Mongoose, Shadow and Nike 6.0 rider Paul Ryan scored this months cover with his tuck no hander at the bombed out church in Liverpool. Here is a quick Q&A about how it came about, plus a few of Paul’s favourite Ride UK covers…

Paul chilling in Liverpool earlier in the year.

pic: Craig Tull

1. How’d the cover photo come about?
Well the shot sort of come out of nowhere really! Chester Blacksmith was over in Liverpool staying with Jason Phelan and Benson had come up from London to shoot some stuff with him. Earlier that week Seventies had asked me if I could get a photo for a Shadow advert, so I asked Benson if I could shoot something with him. After a good session and getting the photo for the Shadow advert, we rode past a stair set that I had been wanting to no hander for a while now. I was having a good session, so thought id give it a look and had a few run ups. I felt pretty up to it, so after a couple of deadsailers, I got my hands out and Benson shot an amazing shot…..which I was super stoked on!!
Thanks Benson.

2. Where was it taken?
It was taken just outside the bombed out church, just on the outskirts of Liverpool City center at like half 12 at night. And randomly some drunken student guy gave me 10 pounds for it, stoked!! Haha.

3. Did you pull it first go?
Erm yeah and no, if that makes sense. I jumped it a few times, pulled about four deadsailors, where my hands wouldn’t come off, but when I finally got the hands off, I landed it first go.

4. Who, out of all your friends and family will be the most appreciative of it?
This could be a hard one, so not naming any names, but I have a good idea who would be the most appreciative of it!!

5. Which is your favorite magazine cover of all time?
This is hard! Not necessarily my favourite cover of all time, but I can mention some of the covers I have always remembered. The first Ride UK I ever bought had Northern John on front cover [issue 54], doing a manual down a hand rail, it was so good. I really liked Randy Taylors Ride UK Issue 111 cover, were he whipped that massive 20 set!! That was just ridiculous. And the Ben Lewis barspin through the photo frame on the cover of Ride UK 121. That cover was so good! And of course Bas Keeps one from last month at the reservoir was crazy.

6. What are you going to do today?
Well ive just finished work, so think Im gonna chill out for a bit, then gonna go for session down at the skatepark, then probably gonna meet up with some friends/riders and see what happens from there.[still cant believe I actually got the cover!]