What I love

The Extreme Sports Channel. Really. It’s brilliant. Me and Olly sit open-mouthed in front of Freestyle Moto-Cross, Vert skateboarding and Ultra-skidoo (is that what it’s called?). I’m a 42 year-old male – completely missed the skateboarding thing as a kid (my dad did once fix a bit of hardboard to a roller skate so I could roll down the cycle track outside our house on my arse – no question of standing up).

I absolutely love the attitude of the kids I see on the channel. They’re the opposite of the starched sporting prima donnas we see at Wimbledon – they’re irreverent, ironic, idealistic, precious about the culture out of which their sports grew. They’re ambitious, though, and they’ll probably wind up getting all their weird street pursuits accepted as Olympic sports – but that’s the kiss of death for the culture. Once they have to stop playing ‘skatecore’ at events and wearing jeans to compete that’ll be the end, I’m sure.