So, we’re almost done with 2023, and the 20th anniversary celebrations of this dumb skateboarding blog. We had a hell of a celebration earlier this year at the Project No. 5 Go Skateboarding Day event, but I couldn’t let 2023 end without one last little bit of guff. The difference is this time the guff has been decided BY YOU.
The Terrible Company is proud to present THE TERRIBLE COMPANY 20TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS AS VOTED BY YOU, THE PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM AND COULD BE BOTHERED TO VOTE AND PARTICIPATE IN MY BULLSHIT. I’m working on the name. I’ll update it when I post this blog to WordPress.
So how does the voting work? It’s easy. I posted a bunch of polls to Instagram for each category and people voted for who they thought was the winner. It’s really that simple. It’s not complicated. And it’s ENTIRELY DEMOCRATIC.
The Awards
Best Last Part
Nominees
- Ralph Cooper – Batface
- Lucas Healey – Cannonball Holocaust
- Joe Fleming – Franchi$e
- Zac Parkinson – Ghostface
This award is to honour the people who closed out what people consider the best Terribleco videos. No doubt these videos would not be as good as they are without the people who held the curtains, so for that reason it only makes sense to give them an award all of their own.
And the winner is…
Lucas Healey – Cannonball Holocaust
Cannonball Holocaust was Lucas’ first full part for one of my videos, and by god did he bring the thunder. This was the start of his incredible progression into a Get Lesta video ending machine, and a staple of the Lovenskate and Lakai teams. There are some serious Cov NBD’s in this part, and the one that comes to mind when I put this one on the list of nominees was his incredible ending Nosegrind down the Subway 6 rail. It’s probably the best trick I have yet to film. Congratulations Goose!
Best Event
Nominees
- Covpark Combat 2022
- Summer Jam 2012
- Go Skate Day 2023
- Ghostface Premiere
This award goes to the best event that this blog has been involved in. Events were one of the earliest ways that this blog tried to branch out and do more for the Coventry scene past skate videos. As a company that isn’t really a company, there was always an idea that I wanted to basically just support people having fun on a skateboard, and there’s no better place to do that than at a skateboarding event!
And the winner is…
Summer Jam 2012
It’s possible that this may have been the biggest thing that I’ve had the pleasure to be involved in. Facilitated by Coventry City Council, we were basically given a significant amount of money to hire ramps designed by Mark Gonzales and plonk them in the middle of Coventry City Centre for 6 days in the summer of 2012. This event winning this award, over 10 years after we did it, shows just how important it is for the council to actually support skateboarding. When they put the effort in and work with us, magic happens.
Best Brick Bank
Nominees
- Brickies
- Madges Banks
- West Orchards Balcony
- Rainbow Banks
This award is to scratch my very specific itch around skating Brick Banks. Honestly, no other surface is as fun as a brick bank. It’s as raw as you can get as far as street spots go, and they will always test your skills in a way that smooth concrete slabs never can.
And the winner is…
Brickies
I would have been so disappointed if this spot wasn’t the winner. With a fully deserving majority of the vote, Brickies won this category by a country mile, followed by West Orchards Balcony. The theory behind this one is that both of these spots no longer exist, so nostalgia was probably a heavy factor in them coming out with the gold and silver. Even still, the voters unanimously agreed that Brickies was by far the best Brick Bank spot in Coventry.
The M.I.A Hero Award
Nominees
- Rosko
- Harry Myers
- Tez Aldersley
- Liam Harkin
This award is for the absolute rippers who have all but disappeared from the skate scene. For one reason or another these 4 legitimate Cov legends dropped off of skateboarding to concentrate on other pursuits, but their absence is missed and we can only hope to see them shredding again in the future.
And the winner is…
Harry Myers
This was a CLOSE ONE. The votes bounced all over the shop with Rosko, Tez Aldersley and Harry Myers all being in the lead at one point or another, but ultimately Myers took this one with the lion’s share of the vote. The thing about all 4 of these nominees is they have a natural flair for skateboarding and doing the most awesome tricks, but nobody skates a mini ramp like Harry Myers, and his street skills are underrated too. During the pandemic he went into hiding, and then also found time to get married, so maybe at some point in the future when he has settled into family life we’ll see him on a board again. Much love Myers!
Best Photographer
Nominees
- Ryan Bradley
- Garry Jones
- Tom Waters
- Alex Burrell
The Terrible Company has always had a huge focus on videos, mainly because I’m a video guy. However, over the years the blog has recruited its fair share of photographers who have held down the still image side of things, and supplied me with a steady stream of photos for blog posts. This award is to honour these rad gents who take the snaps.
And the winner is…
Ryan Bradley
AAAACCCHYYYYEEEEUUUUHHH it’s RB. Beating the likes of Alex Burrell and Garry Jones, who are both known to have had photos regularly crop up in skateboard publications like Kingpin or The Skateboarder’s Companion, Cov mainstay Ryan Bradley took the win. This definitely is not to downplay RB’s own achievements, as he’s snapped the likes of Joe Hinson throwing down handrail tricks for use in adverts and interviews. I think the reason RB won is because the modern day skate scene knows him as a firm staple of the Coventry scene. Tom Waters is likely next in line to take the crown as he continues to practise his craft with photography though!
Best Smith Grind
Nominees
- Jim The Skin
- Joe Atkins
- Pip Sangster
- Stan Byrne
This award goes to the person with the Best Smith Grind – whether that be on transition, rails or ledges. It’s really as simple as that.
And the winner is…
Jim The Skin
This was a little unfair, considering that there was a 50% chance that a member of the Atkins family would win this, and Joe inherited his awesome Smith Grinds from his Dad. Let’s not downplay how rad Pip and Stan’s Smith Grinds are though. Stan forces his way into them on the crustiest transitions, and can do them on anything. Pip’s Smith Grinds are impossibly dipped and carry so much style it’s unbelievable. However, you can’t beat the best Smith Grinds in the West Midlands, with Jim The Skin getting the most votes. Jim The Skin has been doing sick as hell Smith Grinds for over 30 years, and every time he does one it’s a masterclass in how you hold one of these things on a transition. Back when I could actually Smith Grind, Jim’s example was the one I held in my mind to replicate. Nice one Jim!
Best Skatepark
Nominees
- Covpark
- The Annex
- Holbrooks
- Vicki Park
This award goes out to the best local skatepark. I know people complain a lot about the local skateparks, but we gotta admit we have it good. We could be stuck with a tin can monstrosity, but instead with a selection of concrete parks. So, this award is a reminder to always appreciate what you do have, even if you don’t enjoy skating it.
And the winner is…
The Annex
Putting this out to public vote was a mistake. There is no possible way The Annex got more votes than Covpark, Holbrooks and a CANVAS PARK WITH A BRICK BANK. However, I can’t argue with democracy, so I begrudgingly bequeath The Annex with the Best Skatepark Award. The reason this park won is a complete mystery to me, but if I were to guess, I would say it was probably all the Wyken lot voting for their local. It’s also the only park with an easy to approach ledge that is a decent height and length. Ultimately, this is proof that skateparks are not better because they are newer, or designed by skateboarders: They are good because of how we feel about them, and because of what they bring to our community. Listen, if you were to ask me, I would vote Vicki Park, but that’s just because it’s my local. And what do I know, I like skating Brick Banks.
Best Street Spot
Nominees
- Herbert
- Boys Club Banks
- Dickpark
- Transport Museum
I tried to keep this to spots that actually still exist, but then I got sad because of all the good spots that have been demolished over the years. This award goes to the beating heart of the skate scene: The central street spot that brings everyone together, and produces the best sessions away from the skatepark.
And the winner is…
The Herbert
I mean, this was always going to win, wasn’t it? With an overwhelming chunk of the vote: No other skate spot has the gravitational pull of The Herbert. Even when half of it wasn’t skateable over the last year, people still turned up to skate there in droves. It really has everything you could ever need from a skate spot: Ledges, a bank, a giant Macba style stair set, smooth ground, close proximity to shops and nice surroundings. It’s also at practically the centre of town, meaning that you can get to any other skate spot pretty quickly after meeting up with homies there.
Best Terribleco Video
Nominees
- Batface
- Cthulhu
- Franchi$e
- Ghostface
This award is really a make or break situation for me. If the vote was to swing toward the older videos, it’s probably a sign that the best days of this blog are long gone and it’s time to pack this shit up. However, if the vote swings towards newer videos, then there’s some hope that this old ass goofy blog can still put out a banger video.
And the winner is…
Ghostface
This proves that the latest really is the greatest. However, the oldest video nominated, Batface, came in as a close second place. There’s nothing I can really correlate as to why both of these videos were so close, as in my mind they are quite different – My assumption is that the people who voted for Batface loved the nostalgia of it, and it was more notorious across the Midlands than later videos. Having said that, Ghostface is definitely the video I would have voted for: it’s polished, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, and it’s the first video where I really took my time to make it the best it can be. A sign of things to come maybe? I hope so.
The Nyjah Huston Award for Best Fake Tricks
Nominees
- Harry Tomecek
- Formy
- Pro Marky
- Ade The Terrible
Remember when Nyjah Huston said that putting your feet on the floor and not flipping your board basically meant you were doing “Fake Tricks”? Yeah, all 4 of these nominees would likely be in the crosshairs from Huston’s Fake Trick Police. If putting your feet on the floor when you do tricks is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.
And the winner is…
Ade The Terrible
Did I just set this award up to give myself an award? I mean, no. It’s publicly voted. There’s no way I could have gamed this. And I actually voted for Formy. I probably managed to win this category because I honestly do nothing but fake clown tricks. I haven’t landed a decent kickflip in about 3 years. This award is a compliment to the other 3 nominees, who do more real tricks, and clearly are better skateboarders by the Nyjah Huston measure of skateboarding tricks.
Best Skater Ever
Nominees
- Joxa
- Lucas Healey
- Daryl Nobbs
- Ralph Cooper
This award was really hard to narrow down, because there are honestly so many skaters I would like to put on this list. How can I ignore the likes of Stan Byrne, Connor Lomas, Pro Marky, Lewis Guest, Zac Parkinson, Joe Fleming, Tez Aldersley, Rosko, Nich Horishny, Tony Lui, Harry Myers, Kyle Smith, Alex McGhie, Josh Walters, Chris Mander and Swampy. I’m probably forgetting even more. As difficult as it was, I had to narrow this down to 4, and so I went with people who not only have closed out Terribleco videos, but also succeeded in other ways in skateboarding, whether they was to gain sponsorship, teach kids to skate, get skateparks built, or just be a stand out legend in the local scene who gets all the young’uns hyped to get better.
And the winner is…
Lucas Healey
Goose comes out as the only person to win two awards in this whole thing. Whilst I could say a lot about the achievements of Joxa, Daryl and Ralph, as well as others who didn’t end up in the running, Lucas Healey has done so much in skateboarding. From getting a place on the Ride team, to Get Lesta video parts, to his time on the Lovenskate team, and campaigning for better skateparks in the local area with the Coventry Skatepark Project, Lucas has become a major part of the Coventry Skate Scene over the 12 years I’ve known him. He still resides in the city, working as a carpenter by day, and doing the wackiest tricks at the Herbert by night. Lucas’ skateboarding is truly on a level I have never seen from anyone in Coventry, despite fierce competition from many of the names I mentioned above, and the fact he is still putting out NBD tricks at our most familiar spots is testament to how utterly rad he is.
That’s it. We’re done. Shut it down. Terribleco 20th Anniversary is over. Make sure you lock up if you’re the last one out.
The Terrible Company 