Next up in our coming to Camp VC we've got Rachael Sherlock of Nefarious skate crew & her rad little CB100. One of the most friendly lovely ladies we know Rachael has been skateboarding for years & is involved with some incredible Skateboarding charities & organisations such as Skate Pal teaching skateboarding to all genders & age groups everywhere from London to Palestine to skate. We're stoked to have her with us all weekend teaching on the VANS skate ramp with the other Nefarious girls so go say hi when you get to site!
Name: Rachael Sherlock
Where are you from & where do you live now?
Grew up in the West Country (Clevedon to be exact) and now living in London
Whats your profession?
I'm a Senior Studio Technician at ITV Daytime (not sure why they call it daytime because it's definitely the morning shows!)
When did you get involved with Nefarious?
This summer will be three years since I joined Nefarious. I decided to start skating again and went to a girls night by myself and met a few of them that had just decided to start a group for girls wanting to hang out and learn to skate.
Skating has taken you to some pretty incredible places, wheres the most amazing place you've ever skated?
I really love Palestine and all the work that SkatePAL and Charlie (the founder) does out there. Being able to volunteer and skate with the kids has changed my outlook on life. I'm repeatedly inspired by the resilience and positive attitude of all the kids and families I've met out in Palestine, despite the challenging circumstances they live under due to military occupation.
You seem to really love teaching skating as you've been involved with so many rad projects & initiatives teaching all over the place. Which projects have you been involved with?
As well as being involved with SkatePAL I run a monthly 'skate dates' every second Sunday of the month in Victoria Park. It's promoted through a friends company called Urban Hippie Collective and is a community project aimed at getting more people (all ages and gender) involved in skateboarding. I also like to keep in touch with the Women in Board and Action Sports as they host some fantastic events with inspirational women speakers.
Do you have any good advice for anyone wanting to start learning how to skate?
Social media is so big these days. Check out videos on Instagram and Youtube and follow the things you like, watch tutorials and just get a board and give it a go! If you're lacking in confidence start near your house, up and down your drive way or find some friends to go to the skatepark with. Lots of indoor parks like House of Vans even run mini Skate Schools now, on the weekends and school holidays. If you're in London and feeling too old for Skate School then come along to Skate Dates at Victoria Park! More info at www.UrbanHippieCollective.com
So you just started riding motorcycles in the last year! What made you want to start riding?
When I was younger we had a BMX track near our house and I'd often wish my BMX was a motocross bike- sad I know! But my mum hated the idea so the closest I ever got was riding a friends mini moto or chicken chaser around a field. Then a couple of years ago I went to Thailand and managed to hire a little 125cc to take me through the winding rainforest roads that lead to a place called Pai. I was pretty hooked after this trip and got my geared CBT the minute I got back and started saving for a Mutt Motorcycle. After almost a year of saving I was almost ready to buy when I saw a Honda CB100 on the VC or The Bike Shop instagram page and fell in love. I think I bombarded them with lots of messages so they'd know that when they're ready to sell I was serious about buying and had the money already saved!
What made you go for a Honda CB?
I really like the cafe racer style to it. It's also a good size for me (a tiny person). When I went to collect it, a few people had commented on how I was the perfect size for it and I didn't really realise until my friend escorted me home alongside his massive Triumph just how tiny me and my bike are. I think if the bike was any bigger then I'd struggle. I'm not really keen on bigger bikes but I have passed my theory and will take my full test this year, but I'm only really looking forward to taking off my L plates that cramp my style, not get a bigger bike!
How long have you owned your Honda?
A year this summer ?!? (I should probably check this because my insurance will run out...)
What the best and worst thing about riding in London? Any tips for anyone who is apprehensive to ride in such a busy city?
The traffic is horrendous and for the first few months I was a bit afraid to weave through it (although my bike is so small it's perfect for sneaking through gaps of stationary cars!) That's now the best thing about riding through London, that rush hour doesn't really apply to you if you're sneaky enough. But you also have to be so careful. Lots of cars have almost hit me by pulling out and into my lane and I once even got right up next to a woman's window and she still was oblivious. If someone is pulling out of a junction I often slow down a bit and assume they've not seen me, and even if I get solid eye contact with the driver I'm still cautious.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out riding or wanting to?
The monthly meetings at The Bike Shed in London are good. Lots of friendly women and faces to give advice about places to take your CBT and get you hyped. They can also recommend good starter bikes and ensure you don't get ripped off.
So you'll be one of the ladies we've got lined up to teach on the Vans X Nefarious mini ramp at Camp VC! What have you guys got lined up for us?
Get ready for leg day because if you're new to skateboarding then we'll most likely start with some simple pumping in the ramp! Would be cool to get some people dropping in for the first time too!
What are you looking forward to most at CAMP VC?
Skating, drinking and having a go on some different bikes if people trust me enough! (before beer is consumed obviously) haha
