Pictures by Bryce Golder
Ben Lawrie was one of many first folks I met after I began coming into town to skate. I used to be 12 and Ben 15. It was considered one of my first instances at Lincoln Sq., the plaza on the prime finish of Melbourne’s central enterprise district that we each grew up at. The plaza that’s now not what it as soon as was after a transform made it unskateable. However it’s immortalized as Ben’s Instagram moniker. On the time, he was a long-haired skate rat, sporting second-hand sneakers that have been mainly falling off his toes. I attempt to not use the time period “skate rat,” however I can’t consider a extra correct option to describe 15-year-old Ben, the one nicknamed “Lincoln Baby.” His lengthy, ratty blonde hair flowed out of his purple trucker hat whereas he would blow everybody’s minds along with his lengthy slappies and nonstop skating from 9AM ‘til the solar went down. All of us knew he was going to go someplace with skateboarding; he was obsessed and studying methods so rapidly, all whereas residing off a food plan of iced espresso and chili-flavored chips.
Since then, he’s come into his personal, discovered new spots to obsess over, reduce his hair, labored out the right way to maintain grinds and slides even longer and to come out even additional. He even give up skateboarding for a yr, however got here again to it higher than ever. He has unlocked so many new spots across the metropolis and skated Melbourne in a manner that’s so distinctive that he influenced the complete metropolis with that long-grind-and-pop-out sport.
Just lately, he’s had some huge strikes like being welcomed to Melbourne’s personal Hoddle Skateboards with an unimaginable quick clip by Geoff Campbell and with the discharge of Geoff’s second Web Birthday video, the long-awaited sequel to his first video of the sequence that was launched in late 2022. Loads has modified in Ben’s life as of late, so I sat down with him to speak about all of it. —Josh Sabini
From Boserio’s daring opening to Ben’s showstopping tailslide, Geoff Campbell’s latest vid will correctly stoke your subsequent session
Your Instagram has been @lincoln_square for years now. For people who don’t know, what’s the significance behind the title?
Lincoln Sq. is the place I skated day-after-day after I was youthful. Heaps of individuals across the time I made it @lincoln_square had random issues as their Instagram names, like @katsudon which is a meal from a Japanese place within the metropolis. On the time, nobody knew my title as a result of I used to be a sixteen-year-old child who didn’t speak to anybody, folks simply began calling me Lincoln Baby and it’s caught now to the place individuals are nonetheless calling me LC.
Utilizing that Lincoln-Sq.-honed pinch for a 100-kilometer swap entrance criminal fakie flip out
What was Lincoln Sq. like?
It was the most effective place to skate ever. There was mainly each impediment you’d need to skate, there have been all these low curbs and planters, heaps of various sizes of stairs and out ledges, in addition to a very good crew of individuals that may grasp on the market. You may see in the best way that I do some methods that I discovered them on curbs. The way in which I do a again tail, I don’t even pop my tail correctly; I scoop my manner onto the ledge. I can’t even do an ollie correctly. Numerous the best way I skate is due to Lincoln Sq., studying to do slappies on the little planter rails across the timber and wanting to carry the grinds on the entire thing. I discovered the right way to maintain a slappy criminal earlier than I even knew the right way to ollie right into a criminal. I discovered entrance crooks by studying slappy ones first.
What was it like rising up there?
It was superb. I obtained to the place I’m now due to rising up there. It’s the place I met Geoff Campbell and the place we began filming collectively. Ultimately, we began filming an element for The Skateboarder’s Journal and that led to me getting on Nike. He grew to become the group supervisor, and I used to be the primary individual he placed on. It is dope that there was a spot to skate that wasn’t a skatepark the place you can go skate and make buddies—there actually isn’t wherever like that now within the metropolis.
Boardslide flat and out over the summer season Christmas lights
Yeah, there actually isn’t. One thing that individuals who have ever watched your footage would’ve observed is you’re a return customer to spots. What’s it about skating a spot till you’re tremendous snug with it that appeals to you?
Numerous the time after I skate spots within the first place, I accept methods which are constructing blocks for the methods I really need to do, and I’ve my eyes set on one thing that may be actually distant from what I’m doing however I’m making my manner as much as it. Skating the identical spot, you may get a really feel for it in a manner you’ll be able to’t with different issues. Each time I skate there, I get an understanding of each single crack within the floor, how the ledge goes to slip, what temperature is the most effective for it and how briskly the wind must be going.
Within the final 5 years, you and Geoff have made extra spots skateable than anybody else in Melbourne. The place did the making spots factor come from?
The shortage of spots within the metropolis and skating at Lincoln all of the ledges there can be capped. I believe I simply uncapped the one normal-sized ledge there. I additionally undoubtedly uncapped numerous the ledges at Lincoln so the older folks can be stoked on me too. Not in some bizarre kind of manner, I simply needed everybody to have one thing else to skate there. Numerous the time folks simply grasp on the market and didn’t skate. I needed to get everybody hyped on skating the spot, so I needed to make every thing skateable.
You’ve made a lot work with what we’ve obtained within the metropolis. Do you assume that Melbourne is town that compliments your skating greatest?
Yeah, I’d solely need to dwell right here, and I at all times need to movie nearly all of my stuff right here. If I used to be to go attempt movie shit abroad, I might need to attempt to go someplace and keep there for a month or so and have a stable place to remain at so I may get into my very own rhythm.
You took all of 2022 away from skating, not touching your board in any respect that entire yr. What led you to the purpose that you just needed to take time away from it?
I don’t assume I ever determined that I used to be going to take a break. It was extra that I wasn’t having enjoyable skating and I obtained a very dangerous heel bruise which made me not need to skate. I put a lot stress on myself, having these expectations of myself that have been manner too excessive. It was making me bummed as a result of I couldn’t progress how I needed to. I simply wasn’t having enjoyable skating both, and that’s the most vital factor. At first, I needed to have a little bit of a break and I used to be stoked on biking, constructing bikes and attempting to journey so far as I may. Then after a month, I had no want to go skating. Undoubtedly after that, I needed to go skate once more, however I didn’t need to be shit in entrance of individuals and have the conversations about why I ended skating and stopped speaking to all my buddies who skate. I remorse not speaking to folks and blowing lots of people off, however that got here from bodily not having the ability to do it. I couldn’t deal with being requested the questions. I by no means needed to cease hanging out with my buddies. I at all times wished I may with out anybody ever saying something about me not skating. Though, after all, that would not even be impolite or improper on their behalf. It is only a regular factor to speak about. I simply could not deal with it.
Was it laborious distancing your self from your folks whereas they have been all skating?
Yeah, it was bizarre. As a result of it felt like I used to be dodging numerous my buddies and so they felt like I used to be doing that too. That was the a part of not skating that sucked. I simply couldn’t work together with skaters for some time. That was a part of why I wasn’t skating; I used to be attempting to determine the right way to not be a skater, as a result of my entire life from 12 to 24 was actually solely skating. It was solely going skating, solely speaking about skating, solely going to events the place I might discuss skating. I used to be attempting to distance myself from that. I couldn’t take care of folks asking me about why I wasn’t skating. I simply didn’t need to tackle it in any respect. I simply needed to skip it, which isn’t one thing that you must do. However it’s simple to do, to keep away from the issues it’s important to face.
Did you’re feeling such as you had an identification disaster in a manner?
Yeah, it was a little bit of an identification disaster. I didn’t need to solely be a skater. I needed to have the ability to determine the right way to be an individual in addition to a skater. I didn’t speak to anybody who didn’t skate till I met my ex-girlfriend and began hanging out along with her buddies. I obsessed over skating—all I did for 12 years was skate. It was good to determine the right way to not simply try this and stability out my life extra so I can take pleasure in skating extra.
After that yr away what made you get again into it?
I’d been wanting to begin skating once more for 3 months earlier than I did. It simply took me realizing that different folks’s concepts of me didn’t matter. I used to be too nervous about folks’s expectations of me and the extent I’d be skating at.
Do you’re feeling like you’ve a more healthy relationship with skateboarding after the break?
Yeah, undoubtedly. I can simply have enjoyable skating and movie issues after I really feel prefer it.
Within the few months you’ve had some huge revelations together with your life—getting recognized with autism and ADHD. I do know that’s had a huge impact on you and your outlook on every thing. Did you need to speak a bit about it?
Yeah, at first of the yr I went to the physician to get anti-anxiety treatment, as a result of I used to be feeling anxious at work and it was changing into an excessive amount of. I used to be explaining to the physician what was causing me anxious and the way I used to be feeling, and he or she stated, “Ben, I believe you’re autistic.” That was the beginning of constructing a lot of discoveries. From there she referred me to a psychologist. I began seeing him to begin working by means of the best way autism impacts me, the right way to combine higher and understanding my mind is completely different and being okay with that.
You’ve been taking treatment on your ADHD too. Have you ever discovered that to be useful?
Yeah, particularly on journeys. I’ve at all times struggled skating on journeys as a result of I’ve no routine. I’ve woken up when everybody else had woken up. I’ve no time to myself and it has been tremendous overwhelming to me on journeys. So I find yourself ingesting numerous alcohol or smoking numerous weed. I’m capable of have enjoyable however I can’t skate as a result of I really feel like I have to drink and have these substances simply so I can really feel snug sufficient to not have a breakdown. Now, I can simply give attention to skating whereas I’m on a skate journey and it feels superb. It isn’t simply the treatment although, seeing my psychologist has helped me a lot. Because of him I’ve been capable of navigate the world a lot extra comfortably.
Again on it, Ben closes out the second Web Birthday with a swap again tail biggie for the ages
Do you’re feeling such as you don’t have to drink as a lot now?
Yeah, I don’t have the urge in any respect, when usually I might have. Everybody might be ingesting; I’ll be supplied beers and I don’t really feel the necessity to anymore. Earlier than, I might be ingesting day-after-day and I might solely not drink them as a result of I believed it was cooked to be ingesting so many beers.
Have you ever discovered that getting the analysis helped you perceive your self a bit higher?
Yeah, I want I came upon earlier. I did at all times have an concept, however I didn’t assume figuring out can be useful. If I didn’t look into it, I wouldn’t have came upon I had ADHD and I may have this treatment that makes me really feel a lot extra snug navigating by means of the world. When you assume you’ve one thing, it is very important find out about it so you’ll be able to perceive the way it impacts your habits. You may let your self go off a bunch of issues should you perceive why you probably did them. I’m not saying it’s the be all and finish all, taking treatment, as a result of it doesn’t work for everybody, however it’s undoubtedly price attempting out. There are issues I’ve accomplished in my life that I remorse, an instance is like I by no means informed my mother and father that I liked them till I used to be 21 when my granddad died. I simply actually struggled to at all times present these feelings. Now figuring out I’m autistic, that’s why I couldn’t do it as a result of it was such a giant deal. I couldn’t deal with it in any respect.
Beers are cool typically, however swap crooks to common on this steel lure is cool at all times
It’s so good to listen to about how a lot it’s helped. I believe that stuff might be so useful.
Oh, for positive. It truly is.
You have been on circulation for Polar for six years. You’ve now landed a spot on Hoddle. How did that transfer find yourself taking place?
I at all times needed to skate for Hoddle. When Geoff informed me I used to be getting a shock bundle from a board firm after I used to be on Aspect, I hoped it was going to be Hoddle. It ended up being Polar and I used to be clearly so stoked, however part of me hoped it was going to be Hoddle. Now, it’s Hoddle. I couldn’t be extra stoked to be skating for a corporation that’s run by my buddies, with a few of my greatest buddies on the group—folks I’ve identified since they have been 12 and even youthful. It’s cool to skate for a corporation the place it’s your precise buddies, I really feel like that’s what all of your favourite corporations are.
I’m hyped for you. I believe it makes a lot sense. Earlier than we wrapped this up earlier you stated whenever you weren’t skating you’ll attempt to journey your bike so far as attainable. How far would you go?
My purpose was to journey 100 kilometers in three hours. The most important journey I did was round 98 kilometers in three hours, however my legs utterly stopped working and I obtained stranded as a result of I couldn’t transfer. I used to be on the bike path alongside the river and the one manner of getting out was going up a set of stairs. I couldn’t go up the steps, so I used to be simply caught on the backside of the steps sitting on the bottom with all my muscular tissues cramping ready it out. I couldn’t get an Uber both as a result of I needed to stand up the steps.
Holy shit. How lengthy did it’s important to wait?
It was most likely about half-hour. Then even after that, it was so laborious to stand up the steps as a result of I had biking sneakers on, and you’ll hardly stroll in these. I couldn’t even get on my bike in any respect, so I needed to waddle over to the practice station.
Properly, we’re glad you made it again.
Removed from the proper ledges he grew up on, Ben nonetheless brings his plaza-honed approach to the roughest spots he can discover. Crooked grind into some Kiwi crust
