Support Blackpill Ramp Site
Swansea wants Mumbles Skate Park
Sunday 9th of June saw us head down to the site of the current Blackpill Skateboard Mini Ramp to show support for a year long project that would see the skate ramp revamped beyond recognition bringing it up to date.
A small group of varied skateboarders have been in contact with local councillors and contractors to come up with a beautiful newly designed park that would fit inside the current footprint of the tarmac site not only being low level as not to interfere with the fantastic views of the Mumbles and Swansea Bay but incorporating the surrounding greenery, trees, bushes etc.
Just days after the year long project of local people’s volunteered time had gone into planning, Swansea City County Council announced that 5 plots of land along the picturesque, iconic Oystermouth road were up for Sale!
All 5 sites are out to Tender! Including the Current Skate Ramp site, meaning not only could we lose the new proposed plans but we could also lose the only small skateboard facility on the West side of Swansea. (Pathetic really when you think how steeped in Surf/Skate History this City is)
Arguably the birthplace of Skateboarding in the UK, Swansea has had it’s eye on California since the 60’s as documented in Jono Atkinson’s film ‘Over Ply Wood’ . Surfers at the time wanting to practice even when there weren’t any waves, stripping down roller skates and fitting them to planks of wood just like their American counterparts, the fad sweeping the nation 7 decades later we are still begging the council for facilities.
(Pictured: Skin Phillips with youth board member Will Mux. Both have been involved in the process of the park so far)
With Olympic recognition in 2020, Japan will host the first ever Olympics which includes Skateboarding in its current form of Street and Park skating and we are hoping Swansea, already behind the times will manage to catch up and be ready for Japan!