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By K Futur LOCALWhen the votes were counted for the TRENDИG Awards Derby 2026, the Local Legend category proved to be one of the closest races of the entire awards. The title ultimately went to Forde Brookfield, a name that has become synonymous with Derby’s skateboarding culture through decades of involvement, creativity and community building.
From working inside one of the city’s most influential skate shops to documenting the local scene on film and helping promote one of Derby’s most exciting new skate projects, Brookfield has spent years quietly pushing the culture forward. The award is recognition not just of a single moment, but of a long-term commitment to keeping skateboarding alive and thriving in Derby.
When he found out he had taken the title, Brookfield admitted the result came as a genuine surprise.
“I was super stoked,” he says. “The voting process was extremely close throughout the entire time. I’d check one evening and I’d be in the lead and then I’d check a week later and I’d be in third place, so it’s fair to say the race was exciting. I’m quite blown away that people voted for me. Huge thank you to everyone who did.”
The Local Legend category was stacked with people who have played important roles in Derby’s cultural landscape. Among the nominees were Dani Bello of Bello Mind and Soul and Jay Dean from Dubrek Studios, both widely respected figures who have done huge amounts for the city’s creative scene. For Brookfield, being recognised alongside them made the award feel even more meaningful.
“It’s an honour as there’s a lot of creatives in Derby, many of whom I wouldn’t ever consider myself deserving of being in the same category as them,” he explains. “Throughout the voting process I took the time to check out every other nominee and all of their work is incredible. I hope I get to meet and work with them someday soon.”
A Life Shaped by Skate Culture
Brookfield’s journey into Derby’s skate community is closely tied to Rollersnakes, the legendary skate shop that has been part of the city’s culture for more than four decades. For many skateboarders across the Midlands, Rollersnakes has long been more than just a retail space. It has acted as a hub, meeting place and creative launchpad for generations of skaters.
Brookfield first stepped into that world at a young age.
“I started working for Rollersnakes at the Leicester shop when I was about 16,” he recalls. Under the leadership of Tim Hunt, the shop later evolved into The Ledge Skate Shop, giving Brookfield his first taste of working within the skate industry.
After that chapter closed, he moved north for a few years and gained further experience at Slugger Skate Store in Sheffield, an opportunity he still speaks about fondly. Eventually, a phone call from Hunt brought him back into the Rollersnakes orbit.
“Tim Hunt dropped me a call randomly one day and told me that he’d started working back at Rollersnakes and asked me if I’d like to visit and interview for a job opening,” Brookfield explains. “I knew somewhat instantly when I arrived for the interview that Rollersnakes was where I wanted to be again.”
Since then, he has witnessed first-hand how the shop has continued to support and energise the skateboarding community in Derby and beyond. Rollersnakes has built a reputation for nurturing grassroots culture, from sponsoring riders to organising events and building spaces for people to skate.
The shop even opened both indoor and outdoor skate parks free of charge, something Brookfield believes has made a huge impact on the local scene.
“Seeing how Rollersnakes has helped the local scene and even further afield has been incredible,” he says. “They’ve put on countless events, jams, video premieres and sponsored a whole range of skateboarders and other people’s events.”
The shop has also allowed him to expand his own creative interests. Brookfield co-hosts a skateboarding podcast alongside Toby Batchelor, giving them the opportunity to interview some of the most respected skateboarders from the UK, the United States and Canada.
He is quick to emphasise that none of it would be possible without the wider Rollersnakes team.
“None of that would happen without the dedicated help of Toby Batchelor, Mike Wright, Tim Hunt and the rest of the Rollersnakes team. I consider myself very lucky to be working here.”
The Rise of FLO Skatepark
While Rollersnakes has long been a cornerstone of Derby’s skate culture, one of the most exciting new developments for the city is the creation of FLO Skatepark inside the old Eagle Centre Market.
The project represents a major step forward for the local skate community, transforming an underused space into what could become a major Midlands hub for skateboarders.
Brookfield has been involved in the project through its social media and promotional work, helping spread the word about the park as it takes shape.
“Seeing the construction of FLO Skatepark in Derby has been phenomenal,” he says. “The potential it holds to grow the Derbyshire and Midlands scene will be astronomical.”
He is quick to clarify that his role has mainly been focused on promotion rather than design or construction. However, helping build excitement around the project has still been an important part of bringing the space to life.
“I’ve been involved solely on the social media promotion side,” he explains. “So I’ve been the face of promotion for FLO when it comes to park announcements, updates, events, contests and new park builds.”
Looking ahead, he hopes to continue contributing to the project by documenting skating sessions at the park and creating video content that keeps the momentum going.
“I’m hoping to contribute more by being able to enter the park before and after session hours with either solo people, crews or teams to create some after-hours content to keep the hype alive.”
Capturing the Scene on Film
Alongside skateboarding itself, Brookfield has also dedicated years to documenting the culture through video. Skate films have always played a crucial role in the culture of skateboarding, serving as both creative expression and historical record.
In an era dominated by short-form social media clips, Brookfield still believes in the power of full-length skate videos.
“As we’ve discussed before, full-length skate videos are crucial to not only your local scene, but the UK as a whole,” he explains. “We’re rapidly losing concentration when it comes to longer form content.”
While daily clips and quick edits dominate online feeds, full-length videos create something deeper: a moment for the community to come together and celebrate the culture.
“There’s still such a huge importance to creating a full skateboarding video and premiering it surrounded by the scene, your friends and family.”
One of Brookfield’s recent skate films premiered at QUAD in Derby, turning the screening into a community event for skaters and supporters alike.
Filming in Derby comes with its own unique challenges. Unlike cities filled with sleek modern architecture, Derby’s skate spots tend to be older and rougher around the edges.
“Derby itself has a few ‘interesting’ spots-interesting being rough and old,” he laughs. “It’s not a city that has a lot of new architecture at all, so you’ve got to make do with what you’ve got.”
Yet that challenge has become part of the city’s skate identity. By continuing to skate and film those locations, Brookfield believes the scene keeps its creative energy alive.
“All you can ask for is that others see that you’re still skating the spots available, even if rough. It still generates some form of hype that inspires others to keep skating what the city has to offer.”
Looking to the Future
After decades of involvement in Derby’s skate culture, Brookfield’s hopes for the future remain simple but powerful: more people skating, more community support and more spaces built with skateboarders in mind.
The combination of institutions like Rollersnakes and projects like FLO Skatepark could mark a new chapter for the city’s scene.
“All you can hope for is that people keep skateboarding and supporting local,” he says.
He also hopes that growing participation will encourage local authorities to recognise the value skateboarding brings to young people and urban culture.
“With Rollersnakes and the construction of the new FLO Skatepark, hopefully it opens the council’s eyes into putting more funding into skateboarding projects that generate more skate-friendly spaces, greater quality skateparks and more spaces for independent creatives to flourish.”
For Derby’s skate community, Brookfield’s Local Legend award feels like a fitting tribute. It recognises not only a passionate skateboarder, but someone who has consistently worked behind the scenes to help build, document and celebrate the culture that surrounds it.
And if the next generation of Derby skaters continues to grow, gather and create in the city’s parks, shops and streets, it will be in no small part thanks to people like Forde Brookfield.
