DOGTOWN ESCAPES THE WINTER BLUES WITH A WEEKND AT TIMMY’S
Photographer: Luke Brown
If you’ve been stuck down in the south-eastern corner of Oz this winter, chances are you’ve copped the wettest August on record with daytime temps barely scraping into the teens. So when Australian Dogtown team rider Lachie Abbott told me I was heading north for a weekend at Timmy’s, I didn’t need much convincing. Any excuse to ditch the winter blues and chase some tropical warmth seemed pretty reasonable. I grabbed my five-year-old son Rex, loaded the boards, and we jumped on a plane in search of some sun.
Day 1
We scored the same Sydney - Brisbane - Mackay flights as the NHS Australia crew: Josh Matwijiw, Marley Rae, Ethan Copeland, Harvey Campbell, and their fearless leader, Wade McLaughlin. On arrival, our tour guide Tim (not Timmy… the other Tim) wrangled the posse and pointed us straight toward the first spot: Caneland shopping centre. The rail there was a bit sketchy, so Wade ditched the idea and instead shouted the crew a box of mangoes… proper tropical welcome.
From there, it was down to Richie’s place in Sarina, home to a monstrous 9-foot galvanised half-pipe planted right in the middle of a sugar cane field. As the sun set, invited riders went to work and Richie kept everyone fuelled with food and good vibes. The crew ripped, Lachie got loose with the first of his “I’ll jump off anything” antics, and the night set the tone for the chaos to come.
day 2
Friday was set-up day at Timmy’s, with repairs dialled on his legendary 12-foot Redz-skinned backyard vert ramp. To keep the street skaters happy, this year’s added feature? A busted 1990s Ford limo with a DIY flatbar on the roof and plywood flatbanks to launch off. It was placed dead centre, right where the FMX maniacs were set to launch later.
day 3
By Saturday, the main event was in full swing. Another Dogtown rider, 16-year-old Taj Wolfenden, rolled in with his dad Chad, adding more firepower to an already stacked lineup. With lobsters and pineapples flying around as cash prizes, and Shannon from Terrible.Happy hyping the mic, the jam turned into pure frenzy.
Timmy’s boys, Freddie and Sammy, jumped into the mix too — smiling ear to ear as they shared the deck with some of the best skaters in the country. The day’s highlights came thick and fast:
Harvey Campbell spinning a perfect Judo 540
Marley Rae locking a backside bluntslide
Josh Matijiw throwing down a switch Miller flip (aka the elusive “elgarial”)
Freddy Hazelton sending massive padless frigid airs
Jorge “Swellbows” Tichbon chaining tail-block combos, hurricanes and crail slides
Taj Wolfenden stomping the first-ever kickflip 540 on Timmy’s ramp
Best Trick on the temporary slab went to Adelaide’s Nick Kris, while Josh Matijiw soared to victory in the high air comp. And, of course, Lachie Abbott terrified everyone with round two of his “I’ll jump off anything” act - hucking himself from the scaffolding rail and later from the back deck rail before finally shutting down the event with a head knock. (New lid on the way, Lachie!)
Meanwhile, the FMX crew went full throttle, flipping and whipping over the crowd until leader Cory ate it hard and was sidelined. Didn’t matter, the punters went wild, and the skaters fed off the madness, sessioning the limo rail while cash rained down for anyone willing to roll the dice on sketchy plywood runouts.
Local bands Gleezus and The Diesel Gypsies kept the soundtrack loud and the dust storm swirling, giving the whole day a proper festival feel
Grassroots gatherings like Weekend at Timmy’s are what skateboarding and community are all about: backyard ramps, loose jams, cold drinks, sketchy setups, and a crew of legends pushing each other until the wheels fall off. If someone like Lachie tells you you’re coming next year, take them seriously. It might be just the cure for your winter blues.
Big love to the Hazelton family for hosting and to the sponsors who made it possible: Whitsundays Jetski Tours, Sealink, Proserpine Septic Service, Rock Plumbing and Gasfitting, Redcat Adventures, Reer Endz Organics, Island Transfers, KC’s Bar and Grill, Whisper Restaurant and Gin Bar, Bogan Apparel, Explore Property, Cheff, Pacific Coast Scaffolding, Grindshine Skateshop, Dogtown Skateboards, NHS Australia, Luke Brown Photography, Terrible.Happy, Next Door Originals, Fireball, Travla — and every single local who came out to support.
I look forward to going a little bit tropical with all of you up North next year!
AHA
