Riding the Thames - UK Skateboarding Exhibition
Route One London is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition in its London store, documenting the Story of UK Skateboarding, entitled ‘Riding the Thames’.
The exhibition follows the chronological story of skateboarding in the UK, from its early beginnings as a phenomenon from the USA, through the booms and busts of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and ends with skateboarding’s acceptance as a sport and incorporation in the 2020 Olympics.
The exhibition looks at the pivotal moments in UK skateboarding; The development of local skate communities and the diverse UK skate brands that supported and sponsored them; The emergence of the skate shoes and skate fashion; The ubiquitous skate magazines which predate the internet; And of course, the UK Skate Pros who inspired each generation to go further and achieve more.
Juergen Bluemlein from MADE FOR SKATE (The SKATEBOARDMUSEUM), who curated the exhibition for Route One, says:
"We've tried to capture the essential contribution that UK skateboarders, supported by the UK skate community, made to skateboarding worldwide over the past six decades. Without this contribution skateboarding would be much poorer, so this exhibition is a timely celebration of everything good about UK Skateboarding".
Brad Hobbs, Route One's London store manager, says:
"This exhibition, "Riding the Thames", captures some of the high points in the Story of UK Skateboarding over the past 60 years. Inevitably it is a snapshot of the best, with much having to be omitted due to space constraints, but we think Made For Skate (The SKATEBOARDMUSEUM) has done a great job and we're thrilled to be able to host this exhibition in our London store”.
We've timed the opening to coincide with the Platinum Jubilee when people around the world will be focusing on the UK. After the disruption over the past two years, we hope locals and tourists alike, will visit the exhibition and enjoy a skate down memory lane!"
We'd like to thank Nike's skateboarding arm, Nike SB, who partnered with Route One and Made for Skate to make this exhibition happen.
‘Riding the Thames’ opens on Saturday 28th May in Route One’s central London store - 47-49 Neal Street, Seven Dials, London, WC2H 9PJ.
Opening Times are Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6.30pm & Sunday 11am to 5pm.
Nearest Tube: Covent Garden or Leicester Square
