Skate Shoe Geekery & Spot Lurking with Brendan 'Brenna' Harrap

Backside kickflip, Wasteland, Leeds. Photo: Chris Johnson

To kick off the launch of our blog, we caught up with longtime Wakefield-Leeds transplant, sneaker aficionado, lover of all things with a little red box and owner of the best kickflip in West Yorkshire, Brendan 'Brenna' Harrap.

Interview by Farran Golding.

Vital stats first please - name, age, years skateboarding and hometown?

Brendan ‘Brenna’ Harrap, 20th March 1988. I’ve been skating for 13/14 years and I’m from Normaton, West Yorkshire.

Favourite skateboarders?

Zered Bassett, John Cardiel, Lewis Marnell, Wieger Van Wageningen, Alex Caralino, Chewy Cannon

Music of choice? 

Slayer!

Who do you skate for?

Welcome Skate Store, Sore Skateboards and Greggs The Bakers.

You’re a big fan of house music and frequently hit up Back to Basics, what got you into that scene?

I wasn’t that keen on the music before but my good friend’s brother was a resident DJ there so when going on trips skating it would get played a lot in the car. I got introduced to a band called 2020 SOUNDSYSTEM and the DJ is also a resident at Basics.

At the time I was going to some of the worst clubs around and just got fed up of the same shit, eventually went to Basics and was blown away by the vibe there. The energy there is unreal, the people there are some of the friendliest people I’ve met. Too many good things to say about the place.

Any favourite DJs you recommend people looking into?

Ralph Lawson, Tristan Da Cunha, Andrew Weatherhall, AUDIOJACK, Seth Troxler, Adam Shelton, Crazy p, Ray Mang. There are too many but that’s a few of my favourites.

You’re a diehard sneaker head so what have been your greatest pickups over the years? Are there any you wish that you hadn’t sold and which have you held on to dearly?

I had a lot of the very early Nike SB stuff like the Richard Mulder and Gino Iannucci Dunk colourways from the first drop of SB Dunks from 2002. I had a fair few pairs of the older stuff and newer releases that I’d sell then buy other pairs. I’ve just sold my last pair a few weeks back, the Reece Forbes ‘Hunter Dunks’, which was one of the first pair of SB Dunks I skated. I eventually lost interest and just didn’t like the direction the brand went, product-wise and them pushing it into the big chain stores instead of keeping it strictly to the SOS stores. 

Top skate shoes of all time?

Top two for me: Vans Chima Pro and Vans Chukka Low.

Wallie, Bond Court, Leeds. Photo: Reece Leung 

Along with shoes you’re also well invested in your wardrobe. Which brands are putting quality clothing out at the moment?

Post Details – enough said! 

Will Supreme always reign supreme though? 

Of course!

Are there any Supreme items over the years that you’ve been really stoked on or spent time tracking down and paid extortionate prices for?

I just get it online or from The Hip Store in Leeds when they stocked it. When it’s gone it’s gone - I just face it. I don’t like funding the resellers There’s only the Public Enemy collaboration stuff from a few years back that I’d pay a bit extra for, with me missing out on it, and it still bums me to this day when I see pictures.

Crook pop-out, Leeds. Photo: Reece Leung 

You ride for Sore Skateboards but have also transitioned into a well respected spot-sitter and seem to push Vince [Orr] towards putting people you’re hyped on on the team. So, what’s your actual position? Team rider? Team manager? Resident OG? Part-time filmer? Professional shit talker or all of the above? 

I just get hyped on watching the up-and-comers and everyone else killing it and the bullying thing is me just wanting to see friends that are  young and ripping get hooked up to help them out. I’m not OG but my body feels like it most the time…

Finally, as a master of the manoeuvre yourself, what is the best varial flip in the history of skateboarding? 

Kenny Reed, Static 2!

Cheers Brenna, any parting words?

Brews up, arse planted.