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 team. In three hours, Sky Brown, the 15-year old cultural figure 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: to push boundaries by doing something completely unique and captured in a perfect video sequence using a drone, with the iconic Tower Bridge in the background.
“My heart is beating so fast. I’m so excited 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 Jak Tones, who works at FourOneFour Skateparks, the company TAG Heuer called upon to build 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 takes 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..”
Faced with a crowd who came to admire her and wearing the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph on her wrist, the skateboarder confidently launches herself onto the ramp and performs tricks, including the Japan Air, her signature move. The synchronization with the drone is perfect, and the shoot proceeds in the best possible way, captivating stunned spectators.
“This is by far the coolest spot I’ve ever skated”, she says. Skate enthusiasts in Nottingham will also have the chance to try it out, since this ramp, is being donated to Flo skatepark, a charity run facility inspiring the next generation of skaters. ‘Sky was really excited about making sure we didn’t build something that we would then abandon,’ explains Rachel Walsh. ‘It was important for us to leave a legacy.'”
