062: Alan Rushbrooke/Notts Landing
‘Please get more skateboarders onto the show’ is definitely one of the most common bits of feedback I get here at Looking Sideways Towers. Which is why it was such a pleasure to welcome Nottingham’s finest, Mr Alan Rushbrooke, onto the show for episode 062.
Alan, who I’ve been friends with for a while now, is one of the key figures of 90s with a career that perfectly mirrors the path of UK skateboarding during that critical time. He honed his talent as part of the Notts scene, rising to prominence as the wider UK skate community stepped out of the shadow of the Cali-centric US skate industry and proudly embraced its own unique identity.

He was there during the heyday of Radlands, was a fixture in RAD and Sidewalks for years, was part of the seminal Unabomber team, and put something back into the scene by running ran Cide skate shop in Waterloo.
Naturally, our conversation covered all this and more. As is always the case whenever I see Al, we also ended up geeking out on music and taking a proper old trip down memory lane as Al dished up his unique perspective at a critical time for the UK skate scene.
If you enjoyed my conversations with Don Brown and Peter Hellicar, you’re going to love this one with one of the scene’s stalwarts and a proper flag waver for UK skate culture.
Big up to Al for coming on the show, and for Wig for letting me use these classic pics. Enjoy!
Connect With Alan
Show Notes
- The different approaches to Nelson’s Tour de Test Valley.
- How Vans supports the Tour de Test Valley
- Musical interests
- Al’s humble skate beginnings – starting on a wooden vert ramp in Nottingham
- The importance of Broadmarsh Banks
- The Nottingham skate scene
- The Hellicar connection
- How the US skate media drove progression at the time.
- How riding in competitions and getting photos shaped Alan’s skate career.
- First trip to the US, West Coast in 1994
- The closeness of the skate community – living with friend and skater, Donny
- Meeting his heroes on a mind-opening trip
- How Radlands changed skateboarding in the UK
- The Unabomber years.
- How sponsorship working in the UK at the time.
- “Skateboarding is bigger than America.”
- Supporting UK skaters.
- The infamous Unabomber Promo video
- London for street spots.
- A responsibility to showcase the UK scene globally.
- How to build a career in skateboarding – “there’s no direct path to do it”.
- Setting up Cide skate shop in Waterloo
- “You set up a skate shop to support the scene, because you love it”
- Why it’s important to support skater-owned stories.
- How skating always evolves.
- The end of Sidewalk amid the Factory fallout.
- The end of the print titles.
- Why kids should support the Sole Tech brands.
- How Vans supports skateboarding.
- Al’s skating life these days.
- Santana at Woodstock
People Mentioned
- Becky Bowler
- Michelle Rushbrooke
- John Weatherall
- Peter Hellicar
- Brad Gardener
- Eamon
- Craig Smedley
- Rob Johnson
- Chris Thomas
- Dino Squillino
- Harry
- Christian Forder
- Donny Barley
- Eric Dressen
- Chris Ince
- Mike Carroll
- Rick Howard
- Bob Burnquist
- Adam McNatt
- Rune Glifberg
- Jonny Robson
- Foz
- Greg Finch
- Rich ‘Badger’ Holland
- Mark Gonzales
- Ben Powell
- Andy Horsley
- Don Brown
- Lenny Rushbrooke
- Etta Rushbrooke
- Ben Sutcliffe
Places/Spots Mentioned Mentioned
- Black Deer Festival
- Latitude
- Brighton
- Ireland
- Nottingham
- Beeston
- Northwich
- Broadmarsh banks
- Brooklyn banks
- Rollersnakes mini ramp
- Los Angeles
- Elm Street gallery
- London
- Southbank
- Woodbridge skatepark
- Woodstock
Companies/Brands/Organisations/Bands Mentioned
- Nelson’s Tour de Test Valley
- Vans
- Idles
- Breeders
- Liam Gallagher
- Al Murray
- Oasis
- Nirvana
- Penny Skateboards
- Unabomber Skateboards
- Thrasher Magazine
- Slimeballs
- RAD Magazine
- Nonstop Skate Shop
- New Deal
- Real Skateboards
- Anti Hero Skateboards
- Independent Trucks
- Whitelines
- Toy Machine
- Radlands
- Blueprint Skateboards
- Heroin Skateboards
- Slam City Skates
- 5050
- Focus Scotland
- Sidewalk
- Factory Media
- éS Skateboarding
- Vans
- Nike SB
- Adidas Skateboarding
- Lakai
- Emerica
- Santana
- Can