Owing largely to the appearance of skateboarding in major movies such as Back to the Future and Police Academy 4 by the late 1980s the global scene was thriving again, this time around with a renewed focus on exploring the streets, and this is where Milton Keynes really came into its own. With its plethora of granite, square ledges, sets of stairs and sloped underpasses, the architecture of Milton Keynes lends itself perfectly to the act of street skating, and – over the course of the five decades since its inauguration – has bore witness to some pivotal moments in UK skateboarding history.

The unique infrastructure of Milton Keynes ensured that the area almost instantly became a hotbed of talent when modern street skating rose in prominence during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the likes of James ‘Doc’ Matthews, Dean Jasper, Ian Weston, James Jessop and Leo Sharp all garnering considerable attention for their early exploits in the city.

As ever, the UK scene was heavily influenced by what was happening over the Atlantic, and as such, the hip-hop that sound-tracked most major US video releases became the music of choice for most young skaters, with the fashion choices reflecting this dynamic shift in youth culture. As a result, the wardrobes of most skaters at the time consisted mainly of oversized jeans, baggy t-shirts, hoodies and beanies.

The 2000s was a decade of serious progression for Milton Keynes skateboarding, in which new talent emerged, fresh spots were uncovered, companies were established and – in an unprecedented move - the city effectively handed over its bus station to the skateboard community. Milton Keynes would regularly find itself on the tour itineraries of huge international brands. Girl Skateboards, Flip Skateboards, Zoo York, DC Shoes, Blueprint Skateboards and Matix Clothing are just a few brands that visited the city during the first decade of the new millennium, the photos and footage gathered during each visit are still talked about and referenced by skaters to this day.

Motive Skateboards – the brainchild of Milton Keynes local Rob Selley – also came into being during the early years of the 2000s, sponsoring a roster of talent from all over the UK, though it was Newport Pagnell’s Sean Smith who had the prestigious honour of holding the last part in their full length DVD offering ‘Dimensions’ (2009). The skating that Sean committed to film during this period was technically and stylistically so far ahead of its time that it will no doubt be talked about by skaters for generations to come.

In 2002, the SK8MK project, led by City Architect, Andrew Armes started with the aim of tackling tensions surrounding skateboarding and the need for an area in the city that was dedicated to skating. Proposals from the skate community led to the Central Bus Station being earmarked. No longer used, it had long since been a popular spot for skaters thanks to the concrete infrastructure and open spaces. It was agreed that ‘The Buszy’ - as it became known - needed to reflect the popular skate spots of the city. Local skateboarder Rob Selley and designer Richard Ferrington led the design process, and when finished in 2005, The Buszy became the first purpose-built skateboard plaza in the world. The plaza attracted the attention of the Plan B Skateboards team who came to Milton Keynes in 2007 to take part in a special event dubbed ‘The Battle of The Buszy’.

As skateboarding marches towards its Olympic Games debut at Tokyo 2020 – it’s worth mentioning that Milton Keynes native Alex deCunha firmly part of the officially sanctioned Team GB - the popularity of our pastime seems to be expanding exponentially.