Lots of stuff on new skate spots in here as well as an early announcement of what was to become the legendary Ewer Street “Arches” indoor ramp park in London and a plug for Skin’s big bay in Cardiff.

CARDIFF RE-OPENS

Yes: the Cardiff vert ramp is back in action. It’s ready for use at the Cardiff Athletic Stadium in Leckwith Road. The city seem to have gone from one extreme to the other: originally the ramp was just plonked in a corner of a car park somewhere else in Cardiff — now its located in a purpose built enclosure, surrounded by a high fence and safety flooring. There’s enough space in the enclosure to build a street course and minis, but the area will need to be tarmaced first. The safety flooring around the big ramp has also deliberately been extended wide enough to allow the addition of extra width to the ramp.

SUMMER TOUR DATES

This summer we’re likely to see more pro skaters touring in Europe than ever before. First to arrive will be Santa Cruz: they’re here from May 25th to May 26th.
Vision will be touring Britain from June 1st to June 5th. Chris Gentry’s coming, along with Buck Smith and Beau Ikeda.
The annual Bones Brigade European Extravaganza will feature Nicky Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Buck Lasek and Mike Manzouri in Britain this year. They’re here for a full week between July 7th and July 14th. Venues have yet to be announced.

LONDON RAMP PARK

The bureaucratic delays lumber on and on. And you thought all those properties were empty because people couldn’t afford the rent? Wrong: they just couldn’t find anyone who’d sign-up to accept it…
A very frustrated Messrs Kai and Danny are persevering with their plans to re-create the spirit of Rolling Thunder and Skate Circus. The pens are poised, but the bloke with the contract has gone on holiday. Laugh or cry: you choose.

WANT A RAMP?

The Narberth ramp is looking for a new home. It’s a 12′ wide midi but nobody much is skating it and the council want to pull it down. A criminal waste. If you can offer it a good home (it has been dismantled and moved before, so transport is possible) call Scotty on 0834 nnnn — but do it now, before it’s too late: the council are keen to get rid of it.

NEW SCOTTISH ASSOCIATION

Looks like Scotland has a new governing body for skating to replace the ill-starred SSA. The inaugural meetings took place at the indoor ramp at Crofthead Farm in Livingston with representatives from a fair sprinkling of areas. But the new association is very keen to make contact with skaters from as many areas as Scotland as possible. So please call Kenny Omond on 0506 nnnn.
We can confirm that the new association, which will probably be called The Federation of Scottish Skateboarders, has absolutely nothing to do with the short-lived SSA which collapsed leaving a load of debts and bad feeling last year. Kenny and Eleanor Omond, who are the instigators behind this new association, have been one of the few consistent forces for good in the British skate scene since the mid seventies.

POW WOW AT POWELL

The street contest which took place at Powell’s Santa Barbera facility produced some interesting results. If you’ve seen Propaganda you’ll know that there’s some heavy vert-type stuff there as well as the usual fun box equipment and the final placings reflect the benefits of all-round skate experience: 1st, Tony Hawk; 2nd, Eric Dressen; 3rd, Christian Hosoi; 4th, Omar Hassan; 5th, Wade Speyer; 6th, Steve Caballero; 7th, Max Evans; 8th, Mark Gonzales; 9th, Jason Rogers; 10th, Lance Conklin; 11th, Josh Swindell; 12th, JJ Rogers; 13th, Ed Templeton; 14th, Tom Knox; 15th, Alan Peterson; 16th, Jeff Kendall; 17th George Watanabe; 18th Tony Buyalos; 19th, Mike Carroll; 20th, Jim Thiebaud; 21st, Joe Gruber; 22nd, Tommy Guerrero; 23rd, Eric Conner; 24th, Mike Taylor.
The “Masters” results contain some interesting names, too: 1st, Mark Partain; 2nd, Rob Washburn; 3rd, Eddie Elguera; 4th, Marty Jimenez; 5th, Scott Graham; 6th, Chris Cook; 7th Jeremy Henderson; 8th, Jim Grey; 9th, Bryce Kanights; 10th, Paul Schmitt.

SPLIT UP REWARD

Split Skates have increased the reward for information leading to the conviction of the people who broke into their Manchester super-store. There’s now £5,000 on offer. If you know anything, please call Granville at Split on 061 831 7374. They’d also be very interested in hearing from any other shops who have been recently. For example, Essjays in Truro lost some clothing after thieves cut wires to the street lighting then used a glass cutter and tape before smashing the shop window. Fortunately they only took a small amount of clothing before the alarm scared them off.

PLACES

News from Norfolk was the first in this month: the Sherringham ramp is finished. It’s worked out real well, according to Andy Fielding, but opening times are a bit sketchy at the moment. Also the ramp at Knapton may be getting a bit higher: it’s 5.5 feet at the moment, but they’re thinking of taking it up to 7 or 7.5 feet. In London the Kings Cross mini-ramp has been taken down after years of happy sessioning (and traditional friction between skaters and the staff at the project).
Over to Ireland now where there’s a ramp being built between Ballycastle and Kilrain it’s an 11′ 6″ wide mini call Ballycastle 62740 or nnn3 or nnn7 for details. Information from Mark Maloney.
Ramp for Eastbourne? So says Bola A. Also in the south-east: a new (well, about 4 months ago) ramp at Gravesend, Kent. This is a Zebra job, 16′ wide with 8′ transitions and maybe 6″ of vert, according to Ross Gardner. In the sad traditions of these things it is nightmarishly slippy and therefore very quiet most of the time. Ross’ verdict is that the nearest decent places to skate remain those in London and Essex… Oh, but there is also a very small mini or something over the road from Mr Wilson’s skate shop in Gillingham. And Frenchie says they’ve got a new site for the old Margate ramp — somewhere like a railway cutting, I think. Talking of dis-used railway cuttings, don’t forget that the main Crouch Hill ramp was joined by a mini months ago.
The indoor mini and street thing at Lytham StAnnes has closed down, we hear. Sad: it had only been open a few months…
Update from the West Country, courtesy of Denzil Polkinghorne. The Mount Hawke skate facility in Cornwall is busy again after the winter. There’s a vert ramp, mini, mini-mini with concrete coping and a street area. BMX riders are welcome. Perranporth is still going with a vert ramp and back to back spine. Barret’s Ramp (secret location), indoor sessions with ex Body Rock ramp. Truro: Rareunit by City swimming pool. Falmouth: indoor ramp at youth club. Newlyn East: concrete bowl. Holywell Bay: concrete bowl and snake run. Callington: concrete half-pipe. Roach: rumours of a concrete half-pipe. Playing Place (near Truro): concrete bowl.