I’m going to go right out and say it. Our moral compass points far from north in our constant drive for technological advancement and daily convenience.

We are caught up in what seems to be a deep-seated and near thoughtless desire to create things that bring us closer to… well, bring us closer to… nothing. Doing nothing but exercising our opposable thumbs. Being nothing but questionable images on our social media pages. Experiencing nothing but through the filter of our phones. This drive to ‘advance’ ourselves (and I use that word lightly) seems to have moved away from a need to better ourselves to a need to simply present ourselves as better, and in reality to make our lives as easy-as-possible.

We should be patting ourselves on the back for the speed with which we are able to advance production of materials to perform better, to be more durable, to last longer – and it seems to cost us less every year. Or does it? I’d argue the opposite. It’s costing us a helluva lot. This drive to improve production is biting us in the ass. Progress is not the essence of our existence. It is the very essence of our destruction.

I’m talking about PLASTIC.
Statistics have shown that in our lifetime there is going to be more plastic in our oceans than fish, and 500 times more micro plastics than stars in our galaxy.
Industry should take responsibility for their contribution, during manufacture, to plastic waste. At the time of writing this blog less than 9% of plastic is being recycled by industry. Why should the end user be responsible for the production decisions of major corporations? The answer is simple: we shouldn’t. But we are.

Now, this blog is not supposed to be about throwing around figures and focusing on the negative (yeah, sorry about that), it’s about figuring out ways to fix the problem. As my dad always used to tell me, ‘bring me solutions, not problems.’ It’s about shining a light on the small things we can do EVERY DAMN DAY to lengthen our stay on this planet. Stop thinking that you can’t make a difference, because you can. You can. I can. We all can. Any difference is still a difference.

So let’s be pragmatic. Those small changes? They’re doable. Maybe not all of them every day. But they’re definitely doable.

⦁ Take away coffee cups… Everyone should have a keep cup, it’s that simple. Most coffee shops sell them at the counter and you can probably even get a discount on your coffee.

⦁ Straws… Simple say “no thank you” when offered a plastic straw. I think those reusable ones are pretty shit, and thankfully most businesses are moving to paper straws. But if there’s no option, I’ll drink straight from the cup. I’m crazy like that.

⦁ Take-away… If you are dead-set on grabbing a take-away, at the very least say no to the plastic cutlery and the carry packet. Most of the time we’re taking our food home or to the office where we already have serviettes, knives and forks.

⦁ Bottled water… Yes, I know you’ve heard it all before, but hear me out. We need to stop with the excuses. If we have to buy a disposable water bottle (whether plastic or glass), reuse it: take it home, fill it up and stick it in the fridge. If you’ve had no other option, ensure its placed in the correct recycle bin. Opt for table water where you can, ITS FREE.

⦁ Shopping bags… This by now is a no brainer. TAKE YOUR OWN REUSABLE BAG.

⦁ Grocery shopping… Besides bringing your own shopping bags, there are a few other hacks here. Stop placing your fruit and vegetables into those thin plastic packets. Bring a separate reusable bag for fruit and veg only. Try also to buy unpackaged fruit and veg as far as possible. I know it’s not always possible, but again, it’s just a lot of these little things that will make a difference.

⦁ Bread… Instead of buying packaged bread from the supermarket, buy from your local baker and ask them not to package the bread. One extra stop is not too much of a pain. The bread is better quality, and most of the time it won’t involve an extra car trip as the bakery is often only a shop or two away from the store.

⦁ Food storage… This is one not a lot of people think about. Don’t wrap your food in cling wrap, or put them in disposable zip lock bags. Store them in reusable containers – you know those take away containers you were about to add to the landfill? Wash them. Keep them. The key here is also to look after your reusable container; this ensures its use for years to come.

⦁ Kids toys… This is a great chance to get your kids involved and teaching them to become responsible and thoughtful global citizens. Just before or after birthdays or Christmas, encourage them to do a big cleanout. If they’re old enough, leave a black bag or box in their room and tell them that they have the morning or afternoon to fill it. Explain to them that these toys will be donated to those less fortunate, or tell them that they can join you in selling them at the markets. Better yet, buy as few brand-new toys as possible. Share with mates, buy second-hand, or buy wood if you can afford it.

⦁ Trash trooper… If you find yourself with some free time, grab the kids and take a walk on your local beach or at your local park and pick up some trash. Better yet, join a community group that already on this path of change and help out.

So I encourage you to take matters into your own hands, spread the word and let’s start changing our destructive habits, If we all do our bit when we can, as much as we can I promise you WILL make a difference.
There are lots of articles out there that deal with this growing issue. Some of the statistics are alarming. Something needs to be done. Start in your home and set small goals.

Check out these links, there are some incredible people already doing some great work.
https://4ocean.com/
https://www.surfrider.org/
http://www.seashepherd.org.au/

Check out these articles on the following links:
https://news.nationalgeographic.com
https://www.marineconservation.org.au

GOOD LUCK AND SPREAD THE WORD.

So you’ve been surfing for a while now and you’ve surfed a couple different shapes and sizes. Now there’s this growing itch to try shape your very first surfboard. But where the hell do you start, what do you need to look for in a blank and what tools do you need to beg, borrow and steel?

Craig Graham, the creator of Facebook’s “Backyard surfboard shapers” has been kind enough to share is experiences and some tips to put you on the right path to shaping your first stick.

Share your creations with us and let us know if this tutorial has helped you.

So hit the links below and get dusty.

Check out the following link for everything you’ll need, blanks, glass, sanding blocks and more – www.shapers.com.au 

Disclaimer- by no means is this the answers to everything that is “shaping” this will get you started the right path.

We managed to finally sit down and catch up with local Perth shredder, William Kitely, picked his brain about the skate scene from an 19 year old street rat’s perspective. What projects he has on the go and what’s the low-down in Perth. Straight out of school, board in hand, he reckons, “stick it to the man!”. He’s managed to turn his passion for skating into a career with the backing of a coupla big names.

• So how old were you when you got your first wheels?

William: I Had Just turned 13, I’m fairly sure! 

• What have you broken since you started skating?

William: Only hundreds of decks luckily, touch wood haha.

• Where’s your favourite place to throw down in Aus?

William: CRIMEA FOR THE HOMIES! And the Deep NS.   

• Who are you drawing inspiration from at the moment?

William: All my friends and the Crimea locals. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the politics and “what’s hot” in the skateboarding industry. I’m getting a bit older and wiser now, I’m turning 20 this year and I just don’t care anymore. I do it for me and I do it for Perth and what inspires me is progression in my own environment.

• If I say Nyjah Huston… you say…?

William: Most talented skater of his age/generation, but show-ponying isn’t for me. Lets keep it rugged and raw. 

• I hear you’ve been heading out of Perth and been throwing down a bunch of demos through Oz. What’s that all about?

William: It’s an awesome way to present skateboarding to kids in rural areas who usually don’t get the chance to experience the sport. I think it’s very important that the kid up in these areas around Australia get this opportunity. I know that for myself skateboarding helped keep me on track and directed. In lots of the areas I go to, there are huge issues with drugs and alcohol and it’s about trying to give these kids another option to getting them out of their situation. Skateboarding will always be there for you, no matter who you are, what you look like or what you believe. Which is why I would like every kid in Australia to have the same opportunity, to experience this freedom that I was lucky enough to have. 

• Who or what is the hype these days on the streets of Perth?

William: In my opinion Perth’s street scene has gone a little quiet over the past few years with the destruction of many popular city skateboard spots like the Landing, Broken Bridges and the Mansion. The new popularization or “lark” of skateboarding where you focus on style instead of progression has also helped to ruin a once thriving scene. But what’s hyping me is the new Curbside mag which is offering democratic and fair exposure to all Perth skaters. My friend Connor Lapwood who just constantly destroys ledges left right and centre and all the Crimea locals, who are completely underrated by Perth’s greater scene, but are easily and undoubtedly the best skaters around. 

• Who’s hooking you up?

William: Outerlimitz Skateshop, Trinity, Drawingboards skateboards, DSCO bearings, Pine Terrace Supply Co., Crimea Homies and my tgirlfriend as she doesn’t make me pay rent haha.

• What future projects you got on the go? 

William: I am working on the early stages of a video with the Crims homies. Drawing and designing new ideas for future projects is something I’ve always done, and let me just say that everyone should keep there eyes on the street for the next few years as if everything works out then you’ll see some changes coming through and some amazing new stuff for skaters by skaters. Support local being a key ethos of mine.  

• What do you do in your down time?

William: I’m always scheming, always hustling; If not I’m drawing, designing and creating. I’ll be waiting to go skate, hanging out with my beautiful Sarah or getting inspiration from my friends and the arcade. I also really like just rolling around skating as far as I can, not really to get tricks so I don’t count it as skateboarding. For me it’s just like going for a run or riding a bike, got to keep your mind entertained somehow and not much else holds my attention long enough. 

• Katie Perry or Miley Cyrus?

William: Biggie smalls!

We would’ve said… “at the same time” haha

• You got any shout outs?

William: Thanks to the Arcade, Outerlimitz Skate Shop, Crimea, my family and friends I skate with. Special shout outs have to go to rap/hip hop, junglebuss, 6$ cheese burger meals, Joseph Creese, John and Sarah Badman, Sarah De La Harpe and anyone and everyone who has believed in me or supported me in what ever way they could. I love you all. PEACE! 

Shot for your time Will! Keep an eye on this kid, he’s got a lot of passion and drive for skating and his local crew. We’re expecting to see big things from Will in the future.

If you are reading this then you have discovered our website and our very first blog post.

Welcome!

Have a look around! Everything is brand new and untouched and we’re really excited about it. We know that we are only taking up a very tiny part of the Internet and that your attention span is limited (that is not a diss, we just realise that taking up real estate in your brain is a sought after endeavour) so we will go out of our way to try our best to keep things fresh, unique and relevant to your interests.

SCUF stands for ‘Street Culture Uniting Freely’ a bit of a mouth full, we know, so that is why you can call us SCUF for short. The thing is, there is no other way of putting it! This is a website, a platform, a meeting place, a one-stop-shop for the something different from all the various spheres of street culture. From skating to surfing, graffiti to contemporary art, music and film, apparel and magazines…we do not discriminate! We only ask that it be original and that it tell a tale. Our aim is to inspire, to bring people together and to shine a light on what we feel more people need to know about.

We at SCUF love to travel and discover and experience new things and often we come across something that we think more people should know about. Africa is place that is very dear to our heart and Australia is our home. We have European roots and just like many, we are seduced by America. We find allure in South America, we’re intrigued by Asia and let’s not forget the Caribbean! Jah bless. All these cultures have their own street culture and it is usually derivative from something interesting and unimaginable.

We hope our passion, our enthusiasm, our hawk eye and vision appeals to you and that you feel compelled to join the movement. We want everyone with the same interest and love for the culture to consider us a meeting point.

Because we’re all so different and yet, we’re all the same.