The best places to skateboard in cities – readers' pictures
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http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/25/best-places-skateboard-cities-readers-pictures Version 0 of 1. As cities around the world begin to embrace the culture and social value of skateboarding, we asked our readers to share stories of the best parks and other urban areas to skate in. Even the mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, got involved. From the streets of Barcelona to a converted house in the Brazilian city of Itanhaém, these examples show how even in a DIY way – or after the victory of grassroots campaigns – some cities are becoming more skateboard-friendly. Bristol, UK College Green at the bottom of Park Street in Bristol The skaters seem very content at the bottom as they have just skated down one of the steepest, longest streets. They kick the boards up and move off again straight away. Sent via Guardian Witness By colinmoody319 20 April 2015, 21:26 Southampton, UK The Cultural Quarter, Guildhall Square, Southampton seems to be popular with skateboarders @guardian @guardiancities pic.twitter.com/PlgV9T4hTu Helsinki, Finland At Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki A popular place for skateboarding, in front of Mannerheim's statue. This particular night the place was invaded by bikers doing their tricks. Sent via Guardian Witness By LittleMy7 4 May 2015, 21:35 Itanhaém, Brazil Where is the best place to skateboard? Any skateboarder would like the answer to be: “My own house, of course!!!” However, Anselmo Arruda, the guy in this picture, made it happen for him and his local community. After the passing of his parents in 2010, he inherited the family house he grew up in, and did what most skaters would do: build something you can skate at your own place. With the help of his friends, he threw away his furniture to make space for the DIY ramps and ledges, knocked down the living room and kitchen walls to free the corridors to roll around, and invited local street artists to graffiti every blank space left in the house, so the Itanhaem community gave birth to the Caverna House. His idea was not only to make the entire house skateable, both indoors and out, but Anselmo also wanted to transform the house he grew up in into a community resource and give to the disadvantaged youth of his town by providing skateboarding, music and artistic learning opportunities. - MMFD23 Itanhaem Brazil Caverna House if you knocked your walls down and don't know what to do with the door, make it skateable and kick flip on it... Anselmo Arruda Photo Tiago Gerolamo Sent via Guardian Witness By MMFD23 26 April 2015, 22:52 London, UK Southbank London Great Street Art too. Sent via Guardian Witness By TimRanson 21 April 2015, 13:23 Robbie Brockel at Southbank Real Skateboards team member Robbie Brockel jumps the bar at Southbank Sent via Guardian Witness By jamieisbell 21 April 2015, 20:55 Places like the Southbank undercroft should always be there for the new generation of skateboarders. It reminds us that skateboarding is a creative outlet, not just another sport you train to compete. Southbank captures all the creative art energy from skateboarding, it forces skaters to reinvent the way to skate, every time you go there you have to look at it differently to how you looked the day before to fully appreciate the space, and it was never designed to be a skatepark in the first place, so replacing it with a modern skate plaza would be the worst mistake. I’m glad it didn’t happen. - MMFD23 Concrete Canvas Skateboarding park in the semi rural idyll of North London that is Tottenham. Markfield Park, N15 Sent via Guardian Witness By Joe Culleton 24 April 2015, 14:33 Malmö, Sweden RT @guardiancities: Where's best #skateparks? Share pics @GuardianWitness http://t.co/awTdGU2gic Mine #Malmo Sweden: http://t.co/g3gUKdGpkf Geneva, Switzerland Plainpalais Geneva Sunny day over concrete, the city centre park includes a skaters area freely accessible to all. http://www.geneva.info/plainpalais/ Sent via Guardian Witness By quatsch 21 April 2015, 8:55 Coventry, UK Boarding in Coventry Under the Whittle archway is a popular spot for skateboarders to show off their skills Sent via Guardian Witness By pauldavid123 24 April 2015, 18:21 Paris, France Paris Sent via Guardian Witness By Sam Astall 22 April 2015, 21:38 Barcelona, Spain The entire city seems accidentally custom built for skateboarding. It’s not exactly fully accepted yet, but it’s getting there. Most experienced skateboarders accept that Barcelona is skateboarding’s European cultural Mecca. - william burns Edinburgh, UK Bristo Square, Edinburgh ( RIP) Bristo Square, Edinburgh. Skated since the mid eighties with the, probably reluctant, 'permission' of Edinburgh University. Used not just by skateboarders but by countless, BMXers, Rollerbladers, students, office workers, tourists, breakdancers, rappers, activists, demonstrators, festivals, flash mobs. Now sadly shut down as of April 2015 for redevelopment to change it into a souless void that probably no-one will want to spend any time in except passing through on their way somewhere else. Sent via Guardian Witness By scottfromscotland 24 April 2015, 19:52 |