Australia's first longboard park
Did you know Australia has a claim to the World's first skateboard park? Many claim to be the first, usually the argument centres on two parks in the USA, California Skateboard City and Carlsbad Park. There was a skatepark created and skated in Albany Western Australia in 1975 (maybe early '76). In fact it still exists, and gets skated every day. So it would definitely have the be the oldest skatepark still in use, and probably was Australia's first skatepark.
Have a quick read of the history of Albany skatepark, and how it was created.
What's this all got to do with Australia's first longboard park?
I read that story, and thought these kids managed to organise themselves to build one of the world's first skateboard parks.
Longboarders number in the tens of thousands in Australia and we still do not have a park designed and built specifically for longboarding. Skate parks do not get created in Australia by some big skateboard association. We can not expect ASRA one day to announce they will build a park. Skateparks get built because skaters of all ages get together and fight old people in council meetings. They hassle the government so much they give in or at least listen.
So I am starting a discussion. The idea is to discuss making Australia's first longboard park or
roads specifically for longboarding. Lets talk about design, size, purpose, lobbying and funding.
Something like this can only be done if a group get together and make it happen.
Maybe we can create a framework/document, to help longboarders all over Australia to approach their local government to get something built in their area.
Views: 7240
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Jamie Meadows on
-
This is kinda related to the 2nd/3rd pages, but I was thinking, you could just find some random hill of grass or whatever, then put in some small road for practicing pre-drifts, not a dh run at all, but fun. You could have a starting point at the top, which goes down into 2 other sections in a T shape. Then have it going up a little bit. Not too big of an area, expensive-ish but not impossible. If I lived close I would definantly spend many, many hours there.
A very very rough sketch:You can go from 1/2 way up the hill, or all the way up the hill, just to practice heelside and toeside pre-drifts.
-
Permalink Reply by HOltzy on
-
That was the idea I was trying (albeit obviously failing) to put forward with my post "potential slide hill" or something like that, only my approach was more centred around learning to safely stop. When this topic arose in a previous post, I did try and get an old school mate from ABC radio to try and kick things off with a positive wrap and question why a longboard park hadn't been put forward for serious thought in council. This seemed like it was getting some good momentum, so I thought perhaps getting a council with a decent budget to approve a relatively small (in comparison to Hop's idea) project, it would start opening reference points for a bigger project to fall back on. It also would have given the general public a good look at how longboarders (for the most part) act in a way as to distance themselves from typical skateboard stereotype mentality. I applaud Hop for leading this and letting us know what we can do. Power in numbers. I will be watching this forum to see if I can help in any way.
Nick Scott said:but if the park in sydney is succesful over the years they may build more
Matthys van lille said:not to be a party pooper, but some things to consider.
it would cost a hell of a lot to cordon off a long enough road to make it good for dh, or to build a new one just for longboarders, but the ditch idea is a possibility. plus hop, where would we build it? the 10s of thousands of longboarders dont all live in the same place, and i dont think that many boarders would move from brizzy or melbourne to sydney just for a skate park...
-
Permalink Reply by Daniel Davis on
-
i live in cronulla and near me is a cycling track. its not long (about 500 metres) but its kinda steep and the cyclists have learnt to respect us and are usually quite friendly when we turn up for a couple of runs. if they have the room to build a cycle track why cant we make a longboard track. it would have to be around 800-900m long and in the middle theyre could be some flatland areas for those who like flatland. at my track theres a footy field in the middle and then some bushland. it even has 3 seperate tracks for different age groups. but we must remember when you go down a hill you're gonna have to go up it so as Taz said a lift would work well because walking back up a 1km track with all your shit gets tiring after a while. if anyone around cronulla has seen the Sutherland Cycle Track think bigger, better and faster.
-
Permalink Reply by Pitbull Productions on
-
Boomer,
I Live on the coast and work closely with some of the aboriginal community's in the area, I also have a pretty good understanding of the scene along with that i have a good working relationship with the council, we should catch up for a chat dude
Where are you located ? And are you keen to work on this with me ?
boomerdog said:a flow park with jumps & berms aready exists at san remo on central coast its the old mountainboard park, this imo just needs a few changes & a dose of asphalt to make this a reality...would make an awesome longboard boarder cross venue..
http://www.lakesmail.com.au/news/local/news/general/extreme-plan-wo...
us tranny skaters lost the bowl in the park a few years ago @ san remo because of local idiots burning stuff (ie bins in the bowl)
the council got fed up & just filled it in.
it looks like the council are looking to develop the old extreme park..this could be useful to this topic...
-
Permalink Reply by Peter Geller on
-
how bout a park that has endless rolling hills too that you can just mellow out after the days done?
-
-
maybe they could pick out a mountain like a ski resort except pave roads on it and put a couple chair lifts on it. it would be perfect just like a ski hill except for longboards and they could have the difficulty ratings and different sections like downhill then sliding, slolom etc.
-
Permalink Reply by Ben freifeld on
-
A different place, coledale :P
Liam McMillan said:South west.
ben freifeld said:i know a place just north of wollongong
-
-
best idea yet. or even have it on a ski field just for use in summer only
Connor Chin-Shue said:maybe they could pick out a mountain like a ski resort except pave roads on it and put a couple chair lifts on it. it would be perfect just like a ski hill except for longboards and they could have the difficulty ratings and different sections like downhill then sliding, slolom etc.
-
Premium MemberPermalink Reply by Steve on -
I just have one question for you Connor, Who are ' they ' ?
-
Permalink Reply by Josh Lucas on
-
that's an awesome idea!
-
-
What if there were a long enough road for DH that just had lots of hairpins but of course with all other aspects of the perfect DH course. From what i know there is a very large community of just DH longboarders then any other aspect of the sport. But yes there should definatley be a park for every type of style of longboarding.But we have so much extra land where there are no houses really at all so we wouldn't be disturbing anyone and what is there to exactly to complain about. If there were a good enough road. we wouldn't all be on roads with cars and stuff and there would be less accidents but they would have to make a fair few roads for Longboarders to keep us off main roads because just one road would be too packed.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- …
- 6
- 7
- 8
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Bugs.
Powered by
