“LC” BEN RIVER LAWRIE
Ben River Lawrie is sitting at Lincoln Square, drinking a coffee and talking to me on the phone.
It’s an apt location for Ben to be doing this feature interview since he earned the nickname ‘Lincoln Child’ for skating the iconic plaza spot so obsessively back in its heyday. But a few things have changed since LC was a baby-faced local kid drinking Dare iced coffees and sessioning the slappy ledges at Lincoln Square. Obviously, the city’s most cherished spot got resurfaced and effectively destroyed back in 2016, but right now the entire city feels different. Melbourne is at the midway point of stage four lockdowns due to the second wave of COVID-19, which means there are curfews and skateboarding in the streets is heavily restricted.
Midway through our interview, LC has to bail from some nearby cops. He’s not technically doing anything wrong, but he doesn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention, since there’s some doubt about whether the Victorian Government classifies skateboarding as legitimate exercise. But it’s not all doom and gloom.LC has worked hard to shoot a full photo feature and can still have a laugh about the random messages he gets from Pontus Alv; the time he smashed his teeth in; and the Nike Quick Strikes that he’s been saving for a rainy day. Hopefully, soon things will go back to normal, and LC will be able to session spots outside the five-kilometre radius around his house. Until then he’ll be sessioning the long ledge at IMAX. And dodging the cops.
LC, what’s happening today?
I’ve just been skating at IMAX and then I went across to Lincoln Circle to get a coffee. I’m sitting here now drinkin’ it.
“It’s really tense skating. You’re on edge the whole time, looking out for cops.”
Are you still heavily addicted to caffeine? What’s your coffee count for the day?
Today I had two at home and then I had one like an hour ago, so this is number four right now. I’ll probably have another one before I go home.
Is five per day a fairly standard coffee count for you?
Five’s a little bit above average but maybe three or four a day is standard.
How’s the vibe right now in Melbourne with stage four lockdown?
It’s pretty bleak. I can only really skate at IMAX, or Tiny Dancer, which is the Grattan Street ledges. It’s just a small ledge on a slant
