Product Spotlight - Open That Door

Following the launch event on the weekend, Dykie's incredible book, 'Open That Door', is now available for you to get your hands on.

We've already spent ages bangin' on about Dykie's amazing 'Open That Door' project recently, but if you're still not convinced that you need to grab yourself a copy then it's well past time you came to your senses. I mean all the proceeds are going straight to some amazing charities if you really need more of a reason than the fact that it's a crackin' read.

In the book, Dykie takes us along with him as he undertakes the gargantuan task of running the entire circumference of Wales in just 35 days, as well as discussing his life leading up to this point and the various factors which prompted him to undertake the challenge. With the help of pictures and anecdotes, Dykie takes us day by day through his journey - starting from Barry Island before heading round the Wales Coastal Path and down the Offa's Dyke Path back to Barry Island - meeting up with countless friends along the way and trying his best to avoid being mauled to death by cows.

The book is broken up into 22 parts which alternate between his accounts of his run and some of the other challenges and adventures he's undertaken through his life, from his younger years to getting into skateboarding and filming, and later running his own skateboard company, Crayon. These sections offer a heartfelt insight into Dykie's life and are heavily punctuated with his honest, and often self-effacing, sense of humour.

The book not only deals with extremely personal issues in an open and honest manner, but it does so with a profound light-heartedness and humour which is sure to inspire anyone to open up and share their own experiences. If there's one thing to take from the book it's that no matter how bad your luck might be, you can always find a way to smile through, and even laugh at, your own misfortune.

Possibly the best example of this is the short section dedicated to 10 of his most embarrassing stories - accompanied by some hilarious drawings courtesy of Lee 'Beef' Bennett. From being routinely harassed by a friend's dog, to putting on someone else's pants in a painfully awkward case of mistaken underwear, and even accidentally punching a girl in the face in a disastrous dancefloor mishap - Mackey sums it up best in his epigraph: 'If it wasn't for bad luck, he'd have no luck at all'.

Alongside his running exploits and general misadventures, Dykie offers some really interesting insight into the history of the South Wales scene. The book gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the making of some of the most legendary videos to come out of Wales, from his timeless scene videos like 'Four Wheel Dragons' and 'Underexposed' to the now infamous skate/hijinx extravaganza, 'Pritchard vs. Dainton'. He even sheds some light on the history of Crayon Skateboards, and the somewhat bleak reality of owning a skate brand, with the added bonus of an archive of some of the brand's most iconic graphics from legendary Welsh artists like Phil Morgan, Nat Jones, and Pete Fowler.

Whether you hope to take inspiration from the mammoth tasks Dykie has undertaken throughout his life, or you just want to have a laugh at someone else's misfortune; 'Open That Door' will have you smiling throughout and it definitely helps make the struggle of getting through day-to-day life feel that little bit more manageable.

TLDR; it's safe to say the book is an absolute must-read. You can buy yourself a copy online here, or if you're in the Cardiff area we've got some copies in the shop that you can come grab IRL. It's cash only though as all the proceeds are going straight back to Dykie to be donated to three amazing charities: Mind, The Ben Raemers Foundation, and Trees Not Tees.

That's enough chit-chat though. Head to the shop to browse the latest skateboard decks, clothing, shoes, and more, and buy now from CSC. Or, find out more about the latest skate product on the CSC Blog. Safe.