SPORT Behind the scenes of Sky Brown's London performance
3 min
London, Tuesday, March 26, 6:30 am. The pressure is rising for the TAG Heuer teams. In just three hours, Sky Brown, the young skateboarding prodigy and brand ambassador, will perform tricks on a half-pipe built between two double-decker buses floating on the Thames. The objective of this performance? Capture a perfect video sequence using a drone, with the iconic Tower Bridge in the background.
“My heart is beating so fast. I’m thrilled to finally see this crazy installation arriving in Tower Bridge”, exclaims Rachel Walsh. If the TAG Heuer UK Marketing Director is so impatient, it’s because she has been working on this project since July.
“It’s funny because when you look behind you just think: well it’s just a barge with a couple of buses, but it’s a little bit more than that”, says Stunt Director Will Ingham.
A technical feat
This project is a mountain of challenges, among which is the construction of this four-meter-high ramp, as explained by Jack Tones, founder of FourOneFour Skateparks, the company TAG Heuer tasked with building the ramp.
“When you put a ramp jacked up off the floor, it sways a lot more, so you need to put some additional supports in there. So a lot of technical challenges that we’ve had to overcome. We worked through the night to make sure we got it done on time. It’s an unreal feeling. Months of hard work pays off today and now actually seeing it in reality, I’m stoked, I’m hyped.”
A perfect sequence on the Thames
At 9:30 am, Sky Brown steps onto the stage: “I’m so excited. It looks so good. The view’s insane, I think it’s going to be really fun, I can’t wait. Every ramp is a little different. Just going to feel it out first and I definitely have two tricks in mind. But, yeah, going to feel it out.”
Faced with a crowd who came to admire her skate with the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional Solargraph 200 strapped around her wrist, the skateboarder confidently launched herself onto the ramp and performed her tricks, including her signature Japan Air. The synchronization with the drone was flawless, and the shoot went perfectly.
“This is by far the coolest spot I’ve ever skated”, she says. Skate enthusiasts in Nottingham now have the chance to try the ramp out since it was gifted to the city’s skatepark. “Sky was really keen about making sure we didn’t build something that we would later abandon,” explains Rachel Walsh. “It was important for us to leave a legacy.”
