
Elsewhere
The story of UK skateboarding 1987-2002
Neil MacDonald(Author)
Batsford (Publisher)
Published on 28. May 2026
Book
Hardback
464 pages
978-1-84994-942-2 (ISBN)
Description
'Majestic' - The Idler
'An absolute treasure trove.' - The Scotsman
'Neil Macdonald's triumph of a book' - Transworld Skateboarding
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.
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.
'An absolute treasure trove.' - The Scotsman
'Neil Macdonald's triumph of a book' - Transworld Skateboarding
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.
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.
Reviews / Votes
'Majestic' -- The Idler 'An absolute treasure trove' * The Scotsman * 'Neil Macdonald's triumph of a book' -- Transworld Skateboarding 'Neil Macdonald's magnum opus' -- Thrasher 'Captures UK skateboarding's grit and rawness.' -- Huck 'A curated history.' -- HEROMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Illustrations
300 colour illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 281 mm
Width: 221 mm
Thickness: 37 mm
Weight
2092 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84994-942-2 (9781849949422)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Neil Macdonald is the leading authority on British skateboarding. He has been skateboarding since 1988, and writing about skateboarding for Sidewalk, North, Free and Grey since 2007. He owns one of the world's largest libraries of printed and audio-visual skateboard media, including complete sets of all UK publications and almost every British-made skateboard film, as well as many hundreds of pieces of hardware and clothing. His @scienceversuslife Instagram account celebrates the stylistic innovation of '90s skateboarding.
Content
Foreword
Introduction
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Tribute
Index
Picture Credits
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Tribute
Index
Picture Credits
Acknowledgements