🛹 Panic Skateboards: A Legacy of British Skateboarding

In the mid-1990s, when the global skateboarding scene was dominated by American brands, a small but bold company emerged from the UK with a mission to carve out its own identity. That company was Panic Skateboards.

📍 Origins: Where It All Began

Panic Skateboards was founded in 1995 by Joe Burlo, a passionate skater and entrepreneur who ran the Faze-7 skate shop in Enfield, London. Burlo saw the need for a British skate brand that could represent the local scene and give UK skaters a platform to shine. Panic was his answer—a brand rooted in British culture, style, and grit.

Soon after, Panic became the sister brand to Blueprint Skateboards, which was co-founded by Alvin Singfield and Dan Magee in 1996. While Blueprint focused on a more artistic and cinematic approach to skateboarding, Panic was raw, energetic, and unapologetically street-level.

🌟 What Made Panic Notable?

Panic Skateboards quickly gained recognition for several reasons:

• Authentic British Identity: It was one of the first UK-based skate brands to challenge the dominance of American companies.

• Influential Videos: Panic collaborated with Blueprint to release iconic skate videos like A Mixed Media (1996) and Anthems (1998). These tapes captured the essence of British street skating and featured legendary spots like Southbank and Milton Keynes.

• Creative Direction: Dan Magee, who later became Blueprint’s creative lead, helped shape Panic’s visual and cultural tone, blending gritty realism with artistic flair.

🧑🎤 Sponsored Riders & Team Legacy

Panic built a strong team of UK skaters who would go on to become legends in their own right. Some of the most notable riders included:

• Matt Pritchard – Before his fame with Dirty Sanchez, Pritchard was a powerhouse on Panic, known for his fearless style and heavy tricks.

• Paul Shier – A foundational figure in UK skateboarding, Shier later co-founded Isle Skateboards.

• Colin Kennedy – A stylish and technical skater who helped define Panic’s aesthetic.

• Jon Weatherall, Louis Slater, John Cattle, and Pieter Janssen – All contributed to Panic’s rise and helped cement its place in UK skate history.

These skaters weren’t just team riders—they were ambassadors of a new British skateboarding identity.

📼 Cultural Impact

Panic’s videos weren’t just skate tapes—they were cultural documents. Anthems in particular is remembered as a turning point in UK skate media, showcasing not just tricks but the lifestyle, humor, and camaraderie of British skaters. These productions helped elevate the UK scene and inspired a generation of skaters to believe they didn’t need to move to California to make it.

🕰️ What Happened to Panic?

By the late 1990s, Panic began to merge more closely with Blueprint, and eventually faded as a standalone brand. The focus shifted to Blueprint’s more refined image, and Panic was quietly retired. However, its influence lived on through the riders it supported and the videos it helped produce.

Today, Panic Skateboards is no longer active as a brand. Its legacy, however, remains deeply embedded in the DNA of British skateboarding. Many of its former riders have gone on to start new companies, mentor younger skaters, and continue shaping the UK scene.

Panic Skateboards "A Mixed Media"

Panic Blueprint Anthems (UK Skate Video 1997)

Colin Kennedy - Panic Promo