Blondey McCoy has officially stepped into a major moment for his skateboard brand Thames, and the story behind it is genuinely warm and memorable.
What was meant to be a relaxed evening before the screening of Gabriel Summers’ new parts turned into something far more emotional for Blondey.
Before the lights dimmed, a recorded message from skate legend Mark Gonzales appeared. Mark is not just a friend but someone Blondey has admired for years, so hearing his voice already set the room on edge. Then came the surprise: Mark revealed that he, their wives, the Thames team, Al Boglio, and Gabbers had been secretly working for months on a pro board for Blondey.
Moments later, Gabbers walked out and handed it to him in front of everyone.
For a kid who once dreamed of seeing his name on a deck, it landed with full force. Blondey said this had been everything he wanted at around ten or eleven, but he knew he had complicated that dream when he left his previous sponsor as an amateur and leaned into skating for his own company. He accepted that choice, thinking the idea of a pro board was something he had unintentionally set aside. Not dismissed, just placed somewhere he did not expect to reach again.
What caught him off guard was discovering how many people around him wanted this moment for him, and how much work they had put in to make it happen. Their planning thread was even titled Blondey surprise pro board by Mark Gonzales. The effort alone was overwhelming.
He found himself standing in a studio that matched his taste completely, eating cake made by his wife, reading cards from the kids, and realising that some moments really do seem to arrive with the right timing.
He kept expressing his gratitude, and his excitement showed immediately when he wondered if there were multiple copies of the board because he wanted to set one up on the spot. It was clear he felt genuinely fortunate.
This moment connects naturally with the story of Thames, which has followed Blondey since he was old enough to be fascinated by skateboard art. He grew up drawing constantly, but something changed the day he stepped inside Slam City Skates. The display, the stickers, the ceiling covered in names and doodles all hit him in a way that shaped his tastes. The shop is gone now, but its impact stayed with him.
By 2013, Thames products were being stocked there. Blondey had just turned sixteen and realised his GCSE art project had quietly become a real brand. Shortly after, Thames entered a chapter with Palace Skateboards, where Blondey had already been skating and modelling. He saw that period as Thames finding itself. Eventually he understood what direction he wanted, and in 2019, at twenty one, he ended the partnership.
Later that year, while finalising his first collaboration with Adidas, he found himself thinking about Thames again. His own website could have hosted the launch, but something held him back. Thames still meant something. Restarting it felt right, but he wanted clarity about what it should represent.
He settled on three ideas: connecting with people, feeding his creative drive, and bringing something fresh to British skateboarding.
He recalled a comment attributed to Vivienne Westwood in the early eighties, where she said that once Punk cooled down, the most unexpected thing a man could do was wear a suit and tie. Whether or not that was accurate for the era, the idea resonated with him. You can stand out by doing something that seems simple at first, but reveals meaning when you look closer. Thames became the place where he explored that thought.
And now, years later, he has become the pro of his own brand. It feels personal, fitting, and fully earned.