay? Norrie, 29, slipped perilously close to dropping out of the top 100 before reaching the Geneva final and then the Roland Garros last 16 for the first time. Draper reached the fourth round and Jacob Fearnley advanced to the third round on his debut - losing to Norrie - while Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal both earned their first main-draw wins. Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Kartal each continued their upward trajectory in the world rankings, with Kartal now a top-50 player for the first time. Advertisement Doubles pair Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury continued their progress a pairing by reaching the men's final, while Alfie Hewett was runner-up in the wheelchair singles. Hewett fought back from heartbreak, though, to clinch a sixth successive doubles title with partner Gordon Reid. And 16-year-old Hannah Klugman underlined her huge potential by becoming the first Briton to reach the junior final in almost 50 years. [BBC] A host of LTA grass-court tournaments have already started in the UK. On Monday, the WTA event at Queen's - the first time that a women's tournament has been held at the west London club since 1973 - returns. Advertisement Britain's Boulter, Raducanu and Kartal headline the event, which you can follow across the BBC. On the ATP Tour, the grass-court swing kicks off with events in German city Stuttgart and s'Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. Got any questions? Got any burning tennis questions you'd like us to answer? Submit them below and our Ask Me Anything team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits. You can also sign up to get the latest tennis news from BBC Sport delivered straight to your mobile phone.
