After an 18-month battle that ended in September 2014, Long Live Southbank won its campaign to protect the city’s most beloved skate spot in a display of true grassroots activism. Plans to turn the four-decade old, historical Undercroft skate park into retail units — and move its skaters under the Hungerford Bridge — was met with over 27,000 objections. To celebrate, Southbank’s skaters added new ledges and a quarterpipe (the first new features added in years) last week, while Nike SB organized a skate demo with its UK pro team to officially launch it. We headed south of the river with photographer Ian Kenneth Bird to witness a moment in skateboarding history.
Credits
Text Felicity Kinsella
Photography Ian Kenneth Bird