Priorities

So as you might have spotted we were at Adrenaline Alley in Corby on Sunday. On average I say I go there once a year, usually during the dead of winter. The entry price is expensive, but it’s possibly Europe’s biggest indoor skatepark so the price appears to be justified. The build quality of the ramps is superb and anything you could possibly want is on offer there.

There are some key problems with the park, and it stems from a massive focus on providing a place for kids to go and play, basically acting as a youth centre. It’s a noble cause and I admire them for trying to provide services the government are cruelly cutting left, right and centre – however, and i have seen this before, a skatepark isn’t a one size fits all solution for a lack of youth services.

A skatepark shouldn’t be spending more time catering to spectating parents than actual skateboarders who supported the park when skateparks were struggling. I shouldn’t recieve a survey designed by a child psychologist on how I am feeling emotionally after i visit a skatepark.

If you are making me watch a video on park safety when I sign up on your website, why are most of the kids in the park ignoring the rules you mention in it? Why are you letting 3 year olds who can barely ride a scooter into your professional level street course? Why build a scooter room to cater to the huge number of kids riding them, and then let them infest the rest of the park, ruining the session for all other park users?

Why are you charging a flat 15 quid to all riders when little kids are snaking me and getting 5 goes in for every time I manage to drop in? Why are you letting kids in who are causing accidents and a danger to themselves as well as others? Why aren’t you following the lead of snowdomes and having park wardens who ensure safety rules are followed and people aren’t causing problems?

Running a skatepark isn’t easy, I can understand that. Especially when it is a behemoth the size of Adrenaline Alley. Having said that the cynic in me feels like they have seen the waves of parents wanting to spend money for little timmy to ride his little scooter up and down and all they can see is pound signs. Fuck the safety aspect. Fuck keeping order. Fuck credibility. Pack all of the kids in there with the adults bombing round at full whack, take the money and run.