Sports Then and Now

Adrenaline Alley is one of the top indoor skate parks in the world.

Think of the best skate parks in the world and images of awesome skate spots over the pond will probably come to mind. Rails, ramps and concrete jungles all grinded to within an inch of their life; nothing else tops the bucket list for a skater like a US skate spot. But here in the UK we’ve got our fair share of skate parks to rival those desirable stateside locations – here are Vapourised best three that you really should visit.

Adrenaline Alley – Corby, Northamptonshire
How Adrenaline Alley came to be is a sad story with an immensely positive outcome. The owner’s son, John, had suffered as a young child with an undiagnosed brain tumor and was bullied by local louts but soon, he befriended local skaters and felt like he had found his place to fit in. He was attacked by the bullies and as a result his parents wanted to take that experience and let it drive them to create something positive. Dedicated to providing a safe and secure outlet for kids wanting to enjoy action sports without being condemned, the amazing indoor Adrenaline Alley skate park rose from the ground upwards and is continuing to expand. Sadly John died a few years ago but his legacy lives on in this 6 acre site and leads the UK in offering a ramp park, performance center, dirt jumps and a new scooter park.

Skate Plaza – Stoke-On-Trent
All of the best things in life are free and that includes skate parks too. Set up by the local council, the fantastic Skate Plaza at Central Forest Park in Stoke-on-Trent is currently the largest in Europe and at over 3200sqm, it’s also the first of its kind in the UK too. Built to replicate some of the best street scenes and the perfect skating environment, this skate park ticks all the boxes for obstacles and challenging terrain. And the best bit? It’s completely free for everyone to enjoy so you don’t need to worry about an annual fee for membership or paying for a limited couple of hours before you leave thinking about where to go next on your deck. Skate Plaza is an outdoor park too so in the summer there’s no better place to be.

The Works – Leeds
Big cities can often suffer when it comes to large open spaces for enjoying sports, but The Works in Leeds is a fab exception. This indoor skate park works closely with the local community, schools and in partnership with the NHS to bring an accessible area to local kids for them to enjoy in safe and secure surroundings. To use The Works, all members need to pay an annual membership fee of just £15 and from there it’s cheap hourly and daily rates all the way. One to one and group sessions are also available as well as gym classes, school sessions and workshops in all kinds of things including graffiti art, rapping and beat boxing, DJ skills, Street dance and Break dance as well as Media Production. The Works is much more than a Skate, Scooter and BMX park; it quite literally is The Works.

Here is a video of Graham Jarvis training at The Works.