The Terrible Company presents

Pirate Broadcast

A video by !$%Ade The Terrible&&$

FEATURING

#_££4 Quinn Cowley-Haselden / Ryan Bradley / Tom Waters / Pro Marky / Ralph Cooper / Liam O’Neill / Ashley Makepeace / Dan Masser / Lucas Healey / Alex McGhie / Evan Waddell / Lewis Guest *%6**(!

# Foreword

Pirate Broadcast marks a huge change for The Terrible Company. Going into making this video, there were several rules that I put in place with an eye to improve quality, and make this a proper skateboard video. This isn’t to say that my other videos were any less special to me, but this video was made with a new approach to do justice to the skaters in it.

%+**_ First, this video is 99% street footage. !!”$

I’ve always been a champion of skatepark footage, and love seeing and filming it, however the general consensus on it is that I am in the minority. I wanted to see if I could deliver on making a video that was just street footage, and I think the skills of the people in the video comes off all the better for it.

–[# Second, there is a focus primarily on newer faces. ?|”$£

There are many people here appearing in a Terribleco video for the first time. Some of them are well known, some are fresh to the scene, some have been around a long time and I’ve only just got around to filming them after years of skating with them. What they all prove is that there’s a thriving scene in this city and the quality of skateboarding within it is perhaps the best it has ever been.

&&^£” Third, is that this video goes hard on carrying a message more so than any video I have made before. )({:~#

I’m not a stranger to experimenting with a deeper meaning behind my videos: Franchi$e was critical and cynical of skateboarding, however Pirate Broadcast turns that idea around. The world is in a shitty place right now, but this is not the first time the world has sucked, and it won’t be the last. The one consistent positive is that skateboarding continues to be a great unifier, and when the world has gone to hell, a tiny act of rebellion can bring peace to your soul. Skateboarding continues to be a bridge between communities at a time when those with all the power would prefer we remained divided.

So, Pirate Broadcast presents a mirror of the crappy state of the world we live in (or at least through the lense of how I see it), and takes aim at those running the show, whilst proposing that riding a wooden child’s toy on private property to do tricks is a small light of hope in the age of late-stage capitalism. I know this isn’t going to be for everyone, some folks will see this as “woke” or whatever dumb word the news tells you to get annoyed about, but to be honest I have been making these dumb little videos too long to care. You either dig it or you don’t, and that’s fine.

This video is 99% street footage, because skateboarding cannot be contained. It features a huge number of new faces because skateboarding doesn’t die, or disappear, it will persist. It is unapologetically aggressive towards a world that has tried its best to kill the spirit of skateboarding, and replace it with something more sanctioned and sanitised. In all seriousness, when I look at skateboarders I see some of the most awesome people on this planet – community driven, creative, energetic and passionate people who can take even the most bleak space and turn it into a vibrant hub of positivity.

That’s the message behind Pirate Broadcast, and I hope it’s one that gets you stoked. ##$!

?!£ Stats & Trivia *

Before I dive into the skateboarding in the video, here is some guff about the production of the video and interesting information about some of the creative choices in the vid.

• The main static noise used during the glitches used constantly in the video is directly sampled from my 2005 video Corrosive Materials. I can’t 100% remember where the static noise came from, but I want to say it came from one of the connecting skits from the 2002 Queens Of The Stone Age album “Songs For The Deaf”.
• The original art style for this video was going to use hand drawn graffiti over video clips, largely inspired by the work I did on NFS Unbound. About halfway through I changed the art direction, as the idea of hand drawn graffiti on a digital medium didn’t make much sense. The final style is heavily inspired by Teletext, combining early, rudimentary old school TV user interfaces, early computer interfaces, as well as more modern digital glitching.
• All of the pixel art used in the glitching adhered to a consistent grid in relation to the resolution of the video, which helps maintain the illusion of a rudimentary TV UI. The text also mostly adheres to this grid as much as possible.
• The production of this video began 2 months after the completion of GHOSTFACE. The total production time ran from December 2022 to December 2025, in totalling 3 years.
• Formy was due to have a half part, paired with Ryan Bradley. The reason this was cut was because RB was getting loads of footage to warrant a full part, and Formy didn’t have enough footage for a full part of his own. The friends section at the start also needed more footage, so Formy’s part was reduced down to his best footage and moved to the opening montage
• The song that plays during the end credits (“Eighth Day” by Hazel O’Connor) was carefully selected for a few reasons. Mainly, I was intent on closing the video with a song by an artist from Coventry, which Hazel O’Connor is! The song also touches on some of the things referenced in the video, and concludes with a warning that the way the world is going could destroy us all if we continue on this path. It felt like the right song to end this “unauthorised television programme” with.
• There’s a common theme during the video, that many of the issues referenced have been a problem for a very long time, and we have survived through them and pushed to improve our own lives time and time again. The message that “the world sucks, but skateboarding and your community can make it better” is strengthened by this.

$% Video Breakdown ££!

Pirate Broadcast is a video jam packed full of faces from the Coventry and Warwickshire scene. As I have often done before in previous videos, I decided to write a bit about each section with some behind the scenes trivia and info.

Friendship

The video begins with a montage of footage from various friends. A lot of this footage came from video parts that didn’t fully work out for this video. Rather than put it into the ongoing Synergy series, I held some of the best footage from these cancelled full parts. Jack Taylor, Formy, Tom Squire, Jim The Skin and Joe Skin were all originally planned to have full parts before it became clear that it wasn’t going to happen for one reason or another (e.g. Jim had a hip operation literally months into filming the video and was out of action for roughly a year).

Whilst this video has many full parts in it, this section was an opportunity to really include more and more people who didn’t film enough for a full part, but I wanted to acknowledge anyway.

Quinn Cowley-Haselden

The first full part in the video comes from Quinn. Originally this was only planned as a rough minute long section (to be paired with another minute and a half part from someone else in the same section). After the first year of filming it became clear that Quinn was racking up footage quicker than everyone else, and progressing at a rate that made it easy to fill 2 and a half minutes with ease.

What came from this was a rad opening full part, which features some genuine Cov NBD’s, some unique approaches to skate spots we have skated for years, and a solid selection of tricks which sets the bar high. The thing about Quinn is he is a good lad, with his head screwed on straight, who understands exactly what skateboarding is truly all about – and it shows in his inventive trick selection and willingness to give any trick a go. He has learnt from and improved upon everything others in the scene have taught him, and when you consider some of the other skaters in this video, that’s the highest compliment I can give him.

Ryan Bradley

I am actually so stoked to finally be able to film a part with Ryan. It’s been a long time coming. I realised at some point that I have known RB for at least 12 years, and to be honest it’s probably closer to 15. He’s just a chilled out dude who brings a lot of good vibes to a skate session, and I have always had a good time skating with him. Because we both live in the Leamington area, very often I would pick him up on the way to Coventry, so out of everyone in this video he was the guy I just ended up skating with the most.

For years RB has been a staple of The Terrible Company behind the scenes, taking photos of locals and providing snaps that I used throughout various blog posts, but he very rarely would appear on camera. This isn’t because he doesn’t have interesting tricks though – it’s mostly that the timing didn’t line up. Ryan has an understated trick selection, all executed with a smooth style, and even though he is definitely a street skater, he handles himself surprisingly well on some good old fashioned English crust.

Tom Waters

One of the things I really tried to enforce on this video was to serve up a proper mix of skaters from different generations, as well as highlight folks who have been lurking around the scene for years. Tom first came up on my radar as a photographer, who, like Ryan Bradley, would kindly send me photos to use on the blog. The more I got to know him, the more it became obvious Tom and I both had a deep love for the same type of skateboarding: old skool, daft, punk rock inspired tricks on wide, shapes boards, on the weirdest, crustiest spots.

Clearly coming from the school of Craig Questions, Joxa and Jason Adams, Tom got stuck into some of my favourite weird bank spots in Cov during this part, although he also showed his more street style chops on the occasional ledge and gap. It’s a short insight into Tom’s skating, but it’s enough to wake you up after RB’s chilled out part.

Pro Marky

I took a few trips down to Bristol during the filming of this video, with the intention of filming a part with Stan Byrne. Instead, Pro Marky just went full Professional on me and busted out banger after banger for the camera. Most of this part was filmed within a single day, at the Daveside spot, which sadly no longer exists. At least Marky got a chance to absolutely shut the place down with a variety of gnarly moves, including an obligatory sweeper in the Slasher bowl.

Ralph Cooper 

I have been wanting to film one last proper final part for Ralph for years. The last part I filmed with him was 2012’s 4 Horsemen part, and compared to some of Ralph’s greatest parts, it didn’t hold up. Similar to the “one last ride” parts from Chris Mander, Joxa and myself in Ghostface, I was desperate to do the same for Ralph. This was originally planned for Ghostface, however the timing wasn’t quite right. However, I’m glad we finally got round to putting this part together, and I think it is even better created around the brief for Pirate Broadcast: a street focussed part.

Ralph’s trick selection has always favoured street spots, and he might be potentially the oldest person featured in a part in this video, but he continues to hold his own. Truth be told, Ralph pulled out some incredible Cov NBD tricks filming this part, and if this does end up being the last video part he ever films, he can be very proud of what he has put together here. It’s possibly my favourite part in the video, and definitely the favourite part I have ever made for Ralph.

Liam O’Neill

How’s this for something a little different? Representing the infamous Town Rat Crew, Liam’s part consists of trick after trick that takes quite a bit of inspiration from Mike Vallely. Boneless and Beanplant variations, approaching stairs sets and handrail gaps in a way that would cause Nyjah Huston to explode in a fit of rage with another tirade about “fake tricks”.

The truth is there is nothing fake about Liam’s part, and he stands out as a bright spark of creativity, and an example that skateboarding is what you make of it. The tricks that matter are the tricks that make you happy, and when you have a skateboard and a street spot as your canvas every trick is the right answer.

Ashley Makepeace

Ash’s part came about from a session with Quinn and Dan, where between the two of them clocking up clips, Ash would just come out with some NBD madness. After that, it became very clear that a small part was a necessity, and what he’s achieved here is a rapid fire tour of some of Cov’s most interesting hidden gems, with a smooth selection of stomped staple tricks across them all.

Ashley has been consistently killing it in Cov for the last 10 years, and has also made his presence known at various events across the UK, even throwing down at the Game of SKATE comps held at Rollersnakes in recent years. Needless to say his flip trick game is strong and there is evidence that he can take that skillset to the gnarliest, crustiest terrain Cov has to offer in this part.

Dan Masser

Dan is from my generation of skaters, and has been skating in and around Cov for over 20 years. Mostly adept at technical ledge and manual tricks, he can mostly be found on YouTube with lengthy videos of him just nailing trick after trick after trick at skate spots. I was keen to see what Dan’s skills looked like presented in a Terribleco video, as traditionally “ledges and manuals” aren’t really the focus for me.

The result is a collection of lines and tricks seen through Dan’s unique, technical eye – every ledge presents 50 challenges to be conquered, every location has a hidden spot to be uncovered, and every empty piece of flat ground can be turned into a spot with the right obstacle dropped in. He’s resourceful, adaptable and has creativity in spades.

Lucas Healey

It’s been a while since I filmed a full part with Lucas, and I’m not quite sure I’ll ever get the chance to film one again. He’s a busy guy, and seeing as he is a firm staple of the Get Lesta crew (who released a video earlier this year), and a member of the Lovenskate team (who also released a video this year), his appearance in this video has the dubious honour of being the third best Lucas Healey part of the year. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but here at The Terrible Company we set our quality bar quite a bit lower than other skateboard film makers.

With that in mind, I would liken this part to Eric Koston’s part in Chomp On This – you have a well known, extremely talented sponsored skater pulling out a decidedly silly and sketchy selection of tricks in the name of just cutting loose and having fun. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of absolutely bonkers Cov NBD’s to be seen here (this is Lucas Healey after all), but it’s often sandwiched between some utterly daft nonsense that is likely to make you giggle.

Alex McGhie

As the video draws close to its end, the penultimate part starts with an obligatory section from Moose. Moose is literally part of the furniture in a Terribleco video at this point, and whilst you are going to see him lock down his go to tricks like Krooked Grinds to fakie and stomped tre flips, you are are also going to see him tackle some oversized, beefy, Cov banks with the aid of a cruiser board.

It’s not a long part, but it’s enough to show you Moose’s versatility. He’s always been an all terrain shredder and this is doubly true when he has a cruiser board on hand. Whether it’s old skool charm or modern day technicality, Moose continues to be someone I enjoy watching skate, and as long as that is the case I’ll always film a part with him.

Evan Waddell

Before we get to the final part, another new face crops up. Evan is a lad I met skating in Leamington at my local down at Vicki Park. Coming from the school of ridiculously technical flip tricks, he’s a formidable opponent in a game of SKATE, and since moving to Coventry has been a firm staple of the scene in the city centre.

Setting the stage for the final part in the video is no easy feat, but the trick selection Evan has made him a perfect person to connect Lucas and Moose with the person who holds the curtains, giving us NBD tricks with more spins of the board than I can keep track of. No need to go to Africa, you’ll see a Gazelle here, and the inclusion of confidently stomped tre flips and shuv-its on multiple spots that have likely not seen either trick on them is a mission statement that shows Evan’s self-imposed high quality bar for tricks.

Lewis Guest

To close things off, I was intent on giving the final part to someone who had either never had a full part in a Terribleco video, or someone who had only briefly appeared in a previous video, because I felt the video should close showcasing a lesser known person who deserved the spotlight. Lewis Guest, with his singular minute long short part which preceded Zac Parkinson’s ending part in Ghostface, fit the bill perfectly. 

The truth is, I started work on Pirate Broadcast with very little idea who would hold down the ending section (which, for a long time, caused me some anxiety). In a real worst case scenario, I had Lucas’ part in the back pocket, but both Lucas and myself had begun working on this video with the idea that his part was never supposed to close things off, and after years of him being the defacto “last part” guy I felt that it was someone else’s turn to get this illustrious spot in the video. 

Lewis is honestly one of the most underrated and exciting skateboarders Coventry has ever produced. The UK Scene may be far more familiar with the likes of Lucas Healey, Stan Byrne, Ben Keegan, Jim T Skin, Daryl Nobbs and Joxa, but Lewis is one of those low-key shredders who, in an alternate universe, would be on flow for a company like Heathen or Death. This isn’t me just blowing smoke up his arse, I genuinely think he’s great. 

He’s out here just casually doing incredible flip trick variations down stairsets 3rd or 4th try, or popping over waist high benches like it’s nothing. For years I’ve wanted the opportunity to showcase his skills in a full 3 minute part, and with Pirate Broadcast not only did we finally achieve it, it ended up being so good it closes the video.

#&$ Conclusion !!%

With Pirate Broadcast done and dusted – the question I ask myself is “What’s next?”.

Pirate Broadcast’s quality is something I am extremely proud of. It’s not the best skate video in the world, but it’s the best I could make, and for that reason I feel comfortable saying this may well be the last full length Terrible Company video. This isn’t the end of me making videos, not by a long shot, but I feel like it’s time for me to concentrate on actually skating again. Filming really begins to lose its charm when you have very little time to skate, and find most of your “skateboarding” time holding a camera watching other people skate.

During June of this year, when a group of us embarked on the Digital Nightmare tour, I realised that filming stuff at skateparks and documenting road trips and days out was something I enjoyed far more. Less time behind the camera, more time on a skateboard, and more daft, short edits of folks sampling perfect, smooth, concrete from around the UK. Mostly, I think I’m due a break from filming, and after 9 long years of service since this blog returned in 2016, it may be time to retire the trusty old VX2100. Pirate Broadcast is the end of an era in many, many ways – and I couldn’t be prouder of this particular bookend.

Until next time, whenever that may be,

Thanks for watching, much love, and don’t touch that dial…

Ade The Terrible #$”%%^^£Q)(“)(%)”~}

^”£$(“%BE GOOD LITTLE SKATEBOARDERS, BUY NIKE SB, VANS AND ALL THE OTHER CORPORATE BRANDS WHO LOVE SKATEBOARDING AND ONLY SKATE WHERE WE TELL YOU.