Last Days of Marketta

The Road to Marketta mission has wrapped, and the Young Henrys skate team is home and hosed.

However, one member of the Road to Marketta crew isn’t home or anywhere near a hose, and that’s photographer Joel McDonald. Joel finished snapping King Stingray, Couch Wizard, The Terrys, Teenage Joans, Bella Amor, and Chutney at the Best Served Loud gig, and he made a beeline for Canberra and the 2023 Belco Bowl Jam. We caught up with Joel in the van and got the lowdown on the trip and the now-infamous Best Served Loud show.

What was the highlight of the trip?

I’d LOVE to say it that was some bullshit killer skating that went down, or the crew that we had on board, or the boujee hotels we copped, but it’s one-hundred-percent the mullet that’s now on my dome, thanks to Aimee Massie and a few too many G&T shotguns.

What was the lowlight of the trip?

Also, the Mullet.

Did you hook into any pies on the trip?

I did have a crack at one from a jacked-up gas station somewhere along the highway. Definitely an overnighter that had been nuked by that hot box. 2/5 stars, the roof of my mouth still hurts.

How many pies?

Man, you guys love pies, hey.

Rob said he was killing it with tunes in the van. True?

Yeah, look, he was killing it most of the time, but you can definitely tell when delirium sets in the van because the next thing you know, you’re listening to one hour of wet fart sounds, and Clint’s swerving all over the road because he can’t see from the tears rolling down his face. But we got back on track with a little Battlesnake that got the crew G’d up. As long as Kai doesn’t have the AUX, we good.

Please assign a spirit animal to each person on the team:

Aimee Massie: Wolf. Full pack animal who’s always looking out for the crew.

Lenard ‘Lenny’ Tejada: Panther. Steezy, Smooth, Quiet, Deadly. In that order.

Kai Shimakage: This dude is like six animals in one. Jack Russel? Scorpion? Sloth? Hyena? I'm gonna have to give him Panda Cub on red bull. Chill when he’s on the bamboo, but still a wild animal.

George Richards: This is gonna sound weird, but Sea Turtle? Easiest dude to get along with, and the way he skates in the bowl is EASILY comparable to crush from Finding Nemo

Rob Pace: I left this one up to the crew in my van right now, and we’ve landed on Bull—because he’s always charging. Would love to see a bull take on a kink rail, though.

What bands played on The Road Marketta?

Couch Wizard, Radium Dolls, Mudwagon & a bunch more, but that Bangalow gig was hectic.

Which of those bands would you recommend a friend hire for their wedding?

Any of them. Live bands at weddings are sick.

Which of those bands would you NOT recommend a friend hire for their wedding?

I mean, like, the MC, Shaggy Knees, is not attending any wedding dressed the way he was at Marketta.

How was the Couch Wizard sound?

You know how mermaids would lure sailors into bays with siren songs? Couch Wizard did the same but made people go insane with their music instead. I watched a man pick up a schooey glass and just straight up headbutt the thing. Blood everywhere.

Did King Stingray make anyone’s head explode?

Those guys are on a whole other level. You know when you see a band, and you can tell they’re having the best time with each other on stage? Like, if there was no audience in the room, they’d still be absolutely killing it just jamming by themselves. It's not the sort of stuff that makes heads explode but definitely the heart.

What advice would you give to someone about to embark on a multi-day road trip in a van full of skaters?

Hot tips for van tours with skateboarders:

1. Secure your spot in the van ASAP. Don’t go pissing on shit, but a couple of empty wrappers/cans to mark your territory ain’t bad.

2. Clean your van out when you can. That stink and stickiness builds up quick.

3. Get piss fit.

How keen are you to get back in the van?

I’m still in it! Literally, answering these questions in the same van, I was on for ALL ROADS with half of the same crew. We’re on our way home from Belco Bowl Jam with some sore heads and in need of some soul cleansing. In saying that, put me back in the Van ANYTIME.