Our arrival in Tehran is certainly auspicious – 3 camera crews are here to greet the plane’s arrival. The focus of their attention? A trophy wielding sportman returning home to the greetings of fans and family and camera crews. Clearing customs is a synch – for once the foreigner’s queue at customs goes quicker than than for the locals – its a a half empty flight, and I guess October is not the tourist season. A female colleague is politely asked to don a headscarf before her passport is processed.

Within an hour we arrive at the hotel. Turn on the TV to try and see out what kind of event the sports heroes were competing in but get side tracked by videos of the intifada on channel one. The production values of the videos being broadcast are actually close to many of the underground sk8 promos floating around, or is it the other way around? Visions of of Mssrs Shortys, Fuct, et al. watching stone throwing resisters for tips on how to keep it real. For all of sk8s hardcore pavement chic you don’t get any edgier than death so chemagh wins out over hoodies.