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Top Five Skate Spots in Bristol
Copyright: Will Thoburn
Heading out on your board this summer? Check out Will Thoburn’s top five favourite skate spots in Bristol.
Copyright: Will Thoburn
1) Campus Skatepark, Winterbourne
Campus is an indoor skatepark which recently moved from Bedminster to its current location. Campus offers great hot food and snacks for a good price, a great skatepark with a vert wall, rails, banks and more, a lounge area with xbox and a dining area. Definitely have a skate there at some point and see how you like it, I like it due to the many angles for photography and filming you can get in there and the soft wood floor.
Copyright: Will Thoburn
2) Emerson Green Skatepark, Emersons Green
This skatepark has a great flow through its mixture of quarters, gnarly ledges, boxes and a rad stair set. I like this skatepark as it is never too busy and its an ideal spot for new skaters to try out more advanced skill such as ledges, the quarter pipes etc. My friends and I usually get a Sub and then skate the park, if there aren’t too many scooters, which is the only downside from a skateboarders point of view as many scooters also use the park and can get in the way.
Copyright: Will Thoburn
3) Dean Lane, Bedminster
Dean Lane is a skatepark with a great kicker, a sick box and some gnarly rails. Its steep angle gives skaters and filmers a smooth ride down without the need to push much if not at all. It’s always busy and if you don’t fancy skating you can always play football next door as there is permanent goals and a fairly good tarmac to play on. I like this skatepark due to its easy accessibility from Lloyds and other spots. I, being a filmer, love this skatepark especially due to its flow from box to rail to kicker which provides ideal conditions to get good clips.
Copyright: Will Thoburn
4) College Green, Centre
College Green is a flatground spot at the bottom of park street next to city hall, lots of skaters enjoy this spot as it has a great flatground area for laying down new tricks, a shallow bank to get fakie and switch tricks sorted and its close proximity to the legendary Fifty Fifty store! Definately have a look around at Fifty when you are nearby as it has a great range of hardware, decks and clothing!
Many pros around Bristol love this spot including Korahn Gayle and others.
Copyright: Will Thoburn
5) Lloyd’s, Centre
This is the most popular, renowned and relaxed skate spot in Bristol. Its three large steps provide an ideal spot for beginner and advanced skateboards to shred. I like this spot because of the relaxed atmosphere, the hardcore skating and the endless trick possibilities. Make sure you look out for the Big Three competition -sponsored by Fifty Fifty, Red Bull and more – each year, which takes pros from all around the South West to skate the ledges, set and flatground. There is a huge open space which is known as flatground where new tricks get laid down and people can test themselves. It’s great to watch and even better to skate.
Where are your favourite skate spots in Bristol? Got any photos to send us? Send them via Twitter: @rifemag
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About the author
Will Thoburn
Will Thoburn is a drummer, skateboarder and photographer
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