Pete Dashwood-Connolly is the fastest (holder of 2 Guinness World Records) and most successful downhill skater in the UK to date.

With titles such as these under his belt, you may think that he had been skateboarding all his life. However, although he had skated as a kid, he hadn’t as an adult. The introduction of snowboarding into his life ignited his passion for being on a board and whilst spending winter seasons in Canada in 1999/2000 he discovered longboards. He realised that this was something he could do in the UK all year round and returned home with a Sector Nine board and progressed from there.

As a St Albans resident, and living very close by, he had a strong connection to and love of The Pioneer. He was skating in quite a big group at the time and his friends tell of how he was to be found there like clockwork every day. He learnt 80% of his ramp skating on the mini ramp, using it like a training ground and honing his skills. The closest he got to a short board was a board of 36 inches, and he used that for the parks and pool riding. At the time longboards were not commonplace in a park setting and the Pioneer hadn’t really seen that before.

Pete wasn’t particularly into bombing hills at first. Then in 2000/2001 he went to the Bude Classic Downhill Event. It was the first time he had seen people properly going fast downhill. After that he started bombing local hills, and he meant just bombing down them! Speed was his thing and the rest, as they say, is history.

Core to the skateboarding scene, whether park skating or in the longboarding scene, was the community. Pete said that his best times skating had been because of the people he met and the friends that he made. He knew of no other thing that he had in his life that could bridge such diversity. When racing around the world particularly, there would be skaters from so many different nationalities, each with different cultural compasses, different financial positions, jobs, ages and beliefs. He said that on the hill however you move past all demographics, and you would find that you had already shared an experience with someone, trusted in them and come out smiling before you knew what their background was. He thought it quite telling that, at a Downhill event, quite a breadth of conversation could pass between two people until you eventually got around to asking what it was that they might do for a living…. whereas so often in life this was what people asked first and formed much of their opinion on.

For Pete, Skateboarding (and Metal) shaped his life, from the friends made to the lessons learnt along the way, especially the lesson that you can get back up again, no matter how wrecked you are in that moment. This lesson was particularly important through his 6-year battle with neuroendocrine cancer. After each gruelling round of treatment, he would say that his goal was to rebuild himself to be ready to go again, and that he had done it many times before in his life and he would do it again and again, as many times as necessary. Nothing has given more to his life or taught him more about himself than downhill.

When choosing a charitable cause to support in his honour, there was no doubt in my mind that it had to be with a connection to the skate world that he so loved. The Pioneer Skate Park’s ‘Rebirth: Leading the way to a new future’ could not be in better alignment with the person Pete was and the beliefs that he held.

The project is about giving young people a place to belong. A place to fall and get back up (literally). A place to make friends, build confidence, stay active, and just be. In a world that can be tough to navigate, especially for young people, they want to offer a space that’s safe, supportive, and seriously fun.

They also want the skate park to be for everyone. Where the old teach the new, where the metaphorical torch of skateboarding can be passed between generations. They understand that skating teaches resilience, patience, creativity and that it builds community, and they have seen how a skatepark can change lives.

We are not having flowers at Pete’s Celebration of Life, just skateboards! I am hoping that many people who loved Pete and wish to give in some way and honour his memory, will do so in supporting this project. Any donation will be gratefully received.

Skate Faster!