In photography, I am always looking for new challenges. Ever since the “backyard” pool was built in the Suvilahti DIY skate park, I wanted to get a shot with 4 skaters shredding simultaneously in one photo. The park is painted yearly with new graphics, based on an idea by the locals. In 2018 the theme was “The Jungle”. In July 2018, some of my favourite skaters were in town. I got Pat Duffy, Rune Glifberg, Sam Beckett and Kevin Bækkel to get together for a fun session in the jungle, inspired by the legendary eighties “Animal Chin” ramp four handplants photo by J. Grant Brittain.
The trickiest part was to get the timing correct for all the guys, as you can imagine. The fact that I was standing 20 meters high in this thin metal light pole tower located next to the park didn’t make it any easier. Me shouting down to the guys after each shot about who should be earlier, later, etc. And of course, it was quite windy up there, too. In addition, the shapes of the Suvilahti DIY are all uneven and different in more or less all of the transitions. Therefore, all of the skaters needed to start at a different time. Fine-tuning the timing was challenging but fun - especially when all worked perfectly in the end and we nailed it. I had 2 Profoto B1 flashes on the right pointing to Sam and Kevin to compensate the sun light from the left. Pat Duffy bs smith grind, Rune Glifberg fs grail, Sam Beckett bs lipslide and Kevin Baekkel bs boneless. Artists of the paintjob Jopo, Mummi, Votzsky, Vary, Luca, Croko, Yeezus, Simu, Yrge, SDC, SLP.
Suvilahti DIY has been designed and built by skaters for skaters, expanding and evolving since 2011. The park, with a size of over 1000m2, is one of the biggest of its kind in Europe. Sadly, it is under the threat of being demolished. An association called “The friends and supporters of Suvilahti skatepark area” has been founded in order to save and develop this unique specimen of urban culture.