The Hooked team blog: Get Your Bearings: Mark Baines

While people all over the UK have been making friends with the colour blue with video premieres, us lot here in Derby are dying to see the new Blueprint video.

Long time Blueprint representative Mark Baines talks to Hooked about the new film.

Hooked:

Alright Mark,

How are you doing? How was the new Blueprint video premiere?

I am doing good thank you, the Blueprint premiere was crazy. A lot of people, pretty nerve racking for some of the riders I think, I certainly was nervous to see the video. It seemed to go down well with people there. Some of the tour premieres were better than the London one, Liverpool was amazing, Manchester too, Stockton and Glasgow, I don't know if it was more laid back or what but I enjoyed them way more, the reception in Manchester was good because they're a tough bunch to impress the mancs are.

Hooked:
One of the highlights for us Brits was to see Blueprint repping us at The Berrics, you guys were all over the website - how was that experience?

That experience was amazing, the thing is it is a skate park at the end of the day but it is a skate park that has amazing stuff to skate, and one that anyone who is building a park could copy if they wanted to. For us we knew it is a great way to get exposure for Blueprint and we worked hard to put out the best we could, everyone was just buzzing from skating there with each other. It says a lot about Blueprint to be on there, people think highy of the company and that stokes us all out. A lot of people hate on the Berrics but then a lot of people hate on corporate people getting involved in skating, it seems no matter what you do someone will hate on you, usually the haters have put nothing into skating themselves anyway. The Berrics helped us out and many more UK skaters too, Benny for one, he smashed it in the game of Skate and made a bigger name for himself than he already had that was good to see too and I am sure the whole of the UK scene was wanting him to win.

Hooked:
You've been on Blueprint for a while, it's been through its ups and downs... have you got any memorable phases / events/ trips ?

All the Mallorca trips are memorable, China was amazing, first tour with Pritchard on there when we got arrested. A lot of the early days were really fun, Flynn, Cattle, John Weatherhall we're all part of the Panic/Blueprint family and we all had a lot of fun in those days.

Hooked:

You've just been on tour around England, where were your favourite locations to skate..?

I didn't really skate as I was ill but watching everyone else skate it seemed like they liked everywhere. I love manchester to skate and Liverpool too, scousers are amazing people, if you're a twat they'll tell you you're a twat.

Hooked:

Do you have a favourite place in terms of the people there and reception of Blueprint?

Liverpool, see above. Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, Guilford, Stockton, Newcastle all the places were amazing, the skaters and shop owners showed a lot of love and we all appreciated it. The thing is we had our haters and they know who they are and hopefully they're embarassed by the things they said and what they tried to do to make themselves look good and bring us down, some of those things hurt more than they all realise.

Anyway this tour was received well by everyone I think and after all the negative stuff this was the best thing to happen for us, it was good to get back to the grass roots if you like and speak to kids and see them get stoked on it all. At the end of the day it all comes back to rolling and people often forget that, myself included.

Hooked:

What's your favourite kind of spot to skate, i.e. relaxing bench area, manny pads, skateparks with a bit of everything or street that's super real and OG?

I really miss having a spot you can go to daily and skate all day. Somewhere like paternoster square back in the day, benches, smooth flat, if I have that I am happy to be honest. Skateparks are ok but it's not what I grew up skating daily, kids now grow up skating parks and it's amazing because they can skate everything, you watch skaters Nordberg or Josh Young skate mini and it's a joke. I'll try and skate everything but I struggle on a lot of stuff like minis, but I give it a go.

Hooked:

We have so many skateparks popping up all the time nowadays, and skateboarding is so much more more accessible than it's ever been. How do you think that will affect skateboarding?

I think it will produce well rounded skaters but it could also take away some of the creativity of skating, searching out spots etc. Kids may just skate parks because they're easy as in you don't get the boot and maybe they see the Berrics or clips online of parks and they're happy to skate parks. I do worry it gives councils more ammo to stop street skating too. Personally I love street skating but I appreciate all types of skating and as long as kids are getting into it through parks on their door steps then it's all good. But as long as we keep street skating alive.

Hooked:
Let's talk about Make Friends With The Colour Blue... What trick are you most happy with in the video?

I don't know really, I actually struggle to be overly excited by anything I do as I am quite a harsh critic on myself but if I was to choose I would say I was happy with a mani trick I got as it was the first time I had tried it. Some of the stuff I battled I watch and am stoked I guess because I know what went into getting the trick.

Hooked:
You have the end part on MFWTCB, was that something you knew when filming for it, or did it come from seeing the footage and it feeling right?

I was told by magee 2 years ago I may have it then it changed to Shier then I saw Kevin's footage and I thought he would have it, I guess I thought there was a chance I would get it but I think generally I was just motivated more than ever for this video.

Hooked:
And is that something that's a bit more of a stress than filming a normal part?

It's not really a stress if you are away from Magee which luckily I was for the latter part of filming my part. I was happy with what I was getting so I had some momentum I suppose, I also had the pleasure of being in Berlin for a year pretty much which was the best.

Hooked:

How is living Berlin going down one year later?

I moved back to the UK before xmas, to avoid the winter really and haven't decided when/if I will move back. I love berlin though it is by far the best city in europe, not just for skating but all round I guess it comes down to what I will do next with projects etc.

Hooked:

What's your favourite trick, and what makes you love it so much?

Tre flips because they look good, Shier has a good one, Shipman always had a good one too. They just look good when done in particular way.

Hooked:
What's trick are you learning at the mo?

I need to get working on some new tricks, I almost had switch heel back tail bigspin out but thats more a trick you get lucky with rather than learn I think. I really want to learn good backside flips.

Hooked:
Who's killing it at the moment on the UK scene in your opinion?

Lucien Clarke is amazing, I wish we had got him on Blueprint, he is legit and super cool, Tom Knox is ripping, Josh Young or Manhead as he is known is really good, Tom Harrison is skating amazing nowadays really powerful... There's a few but there's also skaters who get over hyped.

Hooked:

And finally what would you say to someone who's looking to take skateboarding further, and progressing like a beast?

I would say don't get a pro board out without having 2 video parts, an interview and loads of photos published, earn it and you will be better off, being a UK pro can still mean something if you do it right. Always try and put out better video parts than the last one, if you stop doing that then you're falling off. I am sure someone else can offer better advice than me.