Despite the large number of concrete parks Scotland currently has, there are few situated in major cities, and only a couple that you could call great. One of these great skate parks is situated in Dundee, Dudhope Park to be precise.
The park is not even a year old but as with most parks could have been done with being built years ago. 'SWAV' (Skaters With A Vision ) was a group set up to raise some of the funds required for construction. In conjunction with other locals a Hawaiian born co-creator and skater by the name of Darrel Smith was crucial to the good outcome of this park's design.
Making sure the park had elements in it that were different was a definite help to its greatness, the whole park has a liquid-like flow, not unsurprisingly as Darrel has a history in surfing. More emphasis on the feeling of speed and turns than the modern style of stop/start skateboarding, a flow more at home in the late seventies than in the street plaza ridden landscape that is so popular these days.
So as you may be able to tell, I am a fan of this place. After Livingston, this is the best feeling skatepark in Scotland , it has the possibility to allow progression for the locals, and has plenty of transfers of varying difficulty. Some odd quirks here and there such as a saxophone shaped bank section that backs onto a wallows replica (Watch Animal Chin!) a spot important for Darrel (I think it's in Oahu , West of Hawaii). A six foot nipple, serious lack of coping and a Denburn size transition with 8ft of vert, round a corner, all makes for a weird park. If this all sounds a little bizarre, well it is, but it's a damn sight better than your ordinary excuse for a park supplied by the majority of places.
Rather than limiting your ability to blast around the park by randomly sticking a set of steps in, a problem at both Kelvingrove and Perth , Dundee allows you enter and exit at any point and all with a good amount of speed. It is well thought out and well constructed. A few blips but they add to the feel of it, the only thing to make note of is you have to keep your eyes open, as the lines and hence forth the users can cross each other.
Breaking free of the pre-fab driveway/quarter pipe standard crap really does have major benefits, as well as challenging the users it provides an aspect of skateboarding that means people of all ages will still be coming to Dundee in 30 years time.
I don't really want to harp on about this place, I think it deserves to be ridden to be appreciated. Go there and see what I mean, just keep your eyes open and be aware of fast moving objects.
Check out the website ( www.dundeeconcrete.com ) if you want to know more.actually don't bother, just switch your computer off and go skate it!
Captions: Div Noseblunt Slide:
Div snuck this noseblunt in just as the rain started to drop, out the wallows into the big mellow dishy bit.
Benson ally oop: This obstacle is nuts, this trick also nuts, Benson also nuts.
Stu Gap: Stew flys up the wallows making it look far too easy.
Vaughn Flip: Vaughn sails a buttery flip over a large hip under a perfect Dundee sky
Spot Check: Dundee Skatepark
Photography:
Thanks to 