Going to the studio for the last time felt strange. I had become accustomed to my changed lifestyle since filming Skate Nation (less sleep, more work, less social life) and it seemed odd that everything would soon go ‘back to normal’. Although the 3 months filming Skate Nation had been some of the busiest in my life (as all my usual Skatefresh commitments continued as normal throughout), it had also been a fantastic experience for me and something totally new and different. I felt part of a team now, I knew all the crew, I knew how it all worked and I didn’t feel like the newbie in town anymore.

This week the curls were back and I was put in a purple sequined vest. Although I love purple, I don’t think sequins should be anywhere near a vest. Camilla was suitably glam in a gorgeous dress of her own and Kevin was once again trying hard not to overheat under the lights, as we drank bottles and bottles of water. Cashew nuts had become our snack of choice throughout the series, in an attempt not to pig out on the crisps and chocolate which were everywhere.

I felt nervous for the 2 remaining teams, Essence and Coast Bladers. I realised that today, one team would be going home empty handed, and yet both these teams (like all the others) had put in so much effort. Their lives had been turned upside down, their schedules had been demanding and intense and soon for them, it would all go back to normal and I wondered how they would all feel by the end of the day. I really felt these two teams were neck on neck and that the decision would rest on the performances of the day. This of course added to the pressure.

This week the teams had to perform twice again, a new routine and a judges’ favourites which we had been asked to pick previously. I thought it would be so difficult to choose between them, so I decided to really focus on the skate skills in the routines and try to judge this alone, knowing that other aspects would be covered by Camilla and Kevin. The winning trip to Taiwan for the World Games suddenly felt like a reality and I realised that both teams desperately wanted it (and thought they could do it).

This final show featured a surprise by the hosts, after two and a half months of presenting the show flat on their feet, Sam and Mark finally got their skates on. The filming schedule for Sam and Mark had been so intensive that they hadn’t had a huge amount of time on their skates, but they did have several lessons with Maja from Skatefresh using my hire skates. Just like all beginner skaters, Sam and Mark showed varying degrees of ability. Sam was better at bending his knees then Mark and consequently had a smoother style and fairly good stopping (including a spin stop). I was sad that they hadn’t started skating at the beginning of the series as then I am sure they could have become quite proficient. As it was, I was amazed at what they managed to pull off in such a short time, also having to learn a choreographed routine. They brought in the comedy value as always. It is always interesting to see people learn a new skill and it showed us all how talented the skaters in the competition actually were, making difficult moves look easy. The audience and the skaters themselves loved seeing Sam and Mark on skates, it really was one of the highlights. Kevin was in hysterics throughout.

More entertainment followed with skipping champion jump rope team DDF from Belgium who were astonishing.

It was great to see all the previous teams who had performed in the studio since Skate Camp back on their skates, performing a medley of their routines. You could see the friendships that had developed and it was good to have some of the old characters back. During the filming, Andy from Slapshots had actually been to London and completed the ICP1 instructor course with me and had passed. Since being out of the competition (way too early in my opinion, but again the studios audience decided that) he was looking at ways of trying to start encouraging more kids in Yorkshire to start skating. This is what we need more of in this country, passionate adults willing to inspire the next generation.

The nail biting final was suitably tense and full of suspense. Both teams looked strong at rehearsals but there was a surprise mistake from the Coast Bladers in their first routine with a fall (the first time this had happened from them). Obviously this came through in the marks for that routine and overall Essence produced 2 flawless routines and the highest scores of the day. You could see the joy in their faces (Essence) and the disappointment in the boys’ (Coast Bladders). The studio audience did their voting, this time only having to choose their favourite team to win based on the performances.

The tension before the final result was announced was huge. The Coast Bladers, despite their mistake were voted to win by the audience. It had been a close battle between these two teams throughout the series, but in the end the audience holds as much power as us judges (and it seems they do not use any kind of logical criteria other than of course inherent popularity). The boys were suitably surprised as their long faces after their bodged routine were testament to their disappointment (and the expectation they then had of not winning). Essence were obviously very disappointed as they knew their performances that day in the final had been stronger than the boys, obviously so, as the judges scores very clearly showed that. But this is the drama that is talent show TV. This formula is exactly what works in order to create tension and never ending surprises and ups and downs. Personally I prefer talent to be marked by some kind of objective criteria (difficult to do but good as an aim). I do not like the random audience vote as this somehow devalues the merits of the skaters. However, after many series of Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice, the BBC knows this formula works.

So the Coast Bladers win Skate Nation. They had the strongest adult skater from the beginning and this helped to make their routines dynamic and strong. I predicted (to myself) from the start that the teams with a strong adult skater would do the best.

All of a sudden after the results were announced and filming stopped, everything was quite hectic. There was a short awards ceremony of alternative prizes for certain categories, most improved adult, most daring move etc. It was nice to see smiles on everyone’s faces. I was given the hugest bunch of flowers which was a lovely surprise, but a bit tricky on the train to Brighton with my usual suitcase of weekend skate parafinalia.

So there ends that chapter of Asha’s skate life. A few more Skate Nation related things continued to crop up (such as the Newsround piece with the presenter and Sam and Mark again on skates just before the show first aired). The summer was in full swing when the filming ended (end of May) and I launched myself into the usual Skatefresh routine of teaching. I had missed a lot of Sundays by being in the studio so it was good to see my regular Sunday clients again, many of whom had missed a lot of lessons in my absence.

What has been the Skate Nation effect in my life? I don’t have a TV and I work every Saturday morning so I didn’t have to sit through the strange feeling of knowing I was on TV. By the time the show started to air, it seemed like ages ago we had filmed. I occasionally get recognised by a child or two, on the train or in the park, but this is always very sweet and I try to simply encourage the child to skate if they don’t already. In my experience most TV work has a very indirect effect on business, particularly as Skatefresh and my status as a coach was largely hidden from the filming (as is the BBC’s policy of not being allowed to advertise or promote companies and individuals). My family and friends have had a good laugh seeing me wear make up and I am trying hard now not to bulge my eyes out whenever I have to say ‘Gold’. Luckily normal life doesn’t need me to do that often (although the bronze/silver/gold theme does tend to come up in conversation….”I give this roast chicken a Gold”. ) But it looks good on the CV and I am very happy that I was asked to participate.

I now wait to see what the greater effects are in terms of more children and young people becoming interested in skating. As I begin to teach more skate dance I wonder if my vision of having many more schools adding skating to their curriculum will come to fruition. Dancing and skating have been identified as the top 2 activities children voted for in a survey by Sport England. This bodes well. It is my mission to see more kids and adults enjoying themselves on wheels and discovering this fantastic activity which is skating. I think the UK is ready to rock and roooooooooll.