C.R.E.A.M at Rollersnakes: Cash, Chaos and New Obstacles Hit Derby’s Skatepark

Rollersnakes was packed out once again on 12th September as Derby’s skate community descended on the skatepark for C.R.E.A.M – Cash Rules Everything Around Me, an afternoon of new obstacles, ridiculous tricks and, quite literally, handfuls of cash being given away.

Originally scheduled for 29 August, the event fell victim to some absolutely shit English weather and had to be postponed. Thankfully, Rollersnakes didn’t leave us waiting too long. C.R.E.A.M was rearranged for 12th September, running from midday until 5pm, and this time the weather played ball enough for Derby’s skaters to get stuck in.

The premise was simple. Three new spots had been added to the Rollersnakes skatepark courtesy of enjoi, R.A.D and Heathen, and rather than quietly unveiling them and letting everyone have a go, Rollersnakes decided to turn the whole thing into a massive cash-for-tricks session.

Throughout the afternoon, cash was being handed out to skaters landing the best tricks, with three handmade trophies waiting for those who really managed to make their mark. Even the trophies had been properly thought through, each one being a miniature handmade version of one of the three new obstacles.

By the time I got down there, C.R.E.A.M was already well underway and, as you would expect from a Rollersnakes event, the place was packed.

There wasn’t much standing around either. Everyone seemed to have a particular trick in mind, repeatedly attacking the new obstacles and trying to get it down while a crowd gathered around them. Attempts quickly turned into near misses, near misses into another go, and eventually somebody would land something ridiculous and another wad of cash would find its way into their hands.

The new Heathen obstacle provided some of the day’s best moments.

Complete with a massive hard foam head, the obstacle required volunteers to physically hold the thing in place while skaters launched themselves at it, attempting to land on the head and get a trick away without completely destroying it in the process.

They mostly destroyed it in the process.

It was brilliant.

The head was getting absolutely battered as skater after skater took a run at it, with volunteers repeatedly putting everything back into position ready for the next attempt. It quickly became one of those slightly chaotic skate sessions where landing the trick was only half of the entertainment.

And there was some seriously good skating happening around it.

With actual money on the line, people were pushing themselves harder and harder as the afternoon went on. Cash was being handed out constantly to anyone who landed something worthy of it, creating exactly the kind of atmosphere you want from an event like this. It wasn’t an overly serious competition with people waiting around for scores and judges. It felt much more like a massive session where doing something sick could suddenly earn you a few quid.

That format also meant everyone could get involved.

There was no sense that C.R.E.A.M was exclusively for the best skaters in the building. People could turn up, skate the new spots, watch some of Derby’s best local talent and have a crack at earning some cash themselves. At the same time, the handmade trophies gave the very best tricks of the day something more permanent to aim for.

Events like C.R.E.A.M are also another reminder of just how important Rollersnakes is to skateboarding in Derby.

The shop and skatepark have become an epicentre for the city’s skate culture, but that doesn’t happen simply because there’s a decent park to skate. Rollersnakes continues to put on events that actually give people a reason to come together, whether that’s competitions, brand events, demos, jams or slightly unhinged afternoons involving giant foam heads and large quantities of cash.

More importantly, they keep those events accessible.

You don’t need to be sponsored. You don’t need to know the right people. You don’t even necessarily need to be competing. You can turn up, skate, watch, hang around and be part of it. That’s what a healthy local skate scene should look like.

C.R.E.A.M might have borrowed its name from Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)”, but on this particular afternoon the cash really was moving around the skatepark at an impressive rate.

New obstacles, handmade trophies, loads of local skaters, some incredible tricks and absolutely shit tons of cash being handed out to people for landing them.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Derby.

Once again, Rollersnakes showed exactly why it remains at the heart of Derby’s skate scene. Another packed event, another excuse to bring the community together and another reminder that some of the best things happening in the city are built around simply giving people somewhere to meet, create, skate and get involved.

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