Marcus Palmer shreds a series of classic and newly built spots all around The Midlands in his Get Lesta ‘Darling’ section but after we hit him up to ask a few questions about how each individual trick and clip went down we were surprised to discover a lot of the subtleties and nuances that went into the making of his part.
It was not just the gnarly spots and sick tricks he got. A lot more went into it than we first thought.
It was interesting to learn how far Marcus went the distance to make it happen. So we gave him a call to find out how it all went down. Read his interview to find out what it was like for him from his perspective below.
Marcus: Shot by Chris Johnson
How did you met Callun and start to film this part?
Let me say this first before I start talking about the section. I remember the first time I met Callun Loomes because I went out with Kris Vile and we went to Coventry.
It was just with Kris and Callun – they were out getting some bits for the Get Lesta video and Callun asked me to come along.
So I went out with them and we skated at the skate park for a little bit.
That was actually the first day I landed a Ghetto Bird on the hip. You know, trying to show off to Callun and he filmed it on his phone and I was like, rah, it didn’t make the cut because it was in a skate park but I was stoked because he filmed me.
I thought that’s cool knowing Callun’s work rate. I was thinking that because he only films people that are really sick.
So because he filmed that I got super stoked.
Anyway, we went out into the town. Kris was doing all this stuff but I didn’t. I didn’t do anything!
Marcus, Nollie Backside 180 Shot by Rob Whiston
Yeah man sometimes it goes down like that!
It was when I was watching Kris skating stuff and you know, it was a big learning curve for me and Callun actually said to me, Yo, if you want to come out and film holla me man!
I was shook. As in I mean, that I didn’t do it. I didn’t holla him for years and years to go skate and film. But then he just came around again and he said, do you want to come and skate and film some shit? But then I said I’m down this time around!
So you know, I started to get into it but then lockdown happened.
I had just passed my test and started driving on February 14th, 2020. I was in Barca at the time when the lockdown started to happen and I came back and saw the second lockdown, but that’s around the same time when I got my car.
So the situation meant I got to skate, drive around and skate anywhere that I wanted because nobody was around.
I would skate parks by myself and go to street spots, all of that and it was around then that I started meeting up with Callun at that time and filming all these other little bits.
Right, okay.
So the Tre Flip over the double set handrail that I did was actually the first bit that we filmed.
The thing about this part in particular, when I’m watching it back, is that most of these tricks and clips actually have a lot of gravity to me. Nothing came easy, a lot of it was work. I bled and spent money to get to these places and do this stuff.
Yeah man, you can see a lot went into it.
I felt like I was really pushing above what I could do to make any single of these tricks.
So I look at the video now just like, I did that. I made it look like that because in my head I knew I put a lot of work into it.
So how did the montage with you dropping your glasses at the start go down, who’s idea was that?
It was funny because Callun brought that up. He said: “Oh, why don’t you get string or something on the back of your glasses for a laugh on every single trick, you know, jumping down stuff!’
And I was just like, Oh, no, no, whatever that’s cool and, I don’t know. I just find it funny as it’s something I decided I never did.
But then he pulled me up on it and he made a little montage of it happening as it happened so much. I thought oh, that’s funny!
How’d your Tre into the bank in Redditch go down?
With the gap at the top and the bank with the bank?
Marcus, Tre Flip into the Woodrow Bank: Shot by Rob Whiston
Yeah. Was that first try or did you have to go back?
The Tre Flip into the bank happened in the first session.
I remember that, I didn’t think I could do it just because of the way that the slabs were buckled going into it. I think I slid into it a couple of times, and I was really debating about what trick to do and Callun was actually the one that suggested the Tre Flip.
I think I was just talking about other tricks but he said, try the Tre a few times. I think I had 1 or 2 goes and I was getting over it fine. But you know, after a little while I figured it out and put it down and yeah, it felt wild.
It was sick. The spot couldn’t have more wrong with it.
I went back again with Rob Whiston afterwards to take the photo and I mean, it was even harder to do the second time I reckon.
I hit the lamppost and I was spinning around and shit. It’s a gnarly spot man.
What motivated you to Heelflip down Fastlands 9?
So we went there and we were all just at Fastlands that day and it was me, Josh, Bushy, the usual crew, and, I usually go straight to Kickflips, don’t I down big stairs? But then I was thinking Oh, don’t do the usual. I should try some other tricks. So I went okay, let’s try Heelflip then.
Callun was actually keen to film it because he’s never filmed me doing a Heelflip before, so I was holding it down the line.
Then Callun said, Yeah, let’s go!
Marcus, Heelflip, Captured by Callun Loomes
So I ended up snapping my board on the Heelflip but then someone gave me their board, I think it was Jamie Hewitt but I’m not sure.
But someone gave me that board and I started hacking it out on their board and must have landed about six or more.
There were a few and on one of them I rolled away and I caught it primo and I just hooked it around and put it down on the ground. Yeah, that one shouldn’t have really gone down in it. But we were talking about it and we thought that’s the one that needs to get seen, you know what I mean?
Because you know, everyone does things so comfortably all the time, but you know, it’s good to show these ones do happen too!
Yeah it’s a trick that people remember because it’s so close to a slam. You just think, Oh shit, is he going to do it? Fuck he did it! So How did your Kickflip Nose line on the Block at Sneinton in Nottingham go down?
There’s not much to say because the Heelflip I did first was B-roll for what I was actually trying to do.
I wanted to Backside Heelflip the three block but I was a bit apprehensive.
So I was doing this little line just to warm into it. I got that one, so I was pretty stoked with that because I was pretty solid with that. But I went on to try the Back Heel down the three block, but I broke my scaphoid.
So I had recorded that line and didn’t get the clip I originally intended to get but then made it into the section. I think it was the last day of filming as well.
Ok that’s a sick turnaround
But there’s something about everything in this video, man. Even drinking a Magnum when I felt that my hand really hurt.
Marcus, Kickflip, Captured by Callun Loomes
So then there’s your clip on The Over fence gap spot. What do you usually call it?
Over the fence?
Yeah, the spot where you do the Nollie Cab.That one.
So we call it Jah Fence?
Ok, why’s that?
Yeah we call it Jah Fence because basically one of our guys Ja-pheth, he actually got a gnarly slam on that fence.
It was filmed. You need to see this clip. It was gnarly man. I think he slipped on the path and was going sideways over the fence, it was just gnarly.
Oh. Man yeah that sounds gnarly.
Yeah he was all right in the end but it was a gnarly slam. So we named the spot after him in homage to the slam man.
Jokes. Your Nollie off the bus stop over that lady into the bank is epic.
Yeah the bus stop into the bank. Yeah. man. I think there’s not much to say about the spot except that you don’t have much time there. You ain’t got long at the spot. I think the only other trick that was done was something that Kris had did before.
Callun said, Hey, you got anything on this?
I said, well, as we’re coming through here right now, I might be able to get a quick Nollie into it so I may as well give it a go.
He said do you think you got that and I was like yeah, yeah, I think I do.
Marcus, Nollie, Captured by Callun Loomes
I love it, man, the best part is the woman underneath the bus stop, and she’s just looking at you above but you’re just like, fuck it! I’m Nollieing over you!
Yeah, she’s picking up her bike. She was stoked.
Yeah, that’s good, man.
Oh, man, it’s all right.
She saw that we’re over here and recognised…yeah, it’s all right. And she just clicked with the situation and said it’s cool!
Marcus, Nollie into the bank: Shot by Rob Whiston
She’s probably got no idea that thousands of skaters have seen her initial confused expression. After that there’s your long front nose on that ledge with a solid pop out. Where was that spot?
That ledge was in Marlborough.
It is in the same area where I’m grinding on this ledge doing a 50-50 that’s in a car park booth in this section.
I think it’s in the same place.
But there’s this Out Ledge there too. I think that’s how a Frontside Nose should be done, on a ledge like that.
Marcus, Frontside Noseslide Shot by Rob Whiston
Yeah you don’t have much space on that. Were you there for Callum’s Nollie Biggie down those stairs?
Yeah. Callum’s Nollie Backside Bigspin is dope.
I’m super stoked that Callum‘s trick was in my part because going back to the first day that I met him at Gospel Lane skatepark, I watched him do a really boosted Nollie Bigspin out of the corner of this bank. We were both kids. He was 14 or something.
So I watched him do it and I was just in awe, just thinking Yo, who the fuck is that?
I saw the way he did it, you know what I’m talking about, you’ve seen him do them. I just thought, yo that is special, man!
So, the fact that so many years later, I’m working on this part, that I’ve put so much into it and he’s come along and done that in the video as well is just rad!
Callum is a great skater with a great, creative mind and his artwork is amazing too.
Callum Sidlauskas, Captured by Callun Loomes
You’ve got something to look back on together. Looking back at that Hardflip you did over rail is rad. What inspired you to go Frontside on that one?
That’s just the way that trick had to go over it.
Marcus, Hardflip Captured by Callun Loomes
Then there is a Brum crew bit of your section, which is fucking sick. That’s cool.
Yeah I got Dan Smith in there. I’ve got James Woodley in there. Yeah, man. Stoked.
James Woodley, Backside Tailslide: Captured by Callun Loomes
Yeah, Woodley’s Back Tail on that quarterpipe is sick
It sucks that spot is not there anymore…
Really. Fuck, they got rid of that quarterpipe?
Yeah, that spot is gone now.,
That’s a shame, that looked so good.
It was so good to skate, really hard, really gnarly, but fucking hell. So good.
So going back to the Hardflip, how did that go down?
I think that was the same day that I’d done the Tre Flip over that bank, the Woodrow Bank and Callun, he’s an encyclopedia of spots. He just knows where the good ones are and he said:
“Hey, what about this spot? Reckon you could do a trick over it? It’s just a steep rail but because of the angle he said, yeah, I reckon you could get something over it?
Right
So we went there and I was debating what to do.
You know I feel at a certain time Hardflips are like second nature for me. So I looked at it and thought you know what? I reckon I could pull a Hardflip over this. And it was just on the whim of it, you know.
I was looking at it for around ten minutes, walking around. Then I thought yeah, I reckon it would actually work.
You know, try it out. So I started feeling it out. I don’t know. Yeah, it went down.
So I went back a second time with Rob to get the photo and so that’s why there are two different angles for it.
Marcus, Hardflip Shot by Rob Whiston
Oh, man, that’s so when you go back in the yellow t-shirt. I think it might even be better man like, you’re about nearly a foot and a half over the rail. So it’s worth going back there to get the photo.
They were definitely two different Hardflips.
Yeah because you land so much further away as well
Sometimes it works out better the second time round doesn’t it?
Marcus, Nollie Heelflip, Bromsgrove, shot by Rob Whiston
Then there’s that Backside Flip you do. Is that in Sutton Coldfield?
Yeah, that’s in Sutton, the one with the stoppers.
Yeah, I used to skate it when it didn’t have stoppers.
Yeah back in the day, it was such a good spot to skate. Now it’s gnarly because you got to go pretty fast to go past the stoppers.
Marcus, 50-50 Shot by Rob Whiston
That 50-50 you do on the the ledge over that stairs with the big drop on the other side is rad but I just paused the Ollie you did and there’s a fucking grate on the roll up. I never noticed that, man, that’s nuts
Oh, man, turn it up, you can hear that!
It’s next level. Tell me why you chose to skate that set and what it was like popping it after rolling over the grate?
I remember I did it in shorts!
So I remember this spot very well, man. That’s because we were all knocking about in Leicester and that’s where this spot is. It’s in Leicester Uni. It is a 14 stair.
But yeah, that’s in the uni and I must have looked at it a few times and kept thinking, yeah somebody could Ollie this for sure.
The grate was a problem but I just thought whatever but then I didn’t do it even after a couple of times after going there.
But then one time we were in Leicester but were there to film something else. It was a spot with two stair sets: a 7 stair and then an 8 stair.
But the spot was really janky and then as I was trying to skate that spot, I couldn’t get to a place that I really wanted to get on it.
Then because I didn’t want to go back there, I was just thinking, I need a Plan B as I’m not going home without a clip today!
So we walked past that 14-stair and I said, Yep, yep, this is my time to shine on it. Let’s go!
Sick.
Yeah, I was just focused on getting a clip that you know how it goes, man.
Once you start, you know, you’ve got to make it worth it. And so I just kept going until I got the land.
Rad. How many tries did it take?
I think it was about more than five, less than ten tries before I got the rollaway.
So it was not too bad. It’s a 14 stair. Yeah, it’s pretty big. But this one’s narrow and it’s got a grate on the roll up and you know it’s not ‘just a 14 stair’.
That’s the reason why I wanted to skate it. I like these spots when they’ve got stoppers or it’s a little bit fucked, it’s little bit sketchy, it’s not perfect and it makes it a bit harder. I’m into that.
It’s not something that’s as noticeable like your primo catch but something that’s rad to recognise.So what about your Hardflip over the long loading bay gap?
Yeah, I woke up on Sunday early, had nothing to do all day. It was during lockdown.
Callum hollered at me on the Sunday at about 4:00pm and said I’ve got this spot for you, you want to come through?
He sent me a picture. I checked it out and just thought yeah, yeah, looks all right!
You know, I was chilling all day up until then so I rolled out in my car and drove to Coventry.
Yeah it’s kind of big. I’m hyped I managed to get a Hardflip over that.
How long did it take to nail that one?
Actually. Callun told me it was about 40 or so land on’s until I got the one that I rolled away on.
Man you went for that! Same with that Tre Flip, its so sick. So not only did you have to clear the rail but the fence after, what was rolling through your mind when you did it, and what was the toughest part about it?
I think maybe, that’s what it was like. It was a pretty short roll up at the top. So, you have to go really quick initially to get the distance. It was good for me as a Tre Flip takes a little bit of time to stretch over the gap.
So yeah as you were saying I’ve got to clear down a double set and across and over the rail and the rail at the bottom.
But the first time I went there, I actually broke my truck.
Oh shit
Yeah, my truck broke, so I had to go back a second time. The second time it was supposed to snow that day.
So it was on the clock a little bit. I got there the second time and warmed up into the Tre Flip for some time and managed to roll away. Yeah, man, I don’t have a lot to say about that it just happened.
I got a heel bruise the first time, that I still had the second time around. I think that’s why I landed it with my toe down and not on my heel because my heel was still pinging. It was just oh, man!
I’ve been back to the spot since. I’m just, like, fuck. I really wouldn’t want to do that again but that Tre Flip felt like magic, with the impact of the truck and everything else that happened on the first time as well.
I think on that second one, it was good from the start, you know, like fresh board, I was getting a solid form on the Tre Flip and I landed on it. So it was just like, oh fuck. You know, you can see by the way, that I throw my board against the fence and the way I reacted I was just thinking…I just rode away from that. What the fuck?
