Catching up with Laurie Horton

Laurie Horton is perhaps an over grown baby which would explain why he constantly projects positivity and all round good vibes. You can tell he truly loves skating as his drive and willingness comes from a natural desire to better his skating rather than wanting to attract a much needed shoe sponsor. You also never quite know what you're going to get from Laurie as he sometimes drifts in and out of sessions but for this interview he definitely delivered (more than he did at Macba). Enjoy !

Hey Laurie you’re from Tattenham Corner, there’s literally nothing there, is that why you started skating?

The first time I started skating came after me and Ollie were playing Tony Hawks Proving Ground on Nintendo Wii and I was like I actually want to try this and we did, it turned out to be really cool. No one else in Tadworth and Tattenham Corner skates as it’s in the middle of nowhere.

You’re not into the whole park skating, what’s so attractive about skating through the streets of London?

It’s because its perfect, when you’re in a park everything is in certain places and it’s too neat. If you get a trick on say a crusty ledge in the streets it’s much more satisfying, plus I just love cruising down the streets, it’s liberating.

When we first started skating together you used to get so angry over tricks, you've recently mellowed out, what's triggered this change?

I’m not sure when I changed, I sound like I used to have anger issues (laughs). I use to get really frustrated when I couldn't land stuff, I’d chuck my board everywhere and then I just became a little less competitive with it. I started enjoying skating more and also when I would throw my board it would chip (laughs) and then I would have to replace it. It’s just nicer when it’s chilled.

We recently went on trip to Barcelona and became quite familiar with the scene how would you say it differs from the London scene?

It differs a lot. In London everyone sort of knows each other but just on a ‘hey how’s it going’ basis whereas in Barcelona you don’t know them but it’s like your good friends with them. Everything is way more chilled out in Barcelona. I think we got kicked out once on the trip and that was after a three hour session, everything is just more relaxed. I think it’s because the general public understands skating so you don’t get the hassle of the British public.

Everyone knows Barcelona is a skater’s paradise but what made it amazing for you?

The amount of spots that you didn't skate because there was no need because there was always a much better spot round the corner. In England you see a spot it’s not going to be perfect but you see it and think oh that’s skateable let’s have a session. It’s just so much better in Barcelona, I love it, the whole atmosphere is really sick.

Any plans to go back to Barcelona or are there other trips you’d like to go on?

I’d love to go back to Barcelona for a longer period of time. The week was the sickest week but if you went for longer you could get into the scene better you’d also progress a lot. But as far as other trips, I want to go to Paris. I’d quite like to go to Leicester just to skate with the homies (laughs). I’m really hyped on skate trips at the moment.

You study Chemistry at Cardiff University, is it true the subject hours are crazy?

Yeah, it’s still better than being in school (laughs). Some of my flatmates have like 6 hours a week whereas I have around 21 hours some weeks, it’s just really tiring. I probably missed quite a lot of my lectures last term (laughs), but I passed my first year so it’s fine.

Do you have any idea of life after University? You once said to me you didn't want to ‘leave education.....as it would involve getting a job,’ would you consider doing a Masters or PhD?

When I went to Uni I really wanted to do a Masters then a PhD but I look at it now and I don’t think it would be right for me. The reason why I think I want to stay in education is because I don’t like the idea of being stuck in a job, I’m just comfortable in education (laughs). I don’t have any idea of what I want to do after Uni.

How comes you’ve lost interest in doing a Master or PhD?

It’s hard (laughs). It’s difficult, you have to do a lot of work on your own and I never thought about that aspect of it. I was talking with my mum the other day about how if I was left to do my own project and research something I wouldn't know where to start. God knows how I’m going to do my dissertation (laughs). But I'll Cross that bridge when it comes (laughs).

In the time that I've known you, I don’t think you've been in a long term relationship. Are you saving yourself for ‘the one’ (laughs) or you've just become accustomed to the bachelor lifestyle?

(Laughs) Interesting question, yeah I guess I've not been in many relationships to be honest. There’s times when I wish I was. Recently lot’s of my friends have been getting into relationships and it’s nice to see and I’m like ah it would be quite cool if I was in a relationship but at the same time I’m like meh...

If it happens it happens...

Yeah Exactly, Exactly that!

Every time you've come round you play my piano (badly), do you play any other instruments?

Yeah I've played the guitar since I was in Year 8 so that’s about 6 or 7 years. When I started I was like this is a lot of effort but then I just really enjoyed it and now I just love playing guitar.

Have you been in any bands or are you in one at the moment?

I've played with people quite a bit but I've only ever been in one proper band. It was called Breakout but now they’re called St Douglas but I had to leave that band to go to Uni which I was really gutted about. There doing quite well at the moment, I think they are recording an album now.

Can you tell us about the origin of your nickname ‘Pig’?

Who can (laughs), I don’t even remember what skate session it originally came up in. I guess it stems from the days when we’d go skateboarding and  we’d go into the shops and everyone would buy like a drink or something and I’d come out with; two drinks, 3 bars of chocolates, some muffins and ice cream. I've bought full on Chocolate Sundaes in the middle of a session before, it’s not necessary at all (laughs). But I guess that is where the nickname ‘Pig’ comes from. I quite like it I’m glad its stuck.

I've also witnessed you being called ‘Laurol’ and ‘Grom’ is there a story behind these names?

(Laughs). Let’s not even go there (laughs). So recently we went to Brighton to see our mate Ollie whose got a house there whilst he’s at Uni and we went down and skated during the day and then went our during the evening. We were walking back with this group of girls and one of them wasn't sure I guess what my name was (laughs) and turned round and went ‘Hey Laurol’ (laughs) at which point I was like nooo that’s going to stick and unfortunately it has (laughs).

What about ‘Grom?’

(Laughs). So we were at Southbank and there was a wooden manny pad on the floor and I hit the manny pad in a line after hitting the ledge. I thought there was plenty of gap behind me so I thought yeah I’d go for the manny. But the guy behind me seemed pretty upset that I was in front of him and he was already in some temper because he couldn't land his trick. He just shouted 'Grom' at me and skated the length of Southbank a couple of times still shouting ‘Grom, Grom, Grom!’ (laughs) I wasn't really sure what to do about it so I just kept skating (laughs). Just to clear it up I’m not a 'grom' (laughs)....

....Yeah I can vouch for that. Okay let’s finish with a quickfire top 3.

Top 3 Barcelona quotes?

“I feel like a seal” – Tim

“The Barcelona bear comes out the television” – Laurie/Tim

“You’re all about the hype”- Random drunk girl

Top 3 European skaters

Madars Apse

Nassim Guammaz

Benny Fairfax

Top 3 Spots

St Pauls (London)

Paral-Lel (Barcelona)

Forum (Barcelona)

Top 3 Musicians

Metallica

Slash

Stereophonics

Top 3 skate tricks witnessed

Pop shuv nose manny nollie bigspin out at Paral-Lel

Fakie Bigflip manny at Paral-Lel

Milton Martinez seshing Macba 3 block

Top 3 things to look forward too?

Future skate trips

InterRailing round Europe

Finishing the Barcelona Edit

Any last word?

Thank you very much (laughs).