Dundee Concrete (Archive - Last updated in 2010)

Ok it’s officially open.

I’m trying to say very little right now because I’m feeling a wee bit cynical about things, and pissed off because I can’t skate.

Here’s the merry throng at the opening.

There was 1 local roller-booter there to demonstrate it’s use for the press… and er… that was about it. Apart from the ‘cute’ wee-lassie-reporter sent there to dig up some quotes to turn against us. (that’s her looking at the sign)

Here’s the article that appeared tonight in the local toilet-paper… notice how much they are STILL trying to make it as negative as possible. (yeah…thanks for the support [/sarcasm]… I keep getting reminded WHY I HATE this rag)

Eh? If you don’t know how to cross a road safely by the time you are old enough to go to the park by yourself, then maybe you should have some full-time carers with you??

Never mind the bollocks: Go skate it. (Adam, Ben and Phil all like it)

You might have to be prepared for the neighborhood though:

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Do want to learn to coach primary school-aged skaters?

Want to help get more kids involved in something better than football?

(“duhh…. heed da bah”)

There is a coaching course available, being funded by the council, to enable 16+ year-olds to gain a national qualification in coaching. It is about a week long, based at the Factory.

A rad skater, and all-round nice guy from Oban who works for the cooncil sez:

“The course runs from 9 – 5 each day with plenty of (free) skating breaks. It is open to skater, bladers and bmx guys and gals and it is free. to get the CSLA award the people on the course work through a series of modules and then we are asking them to do 18hrs of coaching in the community ie mixture of schools and at the factory.

When they go into the community they will do 3 weeks of getting started in the school gym or playground then they will go to the factory for 3 weeks of coaching using ramps etc.?

I met Mark (name in poster) today, he seemed like a good guy.

Check it oot!

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I am counting the days til my leg heals so I can go get new deck from Rod at Lowriderz and learn back -tails at Fin-Laughin.

Thar she blows. when this is done Dundee will have 2, count’em: 2 concrete parks…The final pours have been done, and all thats left to do is grass-seed the dirt and officially open it.

Well… sort of. A few wee snags to the surfacing, re-facing the edge of the long grindy-block, and polishing out a few kinks in the surface. But really.. that’s preeeeety much it.

Lets just mosey on over and have a wee look shall we:

This guy was the concrete-finishing pro. NIce guy, and stoked on skateparks now. Good to have in the photo for scale.

BTW. Jokes about ‘sweepers’ are nesc. but I can’t be bothered….

The dark patch on the right was only finished off a couple hours before I took this photo.

Can’t wait to finally learn tailslides… and then shralp them on this.

Spoke to a couple of very local, neddy-BMXer’s who said they had been chasing out idiots who were smashing bottles in there at night. How cool is that? The place is not even open and these guys are protecting the place. I think we will all get on just fine…

THE OFFICIAL OPENING IS SCHEDULED FOR 10am on FRIDAY 14th.

I will be there, but not able to skate, so I hope someone will show up and shred, and show the press how to use it.

Here’s where it is in relation to ‘the Factory.’

Rock on.

-D

Dale from eleventwenty was a swell chap and showed up on Fundee-day to document the local beasts in their natural habitat.

Although footage of the Ooh-Madam-It’s-Adam was rare, please be advised, you MUST call him ‘Sir’ when you have the pleasure of his company… he IS the current holder of the trophy. Thanks.

Da-King, dinnae mess with his steez… even if he’s originally from the Isle of Man.
Goodness knows what this is… some crazy flip. Just accept it.

Ok?

Jack would’ve had that trophy should he have wanted to. You’d better believe it.
What a gent.

Hear the beasts roar… and scowl.

A selection of Fundee-mentals. (mmmm what a crap pun)

Pete is nicknamed ‘sketchy,’ except for his backside nose-grabs, and I hope, when he is wielding a chainsaw.

It’s not a lame joke. That’s really what he does for living. Need a tree cut down?

He’s also a fine artist.

J-Beavis doing his rare trademark ‘flamingo’ in the depths of Dundee’s tribute to Hawaii’s Wallos, for your natural history-viewing pleasure.

Sir David Attenborough eat your heart out.

Next year you have to produce a Fife, Dundee, or North Yorkshire (for Steve D’s travelling honour) council-tax booklet to enter the comp… who needs the rest of the country.

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FINLATHEN PROGRESS

It would interrupt the flow in Dudhope, but seems natural here… it’s screaming for your tail or truck to rub it; a 4 metre kerb on a 1 metre high bank… Soon available: should you be brave enough to venture into Linlathen.

The backpack is there for scale. A Euro-gap of very simple, ghetto means.

Obviously yet unfinished.

In the words of a Dundee local: ” very skateable.”

Do I still hear moans from pampered Sasenachs?

-D

EDIT- Re: comments below.

OK BEAVIS here’s yer slide footage sequence I failed to put up last night.

This is how Fandy broke his ankle…

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Jack – I put up that photo from Dale in good faith that you landed it… hell, I’ve SEEN you land others like it so that’s good enough for me!

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Boyd – soon, buddy, soon.

We will let everyone know so you can all show up (work permitting) for the opening and demonstrate it’s usage.

Not me though, because I’ve just ripped my calf-muscle and won’t be skating for about 6 weeks!

(DAMN DAMN DAMN)
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Andy! get well soon bud!

Yeah, ok these photos are taken outside the fence line because it’s a Sunday.

Progress was made since the last photos on Thursday (see last post for info re: residents concerned about traffic calming measures while police raid their neighbour’s houses for guns…)

Grindy-ting in place.

Shot from other side (ooops.. maybe i shouldn’t have said ‘SHOT’) of incomplete sloped-flat-bar. Yeah OK; it’s not a full-on hand rail down a 5 or 10-set… have you go the cash to make that? Or the will-power to convince the residents to put it elsewhere to allow not only the more-gnarly rail, but the space for a subsequently larger earthen banking down the outside at a 1-in-4 angle to allow health-n-safety mandated ease of grass-cutting ?

Hmmmm? Oh moaning critics (not nesc. on this site?)

Shallow and minimal….but MUCH better than what I had when I were a lad….

Stay tuned.

-D

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Skater owned / Skater run / Skater Knowledge…

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I’ve been a bit slow on reporting the progress of Dundee’s latest bit of concrete… but for good reasons I assureyou.

Now that it is cracking on,I feel a lot more confident in showing theresults to theworld.

Looking North.

Looking West.

Above: The East bowl… ok, it’sbasically flatbanks, but you can see the 1 metre radius ‘sweeteners’ at the bottom and corners to smoothit allout. Please note the grindy-kerb being cast on the top of the lip, on the right.

Ah-HA!! Street enuff for you??? The Euro-gap block / hip-thing. I put the dotted red lines in to show the remaining bank to be cast in.

There’s the curved flar-bar, or at least part of it. NO! it’s not going right there. It goes back to the left more, and up a wee slope. See the ‘artist’s impression’ below.

Should be skateable in about 3-4 weeks, max.

Remember: this was done on a bargin-basement budget…

Any more (genuine) complaints?

-d

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BTW: For those who missed it; here’s one of thelocaltoilet-papers’take on the matter.

and it continues:

Funny… all the genuinely local residents who actually live in the area concerned insisted that it was put there… and according to inside reports: are all quite positive about it!

Don’t worry though; the real underlying issue is a decade-old demand forsafe crossing points across this busy road, not the skatepark.

Oh yeah, and this happened on Thursday:

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2…10211382t0.asp

JUST ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE NEW PARK….

Hmmmmm… interesting area eh?

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Fundee actually happened.

The weather was fine on Sunday.

Basically; everyone who showed up won a Tshirt by doing some trick or another.

Or hurting themselves trying.

(cheers to NJ for a big help with the shirt cash)

Apart fromMatty (who got a tshirt for learning the wallride) and hismum ‘Maggs’ from Leven,

it was all locals. (don’t know his Dad’s name, but he was there too. Thanks)

And another shout-out to Steve and his family, from North Yorkshire,who showed up 2 Saturdays in a row, only to be rained out)

Adam ‘Maggs’ Maguire (originally from the Isle if Mann but now a local) won.

(not to be confused with the other ‘Maggs’ who is Matty’s mum… see above)

He earned it .

Even Jack, who could otherwise have easily walked away with it,said so.

Although Jamie-‘Beavis’ and ‘Diana’- Ross, and of course the mighty Gordon ‘Goosh'(and everyone else who wore themselves ragged with getting their rat-out) deserve many props too.

no photos from me of the action.

you had to be there.

I was too busy skating anyway.

Here’s the soundsystem:

We didn’t even bother with the ghetto-blaster.

If you weren’t there…

tough.

That’s your fault.

we said it was dry today.

-d

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Update soon…

Alan: yes, the new “Wheeled Sports Facility” in Linlathen has been designed for BMX’s too.Don’t expect any radical transitions, though it should be fun to whiz around in. The driveway-effect middle part should bea goodjumpy-over thing for everyone.

-d

As this is the first comp to give away this Bolt; we are gonna mess right back with the weather by having ‘the Funday’ over Saturday AND Sunday…

Ha! that’ll teach the Met Office to play with us!

The weather is meant to be ok Saturday mornign, getting wet over the afternoon /night, then clearing again Sunday afternoon… jolly awkward basically.

If you are reading this from out of town: come either Saturday or Sunday or hopefully BOTH. We will all get in our shred in the dry bits.

Late Sunday we will award this thing, by democratic consensus, to the person who shredded the hardest either/ bothdays.

Local or non-local, Pro or insane grom: the Bolt is up for grabs.

Fair enough?

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Linlathen ‘Wheeled Sports Facility’

Well there has been a lot of bitching so far about this design.. and the photoshop image didn’t do it much justice with the size of the riders: so here’s another one.

I think the sizing of the riders is a tad more realistic.

See last post for some reasons why it is like it is.

I promise a full essay soon that makes the whole design process transparent, and explains WHY it had to be as simple as this. I.e.: no real transition, etc.

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New Skater Owned Shop in Dundee –

Rock on.

-d

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Linlathen progress photos

-d

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-THATS’ WOT WE LIKE!!!

-D

STOKED: a proper skateshop has opened up in Dundee!!

Here’s a (slightly enhanced) photo of the place:

And in case you are wondering about a fast walking route from the park:

Go support these guys!!

Lowriderz

81 King Street

tel / txt – Bri 07707 219930, Rod 07935 717318

email/msn = lowriderz(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk

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SATURDAY! let’s try again eh?- weather looking not esp. brilliant, but we’ll give it a bash.

This trophy had to have a rightful first holder: (think Highlander…”there can be only one”)

Besides… St. Pannit ain’t gonna seranade you with ACDC from the pit of the wallride if it’s raining.

-D

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I’ve still to do a proper explanation of the background infoto this, and why the design came down to this…but here’s a sneaky peek at Dundee’s latest concrete park:

only a meter deep.

This is an illustration of what the park will be like.

To cut the long explanation: there was not enough cash for sprayed concrete, so I got more area for the money instead ofone tiny set of quarters or something.

At least I saved it from being overpriced metal ramps etc… which it came damn close to being!

BTW: the skaters etc. are prob not scaled exactly right so it prob looks a bit odd… I.e.: tiny.

That slappy-kerb in the back, near the bank-block is going to be 4 metres long… doesn’t look like it there, I will admit.

Stay tuned.

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Response to comment: Mr. Douche -I REALLY HOPE you are being sarcastic…

because if you think you could do better for the limited budget and get a 420 sqm concrete park out of 50k… step on up to the job. (Dudhope, all in, cost 230k and was under priced by the admission of the builders)

And of course I AM a skateboarder…

And just for the record: the money was scraped together from the Community Regeneration Fund by the residents of Linlathen, and the kids who will use it are mostly BMXers… I think for all the problems associated with not being able to pay for proper transitions I’ve done what I could to make a fun park for skaters… give it a chance. It isn’t MEANT to be another ‘big’ facility… or some x-games panty-wetter, just something for the local kids to mess around in. Ok?

Besides – if you’d have seen the first bowl I’d designed and really tried to get built for this, you’d not be whining…. BUT WE COULDN’T AFFORD IT!!!

If you stumbled across this as a ‘ghetto’ spot, like a drained paddling pool etc – you’d be very stoked.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO GO AND SKATE IT, AND TELL ME HONESTLY THAT YOU DID NOT HAVE ANY FUN…

thanks,

-d

Answers for Euan / Ross :

No ‘coping’ anywhere…but the pink lines you see are metal edges on the kerb-blocks and on the wembly-gap-block-bank thing… plus of course the flat bar that sweeps round the end.

That rounded end at the west with the curved flatbar was supposed to be mirrored at the other end so there was more flow all around, but it had to be chopped off for lack of cash. I had a funky mini-plaza designed for the north side where that aforementioned bank/block thing is… but guess what???

The bowls are basically flat banks with a 1 metre radius ‘sweetener’ at the bottom and inside corners. (the wallride at dudhope has an 800mm radius ‘transition’) The banks are different angles… the back on you mostly see is 40 degrees (like ‘Wallows’ at Dudhope,) the one opposite that is only 20 degrees. the others are mostly 25 degrees for launch-ness.

The lips are all ‘sharp’ to allow a grind for as long as the edges hold out. There are also those slappy sized kerbs put onto the top (see image) in places that would stop the flow at Dudhope!

The middle is slightly lower than the outside edges for ‘oomf’… it’s just a simple driveway.

Go ollie over it and enjoy the minimalism.

-d

Answers for Greenhell:

It’s being built in Linlathen, not all that far from ‘The Factory.’ Go find Fountainbleau Drive and you’ll find this…

But give it another 5 weeks or so eh?

-d

No ‘singing in the rain’ today, just standing around at Dudhope hoping that it would stop raining (it was indeed a ‘Dud’-hope! Har har…).

Yep, unfortunately today’s Coalition Of Moving Projectiles was a washout, despite the BBC Weather’s 24 Hour forecast declaring that it was going to be cloudy and sunny. We’re hoping that the Combined Orchestrated Mental Parade will take place next Saturday instead, weather permitting.

Despite the elements a few young and foolish hardcore skaters tried to session the park in the pouring rain. This resulted in a few slams, soggy boards and waterlogged bearings, but we took a few photos and filmed it just for kicks. Hopefully next weekend we’ll get some better weather for a skate!

The guys over at the Park Life music tent were giving out free water, which was meant to prevent people getting dehydrated 😉

Guess who’s been skating in the rain?

The view of Dudhope park from Daryl’s studio, not a very nice day…

We’ve also got a video clip to come, I’ll edit it and upload it later on.

Let’s hope it’s not raining next week!

Here’s a little video clip too:

I hope the weather is nice this weekend… at least for a wee while!

Anyone got any cheap gazebos to wait out any rain? We only need it dry for a hour or so to find a recipient for this:

This is NOT an official event, merely a gathering of likeminded pals… but even so, please keep it all mellow and don’t piss-off the council…OK!

Remember kids: the law sez – drinking booze ina public park is a no – no. Although I believe the Ascot bar is having an open-mic session that night…. so if you are old enough you can go belt out some Sinatra / AC DC laterand drown your weather-related sorrows.

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Well, the grass is definitely growing. I hope it survives…

NEED MORE GRASS SEED!

This will be more concrete in about 6 weeks…. report and images soon.sshhh.

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-D

Ryan Miller sent in a few pictures from a recent session at the a park.

Um, so here they are…

This is not Dale doing a big air out the hip on his BMX.

Don’t forget, FUNDEE DAY 07 you know when…

Good news is that the grass that has been planted seems to be growing quite well, hopefully it won’t get trodden down too much. The dirt area behind the wallride at least is starting to look a bit better.

Grinds

In case you hadn’t noticed, the flatbar is now installed and getting a lot of use, it’s a square section box rail about 3 metres long. Here’s a few pictures, not of anyone skating, just the rail itself because it looks cool 😉

FUNDEE DAY 07

For various reason we have been forced to change the poster… don’t ask. Still come along to Dudhope parkonSaturday 11th August for a bit of music etc. Also Sunday 12th is the Perth comp, so two days of Gnarly Gnonsense!

Also: work building Dundee’s SECOND CONCRETE PARK in Linlathen gets started on August 6th… stay tuned to this channel for details.

Fundee Day– A celebration of skateboarding prowess and silliness in the constant fight against apathy and staleness.

I think the last Fundee Day I remember was at ‘the Hawky’… some of you locals will rememeber, some won’t. That kinda doesn’t matter, because from here onwards we are starting a new chapter of Fundee, hosted onour own, genuine,legitimate concrete park.

Fundee day will be shared with a music event in the park, as you can see by the NEW (edited) poster above… don’t ask, it’s all politics

There WILL BE A TROPHY. dunno about prizes-n-stuff but I’m sure that will all come out in the wash. Stay tuned. Show up, be cool, don’t get me in trouble.

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BTW – the council moves a wee bit slow as you know…. and the Head of Parks Managementsays he is trying to get ALL ‘the big boys’ on board and help us do the grassing in better, more official style.

So: the actual grassing /photocallis going to be put back again to SAT 21 JULY.

Not to worry! Show up this Saturday (weather permitting) and we’ll have a wee BBQ anyway. I saw a few foreign types (Glasgow, A’deen) last night at a skate-art event in the ‘Go,and they are planning a trip up here anyway. Come along and lets have a wee pre-Fundee loosen-up.

-DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

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Also, we’ve been asked to post this:

Acoustic Ecology – 23^rd-27^th July 10am-5pm

On these days there will be workshops in Dudhope Park based around exploring the sounds in the skate and main park. You will have the opportunity to listen, record and draw with the aim to explore the different sounds in the park and from these, produce images on t-shirts and create short sound pieces. These workshops are free but will be run on a first come first serve basis.

To register please email the Environ Project at:environ.project@dundeecity.gov.uk

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GRASS-SEEDINGPARTY AT DUDHOPE: SATURDAY 21st

10 am- show up if you can (get out of bed) rain or shine.

-d

How stoked are we?

A bit of moaning by myself and a few quid from all of us… and ‘Bob’ is your proverbial Uncle.

A bit’o craft by the lads from PnG Blacksmiths. Thanks guys!

TheNew Generation; wee ripper Gary is VERY STOKED… and at this moment (12:52pm )is actually still waiting for the rapid-concrete to set. 2 hours weall agreed: then it would be skateable.

Shall we do more?

Tenners oot!

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Note: a skater called Sam, from Forfar, came on Monday and his brand-new board went missing.It was/is a Chad Muska…dunno the rest of the set-up. But if you know who has it, please return it, because he is not happy, as you can see by the photo below.

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The (as-yet-unfinished) trophy for Dudhope…

Yo what time is it?

Time to try and win this trophy…

Ok folks… we HAVE a comp date.

In line with the Jam in Perth the next day, and a music event happening in Dudhope park on Saturday, we are going for

Saturday August the 11th.

I supposed I had better get that trophy finished…

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See previous post:

Come down next Saturday July 14, and help rake in grass-seed, getyour picture in the local rags, eat some BBQ and have a generallyradical time as we show a bit of community spirit.

Care about sitting on some grass instead of mud? Me too… lets make it happen.

-D

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Tuesday Edit –

After fixing the shoogly slabs near thebenchon Sunday(which I had permission to dofrom the Head of Parks Managment,) Inoticed on Monday, that someonemust have been inspired by my efforts andhad built a slab-platform /coping along the wee bank. Dunno who that was, but it was well done and we all had a great time on Monday skating it.

Unfortunately due to all sorts of laws and rules designed to protectthe public from themselves; it had to come out, because it was notofficially sanctioned and comissioned by the Council. Nor, I assume,built by a real contractor.

Nevermind. I’m sure whoever built it (thank you Murray) willfeel their cash and labour was not wasted, but only proved that a bitof effort from the community can make a lot happen!

We at DundeeConcrete say: lets gently scrape our pockets again, like we did for this flat-bar BTW that flat-bar is going in tomorrow (Wednesday July 11th) and get an official contractor to come put it back in with the council’s (park manager’s) blessing. Ok?

Attention: are there any skaters who work for / know the owners of;small building contractors who can do precisely this sort of work at asmall (possibly discounted) cost?? Surely a couple hundred quid wouldget us a nicer version of that coping/platform, and maybe even a moresolid one?

Get in touch.

Ok… we are all stoked on the flat-bar to be installed.

But what about this grassing then?

I have had plenty of peeps say they want to help, so lets just get on with it.

Here’s what we want to eventually achieve … the purple pants aren’t strictly nesc this weekend but after a bit of honest sweat and satifaction in tilling the land, a big stoked ollie or two will, in fact be mandatory.

Come downSATURDAY JULY 21st and get your picture in the paper, starting about 11… Helprake ingrass seed and have a BBQ later on.

The head of Parks Management sez: The weather will be too rubbish to bother, this weekend. But if we cando it NEXT -next WEEKEND (21st), he will happily lend us a bunch of rakes and provide lots of grass seed. He will also get the area rotivated (churned up with a machine to soften the ground) and will be able to take away all the rubbish/ weeds/ rocks we haul out.

He even mentioned apress release to emphasise how cool we all are.

STOKED. I lovebit of cooperation.

Yes folks, we are going to get that flatbar…

An anonymous local, long-timeskater, has donated the last £50 we needed, plus another tenner towards grass seeding efforts.

I am going to speak to the blacksmith today!

I will organize the landscaping efforts soon… let’s get this flatbar in first!

-D

oh yeah… I will be calling in all those pledged tenners soon!

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BTW : Fundee Day set for 11 Aug. more info soon.

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Other towns / cities can be officially jealous:Dundee will soon have 2 concrete parks…Finlathen Skatepark(small and inexpensive) Details up SOON!

Whew… quite a rough few days.

The annual Livingston ‘Pure Fun Skate Party’ was not only very wet but fell prey to violent idiots.

Div, Haggis and Dundee local – Steve ‘Pannit,’ and a few others who I don’t know names of, all got beat /bottled over the weekend. Not good at all. Never mind the whole Glasgow airport thing. Livi reports maybe later…but I doubt it. read the full gloom elsewhere.

The good news:

We are at £100!

Thanks to Dek for another fat 20-quid note at Livi. You da man.

See previous posts for the full story.

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Is anyone up for some sweat and labour to make grass grow around the park? I am willing to pay for some grass seed etc. I just need some volunteers to help me prepare the ground and rake it in. The parks management have quite clearly shown to me that they are completely happy in neglecting the ground around the skatepark and I am beginning to suspecting it is an active policy of purposeful abuse. They refuse to grass it, and any grass that DOES grow, is quickly killed off… as if they WANT it to be ugly looking and uninviting to sit around the periphery.

(…now watch Daryl get in trouble at work)

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-D

Ok, finally getting around to posting some more pictures from Go Skateboarding Day!

The pictures are fairly big so you may have to wait a wee bit to load if you’re not on a fast internet connection.

Wow, how much can a policeman over react to some people skateboarding?

I especially like the bit where he sprays the girl with mace, what a tough guy…

Thanks to Sod for the link to this in the comments in the previous post.

-Rick

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…and on a happier note: the updated graph!

Phil from the Ferry Inn,(I’ve had a very nice pint there)wasskating the park yesterdayand thrust a sweatytenner into my hand, to help pay for the flatbar. Whoo-hoo! That’s £80 folks!

We’re getting there!

– daryl

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Fundee Day News: We have a date! Comp now probably gonna be on Sat August 11th, this will tie in with Perth which is the next day.

ATTENTION! Will a member of ‘The Floors’ get in touch with us… there is agig possibilityalso happening on the sameday, in the park right above the skatepark.

Hey Rennie! You guys wanna play too?

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