First Kick Scooter Collective
Buoyed up by the success of other events events such as the Clitheroe weekenders, The First Kick Scooter Collective of Morecambe decided that a revamp, repush and general rejuvenation of an event based within this great bastion of scootering history was well overdue. So as soon as I got whisper something was in the offing from July 12-14, I wanted to know all about it, and the chaps who were creating it. So I grabbed a word with some of the guys from ‘First Kick’, namely Bobby Keit, Paul Kelly, Mark Dugan, Tyrone Lewis, Jon Wallbank, John Hoey.
How did ‘The Collective’ come about? The First Kick Scooter Collective started as a Lambretta club, a small number of mates who got together for drinks and ride outs, but after a while they thought to broaden the horizons. Jon W came up with the name, the styling and logo – it’s called First Kick because at the time all the people involved in it had two-stroke machines – so obviously, to be able to start your scooter on the ‘first kick’ is the epitome of excellence.
How do you see Morecambe re-establishing itself, and what’s your goal? We started with single-day charity events, and looked to build on this by holding larger events, with our goal to see a national run back in Morecambe. It’s our fourth year now, and if we can take it forward the way we’d all like it to, then eventually, the council will see the benefits that a scooter rally can bring to a town and get on board, which will enable us to take it to the next level.
Our view of a rally is often through the prism of my memories of Morecambe in the 80s with kids razzing up and down the seafront – you don’t see that now, we’ve all become more ‘mature’. Back in the day, we were doing all sorts of stupid things, absolute bedlam. That’s probably why the council is understandably cautious.
Back then the hoteliers did not want scooterists either, it was always at the last minute the council would provide some sort of ‘camp site’. Most people camped back then; we couldn’t afford, or weren’t allowed into a bed and breakfast. The game changer recently, is the Carlton has reopened, and the ‘First Kick’ has managed to secure it for the rally weekend. It’s a good-sized venue with bags of history. Add the Trimpell Club, The Platform, The Exchange, The Boardwalk and the Gordon Club into the mix and the rally is really taking shape….scooterists and venues working together to fetch something good to Morecambe.
How do you think we can get a younger audience into the scene? A clear way to attract the younger lot into scooters is by the music, like the Prodigy Scooter Collective has. They don’t mess about with the music we love and grew up with, they have adopted their own style and try to do things differently. If we went to one of their dos we’d come out with our ears ringing, but we have to learn to adapt and welcome change, be as open and inclusive as possible; that’s something the First Kick set out to be from the start.
We ought to look at how other countries do it. For instance, when we attended the Vespa World Days in 2018, there were Italians, Germans, French, lots of youngsters riding about. The scooter clubs in the UK somehow have to make the scene more appealing and introduce the younger generation to the scooter scene. Free entry to events for anyone under 21 could be a start – you never know – it may just generate the impetus needed.
What was the impetus to get the event to succeed? We love Morecambe. It’s been away from the scooter scene for so long and we want to bring it back. It’s got a pedigree, a lineage and we want, in some small way, to resurrect the good times of scootering here again and play our part in Morecambe’s resurgence.
A £10 wristband covers the Friday and Saturday evening events together with camping onsite with full facilities. Call, text or email Mark Dugan on 07984620434 or mark_dugan@hotmail.com Words and photographs: Rik