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By K Futur LOCALThere are certain names that become stitched into the fabric of a city’s youth culture. In Derby’s skate scene, Forde Brookfield is one of them. A filmmaker, organiser, community grafter and full-time believer in skateboarding, Forde has quietly built a legacy that stretches from Leicester’s local parks to Los Angeles boardroom legends, and from Midlands street spots to the big screen at QUAD.
He’s not just the guy behind the camera. He’s part of the reason the camera is there at all.
From Leicester Parks to Derby Streets
Forde is currently based in Derby, but his roots are in Leicester. Growing up surrounded by “a lot of great skateboarders”, he found himself inspired not just by the tricks, but by the culture that formed around them.
“Leicester had a lot of great skateboarders when I was growing up and watching the talents of the dudes at the local parks and street spots inspired me to film as much skateboarding as I possibly can.”
That urge started young. At around 13, armed with a video camera, Forde was making homemade horror films with friends. It didn’t take long before skateboarding took over the frame.
And like many of his generation, a chipped PlayStation 1 and the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series played its part.
“What drew me to it was the Tony Hawk video game series that my older brother got for me.”
For some, that game was escapism. For Forde, it was a blueprint.
“I Stand Around for Hours…”
Ask him what he does, and he’ll shrug it off with classic understatement.
“I stand around for hours waiting for someone to land a trick, that’s essentially what I do in a nutshell, haha.”
But anyone who has spent time around a proper skate filmer knows that’s only half the story. It’s patience. It’s freezing fingers in winter. It’s rewinding clips on a curb at midnight. It’s watching someone slam twenty times and still believing the make is coming.
“The most challenging part? Trying to stay warm whilst standing around in the winter…”
There’s humour in that answer, but there’s also truth. Skate filmmaking isn’t glamorous. It’s endurance. And Forde has built his reputation on never walking away before the clip is landed.
The LA Moment
For someone who started out filming local parks, one recent highlight stands tall.
“Travelling to LA and meeting George Powell, that was pretty mind blowing.”
Meeting George Powell-co-founder of the iconic Powell Peralta-is no small thing in skate culture. That’s heritage. That’s Bones Brigade history. That’s the architecture of modern skateboarding.
For a lad who grew up filming Midlands street skating, that full-circle moment says everything about how far the journey has travelled.
Derby’s Skate Advocate
Back home, Forde’s impact goes beyond filming. Through years of pushing, organising and advocating, he’s been a visible force behind Derby’s evolving skate infrastructure, including helping bring momentum and visibility to the city’s new skatepark developments.
He’s also well known through his connection to Rollersnakes-one of the UK’s most respected skate retailers – bridging local scenes with national platforms.
But what makes Forde stand out isn’t just who he knows or where he’s travelled. It’s consistency. It’s the fact he’s still here. Still filming. Still planning the next project before the current one is even exported.
REPENT: The Spiritual Successor
Most recently, Forde wrapped filming and editing on his latest full-length skate video, REPENT. Premiering to a packed room at QUAD in Derby, it felt less like a screening and more like a community gathering. Skaters, friends, families – generations in one cinema.
“I’ve just wrapped up the filming and editing of my latest full length video ‘REPENT’ which is somewhat of a spiritual successor to my 2023 full length video ‘SATAN’. If you look carefully, all the video titles connect in some way and it’s been a funny inside joke for years now.”
For those paying attention, the titles are part mythology, part mischief. But beneath the humour is serious graft. Full-length skate videos are rare in the era of quick Instagram edits. They take years. They demand obsession.
And obsession is something Forde understands deeply.
“I think it’s evolved into a deeper need to never stop… sometimes I think ‘This is my last video’, but by the time I’ve thought that, I’ve already made plans to start another one.”
That mentality has defined his catalogue. And it’s not slowing down.
Europe, Nordic Roads and the Sixth Full Length
What’s next?
“I want to focus more on Europe and Nordic countries for my sixth full length.”
That endless horizon is his main inspiration.
“The thought of the endless amounts of people that I want to film in countries I haven’t explored yet.”
There’s always another spot. Another skater. Another city. The map never really fills in.
More Than Just Footage
At its core, Forde’s work isn’t just about documenting tricks. It’s about preserving moments. Youth. Friendships. Risk. Laughter between attempts. The silence before the roll-in.
And if you ask him what he hopes people take away from his work?
“To shut up and go skateboarding.”
Simple. Direct. Very Forde.
Words to Live By
If there’s one line that sums him up, it might be this:
“Life is beautiful. Really, it is. Full of beauty and illusions. Life is great. Without it, you’d be dead.”
There’s humour in it, sure. But also perspective. Skateboarding has always been about seeing the world differently-stairs as opportunity, rails as possibility, cities as playgrounds.
Forde Brookfield has spent his life capturing that mindset frame by frame.
You can follow his journey via Instagram at @bagheadcrew, where new clips, projects and full-length announcements land first. And if history tells us anything, there’s always another video already in motion.
Derby has many creatives. But few who have documented its skate heartbeat as relentlessly as Forde Brookfield.
And he’s not done yet.
