Years ago I made a decision to make sure I didn't stop skating over the Great British Winter. Unbelievably there were those who did stop in winter. Admittedly back then the UK only had two indoor parks and they where in the NORTH while I had moved South.
When my decision was made Radlands was a two hour drive and worth every minute of the effort, even 5 up in a FIAT Panda. Then of course Playstation/Baysixty6 opened and all of a sudden all-year-skating in a semi-covered park was available, even if you did have to ring Kev to see if the driving rain was making the the place dangerous to skate.
This year the UK is suffering the earliest onset of winter conditions since records began with snow and Ice landing when none of us poor Island dwellers are mentally prepared for it and Radlands is just a fading memory.
But if you have the drive and a car full of shredders to share the petrol, you too could get your arse up to Corby and skate Adrenaline Alley (what a name). That is exactly what Alan (Danger), Adam (Johners), Jamie (Harry), Ivan (Daih) and I did on Saturday.
A ten o'clock start should have had us in the park by mid-day but the odd road closure and U-turn got us there in about 3 hours. Remember to take a helmet, that's one of the few negatives about this place other than the amount of BMXers attempting tail-whips onto every platform in sight, officially the most ridiculous use of a bowl I've ever seen.
Johners and Danger were suffering with arctic trench foot and moaning at each other for the first hour or so, Daih was killing it from the start, Jamie was smithing it all over the shop while telling me to stop taking photos of him while skating and I was sliding-out all over the bowl, thanks to my poor wheel choice of Bones Skate-Park-Formulas on a refrigerated wooden surface. 4 slams in 10 minutes takes it's toll. Thank christ I had an old board in the boot of the car with some ten year old urethane that would do just fine.
the other part of the very large park that we sampled was the "Skateboard only" Berricks style training facility out the back. A smattering of street stuff, ledges, grass gap and that granite block style stuff and a tight quarter the length of the back wall with pool coping and a a hole with Rip- The-Ripper peaking out.
4 hours skating for about 7 quid when it was -2ยบ outside isn't too bad. All the staff are really nice people but beware, food choices are limited and what there is will harden your arteries just by looking at it.
Here are a few photo's from the days exertions.
[LIALC]
Out with the new, in with the old.
Entrance to the Berricks style bit
Johners grinding over the Ripper
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