I’m typing this on my iPhone from a beach in Jamaica. (Sorry but I don’t even feel guilty writing that.) It’s hard to know whether it’s the blazing sun or the three this’ll-put- hairs-on-your-chest rum punches, but I’m squinting through one eye at my screen hoping some of this might make sense to someone. If it does, then kudos to Matt and Nick on the brilliant subbing. I’ve managed to keep to my no-phone policy so far but am momentarily breaking it for this very important missive — well, it was either that or run ‘Ben Cobb is away’ in supersized font. My dedication really does know no bounds.
Also, I was excited to introduce this week’s cover star: Olympic medallist and the world’s youngest professional skateboarder, Sky Brown. Maybe it’s because teenagers are given such a hard time — when did they become society’s scapegoats? — butI love a teen sensation and 15-year-old Sky is exactly that. The day before our shoot at the skate park under the Westway, I saw Sky on the six o’clock news doing a terrifying stunt (not a technical term, I’m sure) on a half-pipe by the Thames, beaming with an ear-to-ear smile. It was clear that were there no cameras, crowds or sponsorship deals, Sky would be doing exactly the same thing: living her dream just for the thrill of it. There’s something infectious about that.
Hamish, our deputy editor, assures me there is lots of other good stuff in this issue, including Maggie Rogers, Paul Simonon and, erm, Liz Truss (really?) so enjoy. Right now, I’m switching my phone back off and living my own dream. One love, London.
