U.K.'S BEST SKATE PARK

[Stevie_B]

OK I consider myself lucky to have stayed the summer in london in 1979 the benjy boys where still around Shogo was visiting and some hard core LSD boys where ripping every park I visited but which was the UK's best skatepark in the 70's???
Harrow,Rolling Thunder,Rom,Mad Dog Bowl,Guildford or somewhere else???
what do you guys think

[sean goff]

Tough one as I didn't get a chance to go to many parks in the sevinties.
I would say Kiddy had the best pool.
The mougals at Rom.
Upminster was the first park I went to and I thought it ripped at the time... But then you would if it was your first ever park..
The whiplash at Windsor seemed rad at the time.
and Thunder ripped.
Overall I would say Southsea or Rom for the size and veratiy.

[Alec]

Loved those moguls at Rom, I broke my wrist skating those.

The Windsor whiplash, well what can you say getting above vert and 'freefalling' back down. I also liked the banks around the freestyle area there, about three foot high with perfect transitions, for those who never knew it;  it was an indoor wooden park in a huge warehouse belonging to Billy Smarts Circus.

The halfpipe at Skatestar in Guildford was fun. Well deep with a flat bottom and on a slope!!

How about the Barn at  Brighton Surely that should be near the top of the list and Andover or was that 80's, my memories not to good nowadays as the years all seem to have blended into one huge skate session :-/

[Frontsiderocker]

Did anyone ever skate "arrows" or "skatopia" in Brum? I've heard stories about how rad those places were-Any photos lying around?

[OLDSKATERS]

Here's my two pence worth;

ROLLING THUNDER (RIP) - Most Sunday's I'd finish my paper round, head to the Rom and we'd travel from Elm Park tube, near the Rom, 30+ stops on the District Line to Gunnersbury, then spend the day at Rolling Thunder. I loved the place and it was indoors so the "liquid sunshine" that plagues us here in the UK wasn't a problem. The sloped half pipe that extended the length of the place, the downhill freestyle area with paving stone banks with concrete transitions that felt like a smoother, faster version of South Bank, the sketchy circular ditch that surrounded the mini clover leaf, the bowls leading off from the half pipe, the pole bowl with the crazy slope leading into it which gave you way too much speed and the exotic goings on in the rooms at the back above the half pipe. All these things will stay with me forever. The fact that it was concrete and indoor made it my favourite UK park.

ROM - I grew up half an hour away, so ended up skating there 2-3 times a week, then working there, as a marshal, when there was still colour codes for the various runs, stopping kids killing themselves in the performance bowl (whilst it still had the vert extension) and the pool, I then started working there every Saturday from 1979/80 for a couple of years, mainly putting roller skates together for John and Dave in the loft.

HARROW - The pool, what else can you say?

OG MEANWHILE 1 - Rough as hell, but the amazing extension from the big bowl, made it worth it.

MEANWHILE 2 - Covered from the elements and the choice of a smooth mellow lip or a grindeable lip section, great for when it rained.

SOUTH BANK - Covered and still a great hook-up spot even now.

KENNINGTON - Forever carving around the corners, still good although the gaps that have developed between certain sections over time make softer wheels a must.

STOCKWELL - Still great fun and as long as you keep an eye out for the cracks that have appeared a blast!

HOLYWELL BAY (RIP)- Used to make a pilgrimage there 2/3 times a year, the mellow snake run and bowl/pool were excellent and you could keep an eye on the surf from across the golf course, bomb downhill (not many cars around) and spend time in the water.

THE BARN, BRIGHTON (RIP) - Remember a great pool there, but only went a couple of times.

CLACTON ON SEA (RIP) - Full pipe on a slope that was too steep and too small even then, had a mini reservoir/freestyle area and a snake that was mellow and fast.

WALTON ON THE NAZE (RIP) - At Martello Caravan Park, had a great pool, much like the one at Harrow and a downhill into a huge sweeping right hand bank, a lot of fun!

I also have fond memories of a little rubberised bowl and downhill run in Harrow Lodge Park, in the grounds of a swimming pool not far from the Rom. Latimer Road vert ramp and a vert ramp somewhere near Kings Cross.

Anyone remember where this was, I remember it was a Safari Park, perhaps Woburn, not sure, but after this pic was taken I spent the afternoon in the pool, which I remember being like a bigger version of the one at Rom?:


I'm sure I'll remember more, but my old brain can't think of any more at the minute
:-/

[H-Boyz]

Loved those moguls at Rom, I broke my wrist skating those.

The Windsor whiplash, well what can you say getting above vert and 'freefalling' back down. I also liked the banks around the freestyle area there, about three foot high with perfect transitions, for those who never knew it;  it was an indoor wooden park in a huge warehouse belonging to Billy Smarts Circus.

Yup I remember the Billy Smarts Park........first skatepark I ever went to..........the most fun thing there was the 3 sided area in front of the two halpipes with those ramps that had about three/four foot transition and about a foot or so of vert nailed on top of them. Everyone used to fly around them in a long line until someone slammed. I did my first ever backside grind there....Oh! the memories!!........BTY those halfpipes went on to Farnborough, where they joined the two together and had flatbottom added........useless piece of trivia for you.

The best indoor park at the time though was Rolling Thunder......rain never stopped play!.......used to love watching the sessions in the Pole Bowl.....and that Halfpipe.....it seemed to go on forever!!!
Also liked the square shaped mini halfpipe in the middle of the park......was it called the channel?
What was it they turned it into?.... what a waste.........

Being a Harrow local the Pool there has to come high on the list........I broke my arm there.....had to have two plates in it for a year.......not the smoothest transition but what a shape!..... also the bollocks at the bottom of the slalom run and the performance bowl...wow! that was great to carve around......

[H-Boyz]

Windsor Whiplash.......was it really called that?  I just remember calling it Billy Smarts.......but then is was a long time ago and my memory is fading with age.........

[Alec]

Yes it was Billy Smarts. The Whiplash was the strange thing like a half-pipe turned on its side. It went  over vert on one side, to about 11 o'clock.
On the half-pipe front I bailed from the vert on one of them on one occasion and put a hole in the bottom with my heel.  I was not popular as they had to close it off and put another layer of ply on it. When they went to Farnborough I believe they cut the vert off to use as the flat bottom.

[bottlehead]

All of the above, what about gillingham?? that place had  one of the reservoirs to carve, also any empty pools  that is the real deal...

[H-Boyz]

Yes it was Billy Smarts. The Whiplash was the strange thing like a half-pipe turned on its side. It went  over vert on one side, to about 11 o'clock.

Yes,  .....It rings a bell now that you've jogged my memory.......  

[H-Boyz]

All of the above, what about gillingham?? that place had  one of the reservoirs to carve, also any empty pools  that is the real deal...

Mark...
True........Gillingham was a cool park.......lovely smooth pool and the pipe was good too......always remember having to skate through the town centre dodging the grannies from the train station to get there......

[tim rollerskater]

  I came to London in 78 and was lucky enough to run into Steve Kane in Hyde Park testing the wind skate or sail board. I got to do a lot of skating and even got in the mag skating for Dread Decks. I loved the Rolling Thunder and the Mad Dog Bowl. I also got to help them make the Rom smoother and advised them to resurface the bowl. It was my first job consulting on design and construction of skate parks. I'm proud to say that I am still making kick ass pools today. See you around, tim

[sean goff]

Tim Altic I presume??
The bearded rollerskater/skateboarder who had a sequence doing a 360 bunny hop into water, nude!!!!

Well good to hear your in the buisness. Any sites so we can check out the parks your helping to biuld?
And also on a DREAD tip. I had one of the old 8" bank managers I got of a local at Barton.  I take it they were a British company? Do you know where they were based ??

Cheers, Sean

[Stevie_B]

I just found an old poster type thing with the bearded wonder doing an invert at  MDB(tim where you sponsored by Benjy?)and a very young andy peerless in it.What is it with rollerskaters building skateparks
Talking of mad dog bowl that had a really cool pool scared the crap out of me much bigger than rom or harrow but I think Rolling thunder had the best vibe about it.

Here is tims work looks pretty good
http://www.alltecskateparks.com/

the funny thing is he hasn't cut his beard since 1979

[H-Boyz]

Talking of mad dog bowl that had a really cool pool scared the crap out of me much bigger than rom or harrow but I think Rolling thunder had the best vibe about it.

Oooooh yes! only went to the MDB once and that was when it was shut and they were building squash courts or something in the building. If you knocked on the door and asked the builders nicely they'd let you in......that pool was the gnarliest......the pipe was a bit hairy as well if I remember rightly.......but am glad I went there at least once