Photographs by Bryce Golder
Ben Lawrie was one of many first folks I met once I began coming into the town to skate. I used to be 12 and Ben 15. It was certainly 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 footwear that had been mainly falling off his ft. I attempt to not use the time period “skate rat,” however I can’t consider a extra correct method to describe 15-year-old Ben, the one nicknamed “Lincoln Youngster.” His lengthy, ratty blonde hair flowed out of his crimson 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 tips so rapidly, all whereas dwelling 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, lower his hair, labored out how one can maintain grinds and slides even longer and to come out even additional. He even stop 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 method that’s so distinctive that he influenced all the metropolis with that long-grind-and-pop-out sport.
Lately, he’s had some huge strikes like being welcomed to Melbourne’s personal Hoddle Skateboards with an unbelievable brief 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. So much 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 identify?
Lincoln Sq. is the place I skated on daily basis once 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 identify 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 Youngster 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 one of the best place to skate ever. There was mainly each impediment you’d wish 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 might grasp on the market. You’ll be able to see in the best way that I do some tips that I realized them on curbs. The best way I do a again tail, I don’t even pop my tail correctly; I scoop my method onto the ledge. I can’t even do an ollie correctly. Loads of the best way I skate is due to Lincoln Sq., studying to do slappies on the little planter rails across the bushes and wanting to carry the grinds on the entire thing. I realized how one can maintain a slappy criminal earlier than I even knew how one can ollie right into a criminal. I realized entrance crooks by studying slappy ones first.
What was it like rising up there?
It was superb. I received 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. Finally, we began filming a component for The Skateboarder’s Journal and that led to me getting on Nike. He grew to become the staff supervisor, and I used to be the primary particular person he placed on. It is dope that there was a spot to skate that wasn’t a skatepark the place you could possibly go skate and make buddies—there actually isn’t wherever like that now within the metropolis.
Boardslide flat and out over the summer time 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?
Loads of the time once I skate spots within the first place, I accept tips which can be constructing blocks for the tips I really wish to do, and I’ve my eyes set on one thing that is likely to be actually distant from what I’m doing however I’m making my method as much as it. Skating the identical spot, you will get a really feel for it in a method 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 one of the best 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 dearth of spots within the metropolis and skating at Lincoln all of the ledges there can be capped. I feel I simply uncapped the one normal-sized ledge there. I additionally undoubtedly uncapped a variety of the ledges at Lincoln so the older folks can be stoked on me too. Not in some bizarre type of method, I simply wished everybody to have one thing else to skate there. Loads of the time folks simply grasp on the market and didn’t skate. I wished to get everybody hyped on skating the spot, so I wished to make every thing skateable.
You’ve made a lot work with what we’ve received within the metropolis. Do you suppose that Melbourne is the town that compliments your skating finest?
Yeah, I’d solely wish to dwell right here, and I all the time wish to movie nearly all of my stuff right here. If I used to be to go attempt movie shit abroad, I might wish to attempt to go someplace and keep there for a month or so and have a strong place to remain at so I might get into my very own rhythm.
You took all of 2022 away from skating, not touching your board in any respect that complete yr. What led you to the purpose that you just wished to take time away from it?
I don’t suppose 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 received a very unhealthy heel bruise which made me not wish to skate. I put a lot strain on myself, having these expectations of myself that had been method too excessive. It was making me bummed as a result of I couldn’t progress how I wished to. I simply wasn’t having enjoyable skating both, and that’s the most necessary factor. At first, I wished to have a little bit of a break and I used to be stoked on biking, constructing bikes and making an attempt to trip so far as I might. Then after a month, I had no need to go skating. Positively after that, I wished to go skate once more, however I didn’t wish to be shit in entrance of individuals and have the conversations about why I finished 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 with the ability to do it. I couldn’t deal with being requested the questions. I by no means wished to cease hanging out with my buddies. I all the time wished I might with out anybody ever saying something about me not skating. Regardless that, in fact, that would not even be impolite or flawed 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 had been all skating?
Yeah, it was bizarre. As a result of it felt like I used to be dodging a variety of 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 making an attempt to determine how one can not be a skater, as a result of my complete 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 speak about skating. I used to be making an attempt to distance myself from that. I couldn’t cope with folks asking me about why I wasn’t skating. I simply didn’t wish to handle it in any respect. I simply wished to skip it, which isn’t one thing that it’s best to do. However it’s straightforward to do, to keep away from the issues it’s important to face.
Did you are feeling such as you had an id disaster in a method?
Yeah, it was a little bit of an id disaster. I didn’t wish to solely be a skater. I wished to have the ability to work out how one can 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 together with her buddies. I obsessed over skating—all I did for 12 years was skate. It was good to determine how one can not simply do this and steadiness out my life extra so I can get pleasure from skating extra.
After that yr away what made you get again into it?
I’d been wanting to start out 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 are feeling like you have got a more healthy relationship with skateboarding after the break?
Yeah, undoubtedly. I can simply have enjoyable skating and movie issues once I really feel prefer it.
Within the few months you’ve had some huge revelations along 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 wish to speak a bit about it?
Yeah, in the beginning 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 she or he stated, “Ben, I feel you’re autistic.” That was the beginning of creating a number of discoveries. From there she referred me to a psychologist. I began seeing him to start out working by means of the best way autism impacts me, how one can combine higher and understanding my mind is totally different and being okay with that.
You’ve been taking treatment on your ADHD too. Have you ever discovered that to be helpful?
Yeah, particularly on journeys. I’ve all the time 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 a variety of alcohol or smoking a variety of 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 are 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 shall be ingesting; I’ll be supplied beers and I don’t really feel the necessity to anymore. Earlier than, I might be ingesting on daily basis and I might solely not drink them as a result of I assumed 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 discovered earlier. I did all the time have an concept, however I didn’t suppose understanding can be helpful. If I didn’t look into it, I wouldn’t have discovered I had ADHD and I might have this treatment that makes me really feel a lot extra snug navigating by means of the world. When you suppose you have got one thing, it is very important find out about it so you’ll be able to perceive the way it impacts your conduct. You’ll be able to 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 making an attempt out. There are issues I’ve finished in my life that I remorse, an instance is like I by no means informed my dad and mom that I beloved them till I used to be 21 when my granddad died. I simply actually struggled to all the time present these feelings. Now understanding 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 generally, however swap crooks to common on this steel lure is cool all the time
It’s so good to listen to about how a lot it’s helped. I feel that stuff might be so helpful.
Oh, for positive. It truly is.
You had been on stream for Polar for six years. You’ve now landed a spot on Hoddle. How did that transfer find yourself taking place?
I all the time wished 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 Ingredient, 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 an organization that’s run by my buddies, with a few of my finest buddies on the staff—folks I’ve identified since they had been 12 and even youthful. It’s cool to skate for an organization the place it’s your precise buddies, I really feel like that’s what all of your favourite firms are.
I’m hyped for you. I feel it makes a lot sense. Earlier than we wrapped this up earlier you stated once you weren’t skating you’d attempt to trip your bike so far as doable. How far would you go?
My aim was to trip 100 kilometers in three hours. The most important trip I did was round 98 kilometers in three hours, however my legs utterly stopped working and I received stranded as a result of I couldn’t transfer. I used to be on the bike path alongside the river and the one method 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 muscle tissue 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 footwear on, and you may hardly stroll in these. I couldn’t even get on my bike in any respect, so I needed to waddle over to the prepare station.
Effectively, 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