Pat Coghlan interview

Interview: Genualdo Kingsford
Photography: Collins

Tell us a little bit about where you grew up. 
I’m from north-east London. I was born in Hackney, then we moved out to South Woodford, which is a bit more suburban. It’s like London-cum-Essex essentially, with the Central line bang into the city. As a young teenager in London, it was kind of quiet, but you still had that access to the city. If I didn’t have anyone to meet, I’d get the bus to Lloyd Park (skatepark, Walthamstow), but growing up, I spent the entire time bouncing around between all the parks and different parts of the city. I went to North London a lot to skate with Dan (Tabakin), Ed (Pettey) and a few other mates up there.

How did you start skating? 
This sounds silly, but there was a period when all the gaming channels on YouTube figured out that Skate 3 had a tonne of glitches and decided it would be really funny to milk that for content. Skateboarding was always something I wanted to do, but seeing it in that YouTube sphere was the final push. There was always a board around the house, though, like a cheap one. We went on a family holiday to Cornwall when I was quite young and at the end of the week, my parents bought me an Urban Beach set-up from a shop there. When I finally actually started skating, they didn’t want to commit to something expensive, so instead of getting a proper board, we got Bones bearings for the Urban Beach board that was seven years old at that point. I remember my dad standing on it and because it was the first time we had bearings that worked, he slipped out backwards and smacked his back on the ground. He said: “This is dangerous,” and because he didn’t quite know how a skateboard functioned, as a safety precaution, he tightened up the trucks as much as possible. I remember trying to bomb a hill for one of the first times – I was on the pavement, not the road – and I broke my arm because I couldn’t turn to avoid a lamppost and smacked into it. That was the first time I hurt myself skating. From then on, for years, I had the most ridiculously loose trucks.

You recently graduated with a history degree. Now you’re doing a master’s in drama writing. Talk us through that change in direction. 
I always really enjoyed drama at school. At the end of the uni application process, my drama teacher said to me: “If you’re not going to a drama school, then just do everything that your uni offers for drama.” But I started uni in lockdown, so I missed those extracurricular opportunities at first. I feel like if I hadn’t been studying from home, I would have gone to speak to someone at the uni to ask: “Could I change to English and theatre?” so I’d still have the foundation of a normal degree, but I’d be studying something I was really passionate about. But then I got to Bristol and just fell in love with the skate scene and being there. I realised that with an undergraduate degree in this country, if you can write, you can put a lot of the course to the wayside, chase what you really want to do and still come out of it with a good qualification. And for me, that was putting on plays through Bristol Spotlights, which is the drama society at the University of Bristol. During my first weeks in Bristol, there was an open call for a playwriting course with Mike Akers at the Tobacco Factory Theatres. I remember seeing the notification on my phone when I was skating the plaza spot in the centre of Bristol. The deadline was very soon, so I sat down on the bench and typed out the application on my phone. I got on to that short course and from then on, I was writing plays throughout my time at uni. Within that Spotlights scene, everyone knew about the Old Vic drama writing course. In my head, that was the next goal.

How’s the course going?
Amazing. During the first week of term, there was a party for new students at the house where Daniel Day-Lewis lived when he was studying at the Old Vic, which was crazy. It’s just an opportunity to write constantly, you get feedback from really good people and there’s structure; you have a deadline and you get it done, rather than having that insecurity about what you’re writing and having your own timetable.

Between your degree and your master’s, you worked as a teaching assistant in London. Tell us about that.
That was a really meaningful experience. I was working as an LSA (learning support assistant) for the special needs department at The Lammas School in Leyton. If I’m honest, it was quite difficult. You really see how a lot of kids and their issues can get put to the wayside, but once you connect with a child, you make that bond and you can tell in an intangible way that you’ve been able to make a positive difference. I hope I did. But yeah, my respect for teaching, and especially special needs teaching, has only increased since doing that. My mum was originally an English teacher, but became a Senco (special educational needs coordinator) and has worked in that field ever since, so it gave me a new perspective on what she does as well. 

You’ve been modelling a lot lately. How did that come about and how do you find that work?
I would say it’s a blessing because it’s not a time sink, but it funds you quite well and I really enjoy it. I got street cast when I was 16, then I was in an email chain with a casting agent and for about five years, once or twice a year, she’d get in touch to say: “Here’s a modelling job if you want to be up for it.” I always replied: “Yeah, that sounds fun.” Then last September, I got some work for Kiko Kostadinov. I didn’t know who that was when I signed up for it, but when I told people about it, they said it was a cool job. They made my hair crazy. I had bleached blond hair and they shaved off the front, textured it almost like a warning sign and left the back like a mullet. Everyone else was wearing wigs, like a bit scared to play with their hair, but I was said: “Do whatever, go for it,” and I think that helped because more of my photos featured in the campaign. 

Earlier this year, I started skating with Harry (Haddon), Teo (Palfreyman-Gaze), Billy (Munden) and Kirk (Gaitskell-Kendrick). Most of them do that kind of work on the side as well and one of the first things they said to me was: “Pat, that was a really cool job I saw on your Instagram. Who is your agent?” I was like: “I don’t have one.” They got me in touch with Headoffice, which is a management company run by the photographers Lola (Paprocka) and Pani (Paul). Pani is actually a rad skater and I think he knows how much this kind of work can help skaters. I signed to them in April and it’s just kind of snowballed. It’s fun work and it’s really exciting.  

In addition to your studies and modelling work, you’ve been working on this interview and filming for multiple skate video projects. How do you balance these commitments?
I guess I don’t really like sitting down (laughs). I’m very on the go. I prioritise whatever is nearest that needs to be done. Also, always being out skating helps with filming skating. That sounds simple, but if I’ve got the time and I feel like skating, I’m going to chase someone I’m filming with and get that thing done.

Earlier this year, you picked up three new sponsors – Skate Cafe, Slam City Skates and Ace – in one month. How did these relationships come about and how do you feel about representing these companies?
Oh, I’m absolutely stoked. It’s a bit surreal. I chart getting involved with these companies back to a similar time as the modelling thing, which is a weird parallel. I’d been filming for a VX project for two or three years with my mate Nick Vieweg, a super-dope filmer from London. It was never formally going to be a video part, but it came together. That came out (Some Joy, via Vague), and then the week after, my mate Joe Poulter released his full-length (Hanging by a Thread) that we’d been working on for the previous year – shout out to Disco – so that was kind of a one-two punch: one part, then another a week later. From that, James (Collins) messaged me saying: “If you want to come shoot, I’d be down to get some photos,” and from there, I started this interview. We took a day out in London to shoot that axle stall roll-in on the Tom Knox Evening Standard thing. After shooting that, we met Rich (Smith) at the next spot and James showed him the photo. He said: “Dude, we should film.” I’ve always been a fan of Rich’s stuff, like the Cafe videos and Mike Arnold’s “Lloyds” Part. Through Rich, I got involved with Slam and Cafe and since then, I’ve just been filming with him wherever our paths cross. Ace is through Wes (Morgan) at Rock Solid in Bristol. I’ve always seen him about and Ace has quite a strong presence there.

You worked with Joe Poulter on his first video Everything was Awesome, then Hanging by a Thread and you’re currently working a new project. Tell us about your working relationship.
We’re almost like a married couple at times (laughs). There’s a lot of good creative tension, if you know what I mean. We very much get into it about where we’re going and what we’re doing, but I think that works; clashing is healthy. We live together now and that means we can film at random times. We filmed one of my favourite clips for this project at 10pm, two roads down from our house, after we hadn’t figured out a plan. But to go back to the start, I’d been in Bristol for about a year before Joe moved here. I can be a bit shy, but meeting Joe and our mate Ginge (Joseph Piggott) really got the ball rolling for me. I had a year’s worth of trick ideas and spots pent up in my head, so with that first project Everything was Awesome, everything was awesome (laughs).

It’s nice to see Joe getting some recognition recently. I noticed he was in Prague filming with Yardsale.
Oh yeah, I’m so happy for him. He’s been putting in the work and it’s paid off, it seems. He’s been filming with Bear (Myles) and Zach (Smith) a lot. He’s like the West Country bastion for the Yardsale riders.

How have you found hanging out and filming with Rich and the Skate Cafe crew?
Oh, that’s been amazing. I’ve felt very welcomed and Rich just loves skateboarding. He’s so positive and brings an excitement to the session, which is just so warm and lovely. Because my bag of tricks can be a bit modern, sometimes Rich is like: “I don’t 100 per cent know what you’re saying, but show me,” which is always quite fun. Often, that leads to good results.   We’ve filmed a few things recently where it’s like: “OK, we’re sitting on something,” which is always a really nice feeling. 

Who are some of your favourite skaters in terms of inspiration? 
Nick Jensen, Dane Brady, Jake Johnson, Chris Milic, Jesse Alba and Mike Arnold.

Who are some favourites to watch in person?
I’m always in awe of Tom Rosedale. He is like a stuntman on a skateboard. There’s so much risk with the spots he skates, but he always handles them within a few tries and at that point, it’s pure entertainment. Ginge is always killing it, like crazy manuals and he also has a lot of pop. Bear is a delight to watch as well; he’s the most flowy skater you’ve ever seen. Will Riley just keeps getting better. Everyone in Bristol is skating with a lot of energy at the moment. Everyone’s still hungry, which is nice. 

Who are some younger, up-and-coming skaters in Bristol people should look out for?
Will Riley and Tom Rosedale again, to be honest. Both have new parts coming out in January.

How’s the skate scene in Bristol these days?
It almost feels like the torch has been passed a little bit towards to the younger scene. When I came to Bristol, I remember it being populated by a lot of older skaters and feeling a bit intimidated, but as time has passed, a lot people our age are out street skating. The Slab’s always full and we just got Vicky (Victoria Park Skatepark) as well; that’s a great park. The beauty of street skating in Bristol is that there are plazas like Lloyds and Plaza in town, where you know there’s going to be a session, but you can branch off, bounce around street spots and you’re always going to see faces you know. 

There’s the Petticoat crew too.
Oh yeah, Petticoat is killing it. It’s very important to have that space in skateboarding and to be able to show underrepresented communities through their own video series. To have claimed that space is so important and impressive. Alexis (Lewis) and Eli (Eliana Woosnam)… Eli’s another up-and-comer; she’s shredding at the minute. 

Tell us about your interest in Saunas. 
That started after breaking my ankle this summer. My mum lives in Leyton – that’s where I stay when I go back to London – and that’s next to Hackney Wick and Stratford, both of which have this thing called the Community Sauna (Baths). They are very much that kind of yuppie, wood-fire, hippy thing. I thought it would be funny to go and check them out and I just got really into it. I couldn’t skate at that time and I figured going to the sauna would be good for my recovery. This might sound stupid, but I think it interacts with your brain chemistry in a similar way to skateboarding. You get endurance and dopamine hits from staying in the hot or cold too long. I said it was for recovery, but I think it was more for sanity while I couldn’t skate. When I started getting back into skating after the injury, I noticed that if I’d been to the sauna the day before a street mission, I couldn’t land my trick. I don’t know if that’s superstition, but I’ve kind of phased it out now for that reason.

What are your longer-term plans for the future? You seem to have a few irons in the fire, career-wise.
The way I see things, I want to go back to London because what I can achieve in skateboarding, theatre or modelling is much higher there. At the minute, I do enjoy modelling, but it kind of ends up being in service of skateboarding and theatre writing because there are few things I can do at my age to make me financially stable and also have the time to street skateboard and write as much as I do. I want to balance. I want to go as far as I can in skateboarding, theatre and modelling. I know I enjoy skateboarding the most of the three.