Local skateboarder MATT CANTY reports on the skate parks in Lancaster­ and has some advice on where else you can skate locally…

• Jump straight to: Local Skating -- Safety Tips -- What skaters want

Lancaster now has a skate park at Green Ayre, near Skerton Bridge, thanks to the fund-raising efforts of local people such as mayor Eileen Blamire. A Morecambe skate park may soon follow.

The building of the skate park has been helped by a £50,0000 commitment to the project by Lancaster's Regeneration Partnership (see news story).

The total cost of the Lancaster project was £60,000. Money was raised from a wide variety of other sources, including local and national business sponsors such as Reeboks and Lancaster and Morecambe College, and personal donations.

Other places to skate in Lancaster aren't dedicated spaces, so many skaters wanted something extra, which they now have. Most of the places where people also skate in aren't safe, either -- and in the summer, skaters are thrown out of the only places they can skate by security guards and the police. Sometimes we also get bad reputations as skaters, because we tend to get together in large, noticeable groups and get blamed for making toruble -- which isn't true. We just want to skate and have fun with what we do.

WHERE TO SKATE
Local skateboarders use places like Dalton Square, St Nicolas Arcade (St. Nicks), outside the Magistrates Court (Magis), the Reebok Factory and White Cross.

None of these have dedicated facillities of course -- things like pipes, poles or any sort of large ramps. But there are different things we can do.

• Dalton Square has a set of two and recently a set of five steps, because the council has re-paved the top part facing the town hall. The bottom step on the set of two runs all around the statue and can by used to grind or slide.

• St Nicks has only flat flagstones except at the back entrance where there is a ledge for grinding and sliding. This place is best for doing manuals or learning new tricks in a flat space. St Nicks is also useful for winter times and when it is raining as it has a roof.

• The Magistrates Court or Magi's is one of the best places -- it has sets of stairs from one to nine, and a cobbled flatbank. There is also space round the back of Magi's, which has another flatbank this is hard to use until you have very good balance.

• The Reebok factory has another flatbank, although it isn't smooth, a curb, and a speed ramp, which can be used as a small ramp.

• There isn't anything at White Cross except sometimes people will make small ramps there and use them to skate and the rest is just flat tarmac.

SAFETY TIPS
When skateboarding in Lancaster you should make sure you aren't near many cars, there aren't a lot of people walking around and that if you are skating in town, wait until 6.30 to 7.00 or else security guards will throw you out.

LOCAL SKATE PARKS
In addition to the Green Ayre site, there are two skate parks close by -- Halton and Preston. To get to Halton you can walk down the cycle track. That takes about one and a half hours, or by bus that will take about 20 minutes. At Halton there are still no large ramps but there is still launch ramps and rails.
Preston Skate Park has a micro, mini, quarter and a half pipe, grinding pole, spine, street section, kickers and a flat bank.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE LANCASTER'S SKATEPARK?
Have you used the skate park? What do you think of it? We'll add readers' comments here.
For example, is it too small? Is it safe? Is it abused? If you live locally, but don't skate, has it caused you any problems? If you live in Morecambe, what kind of skatepark do you want to see there?
Let us know by e-mailing

What do you think about local skateboard provision? You can also let people know on our Community Forum!

MORE INFO/LINKS

Local Boarder Sites

http://www.knowhere.co.uk/3147.html

Local Specialist Skateboard + Board Sports Equipment Stockist

Blue Tubes
65 - 67 King St, Lancaster. Tel: 01524 32068

Local Skateboard Parks
For more info on local skate parks anywhere in the UK, search on sk8m8.net

• Bezzon Fileds Skatepark
Off Bezzon Road, to the north of Kendal.
Location (Multimap): Go

• The Grind Skatepark
Unit 1, Southgate Mill, Deep Dale, Preston
Tel: 01772 828284
Location (Multimap): Go

• Ramp City Skatepark
Cropper Road, Marton, Blackpool
Tel: 01253 699005
Location (Multimap): Go

UK Ramp-Making Company Links
Here's a list sourecd from ske8uk, of some ramp making companies in the UK, to save the Council time hiring someone on a fat salary for three months looking for the information when they could start building!

• Wup Doodle Mobile Ramp
A moblile half-pipe available for hire.

• Skatelite Ramp Surface
Special surfacing for ramps/parks.

• Transition Skate Ramps
This company will design, manufacture and install half-pipes & street courses for you, contact them by e-mail, or call them on 01992 308 922
In 2000, the Harringey Independent reported that TSR offered to build a skateboard facility in Enfield, North London, for around £20,000. The final cost of the park was expected to be £100,000 -- and local police have donated £3000 from the sale of uncliamed stolen goods toward its construction.
In a letter to the council, Darren O'Dell from the ramp-making company said: "We are offering a range of skate equipment specifically designed for use by skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX bikes."

Other Extreme Sports
• Mountain Boarding
www.saltypeaks.com/mountain_boarding.htm
This US shop site has some great pics of mountain boarders in action

• Surfing
www.surfingaustralia.com
The official information site for the sport of surfing in Australia - the world leader in the sport.

• Wakeboarding
www.wakeboarder.com/
US wakeboarders' site that actually contacted us to get linked here. Wide-awake-boarders in fact!
www.wakeworld.com
The only thing the Extreme Channel ever seems to show... tie yourself to a board and take to the surf. Discussion board-based site.

• Snowboarding
www.snowboarding.com
Pics, events lists and advice on how to buy a board, and more.

• BMX
www.bmxplusmag.com
US site but packed with info.

• Blading
www.londonskaters.com
Includes safety advice, pics and other UK info.