Elsewhere

Elsewhere is the definitive oral history of British skateboarding. Told chronologically from the beginning of its identity shift to the start of the new millennium, the book explores the lasting influence British skateboarding continues to have on fashion, film, photography, art and media.

While British skateboarders moved the sport away from its Californian roots, embracing a different terrain with skaters in the north taking to ramps in abandoned warehouses and in the south skating the streets of new developments, the story of skateboarding in the UK goes far beyond the act of riding a board. As important were the cottage industries of clothes manufacture, photography, filmmaking and zine production which were inspired by British skateboarders: many of which are now multi-million-pound brands which regulate mainstream culture today.

Pre-existing brands also started to mimic the fashion of British skaters - the reason the adidas Gazelle is so popular today is because a South London skater brought a pair to San Francisco where they were featured in a video and gained popularity. Next the Beastie Boys wore them, then so did Madonna, ultimately re-igniting the appeal of these classic shoes.

Suitable not only for skaters but for anyone interested in film, fashion and photography, Elsewhere tells the story of skateboarding in the UK during the pivotal era of 1987-2002 when the British iteration of the sport developed its own unique identity and subsequently went on to inspire and transform global popular culture.