Skateboarding & BMX
Bart Andrews provides an SB & BMX update
As some of you may already know, Imperial has sadly lost its ‘Skateboarding and BMX’ society this year. However, this does not mean that Imperial has lost its skaters and BMXers! This is a quick update as to what is happening with the Imperial skateboard and BMX scene this year.
Imperial SB is currently an unofficial group of riders that session a variety of different skate parks across London. In contrast to the Skate society, which mainly focuses on ice skating and roller skating in and around public parks, Imperial SB is for those who want to session skate parks for ‘tricks-based’ activities, such as skateboarding, BMXing or rollerblading. If you enjoy riding, use to ride or are looking to start, then don’t hesitate to contact us on Facebook (facebook.com/ImperialSb), Tumblr (imperialsb.tumblr.com) or Gmail (imperialskatebmx@gmail.com). We are looking for new riders, photographers, filmers, artists and anyone that’s interested in the local skatepark scene.
London already has a large and diverse range of skateparks with many more opening every year. The biggest and arguably the most famous skate park in London is BaySixty6; now sponsored by Nike SB. This park has recently had a complete overhaul and reopened in August this year. The new and improved skate facility is fully resurfaced and redesigned, complete with new gaps, hydraulic ledges and a bowl. The park is still open daily, with a full day pass costing around £10 and there are, of course, concessions for beginners and for shorter sessions. BMX riders unfortunately still have restricted access. Check the park’s Facebook page for further details (http://www.facebook.com/BaySixty6).
New to the scene this month is the council-funded £170k concrete skatepark in King George’s Park (on the Southfields/Wandsworth border). We had the opportunity to quickly session this park before the start of term and the verdict is unanimously positive. Next to the site of the previous skatepark and youth centre, Wandsworth Council has decided to invest money in constructing a new concrete skate plaza and BMX track. This park has pretty much anything you could ever want, including: flat banks, quarter pipes, rails, ledges, gaps and really smooth transition. To top this all off, the council has left the old skatepark in place, which further adds to the variety on offer. To ensure that the park has a successful induction into the local community, two members of staff are on site permanently until the end of this year. This park is free to ride and already has a great community of skaters and BMXers.
If you would like to be kept updated on openings like this and what’s happening in the local skate and BMX scene then contact us or follow us on Facebook or Tumblr. We hope to ride with you all soon!
Facebook (facebook.com/ImperialSb)
Tumblr (imperialsb.tumblr.com)
Gmail (imperialskatebmx@gmail.com)
