It’s been a couple of months now since Override Skatepark opened it’s doors down in South Shields. Feedback has been coming in from all over the place and most people are stoked but wanted more flow. A lot of people said it had a 90’s feel, what they meant was it was very much a two way skatepark and there wasn’t any hips. Now from the beginning the owners said that over time they park would be changed and progression will happen. They were talking about doing a complete re-design in the next 2-3 years once they know what people are after and of course when they find there feet too, it’s a new game for some of the guys there, never having a skatepark before or the massive capital to employ a group of park designers/builders it’s a learning curve for everyone.
Anyway roll on the present and they’ve been doing a few changes here and there since the original park opened. They’ve added some new street obstacles and a sweet hip that you can boost into a flat bank. Loads more is planned as and when they can do it and it’s good to see the park slowly moulding into a more responsive and better to ride design. Keep your eyes peeled on their Facebook Page and of course Street Phire for the exclusives. There’s loads going to happen in the future so support the place and watch it grow!!
Hearing that Marc Bell was getting back into riding a couple of years ago was some of the best BMX news i’d heard in ages! Marc was a legend in the North East, he had shut down rails that even at today’s standards would still not be approached by most. The most memorable rail of his era was the gap to rail at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park which you can see at the beginning of his shared section with Rob Strong in NSF2 after the photo.
Within weeks of Marc getting back into riding he was out eyeing up stuff he’d spotted in the past. We went to this spot over in Jarrow which had a meaty rail one side that he’d already done years ago and a possible hop over into a bank on the other. The bank was about as thin as this photo shows and I had to make a quick exit to clear the path for him once he’d chucked the Geoff’s. I had always wanted to get some decent photos of Marc and finally the chance was in front of me.
Marc Bell, Barspin rail hop, Jarrow, 2008
G33K: iso 100 | 16mm | f7.1 | 1/250th
Rob Strong and Marc Bell in NSF 2
Before Override Skatepark opened its doors officially to the public I had a chance to go down there and snap some photos of the setup before anyone had rode it. I brought my lights down with me but in the end the park was so light inside that there was no need to use them for the overview shots. Not wanting to let them go to waste I asked Adam, Mouse and Daz if they wanted to take some riding photos and luckily for me they were up for it. I hadn’t taken any riding photos for a couple of months (as you can probably tell) because of the crap weather we’ve been getting over here (and we’re getting older so it hurts more when you slam). I bullied Adam into doing the rail and a b, Mouse into doing some turndowns and tables and Daz into having a bit of a flow around as he was out of touch due to local parks being about -3°C.
Have a deeks at some of the snaps from the 30 minute sesh.
We’ve had a fair few people ask about where and what and how much Override Skatepark is in South Shields. The new park only recently opened its doors and already it’s picking up a good pace, people are travelling from all over the place to have a session but most of them people are finding it difficult to find an address and some price info so here it is, nice and simply put:
Park Entry:
Standard Member Session (2 Hours) £7.00
Premium Member Session (2 Hours) £5.00
Standard Membership: Free
Premium Membership: £30.00 per Year
Parental Consent Form for Under 16s. You need to wear a helmet, if you don’t have one then you can hire one for £1.00
Premium Membership entitles the member to reduced park entry and a 10% discount on parts and accessories in the Override and Conways Cycles Shops
Address:
Override Skatepark
Unit 8A Shaftsbury Ave
Fyne Point Ind Est
Simonside
South Shields
NE32 3UP
Tel: 0191 4208156
The nearest Metro to the park is Bede station and then it’s a five minute walk from there. If you’re driving in from the A194 when you see the big Tesco’s and McDonalds on your left you need to take your next left into the industrial estate and then drive straight on about 500 yards until you see the Override Skatepark banner on your left.
Read more for opening times and some panoramic pictures of the park if you haven’t seen it already. Read more
It’s the day before the opening of Override Skatepark in South Shields, im pretty excited about this place. You can never have enough indoor skateparks when it comes to winter or cold, wet days. I know from a business perspective the owners get real cagey about it but they don’t understand sometimes that us riders and skaters want variation, no two parks are identical and this means that people will alternate parks. The reason I don’t go to Redcar skatepark every week is because i’d get sick of it, plus its 45 miles away and if you’re on your todd it costs a lot to go for one session. With Dynamix in Gateshead, R-Kade in Redcar and now Override in South Shields we’re getting a few more options and people love options, who wants to ride the same place week in week out during winter? No one, unless it’s the only option.
Anyways rant over, get a load of some photos of the park before it gets overrun by bikes, boards and scooter kids, the paint isn’t even dry, that’s how new it is. More photos after the jump…
The time has come and the official opening of South Shields first indoor skatepark is happening this weekend. All the details can be found on the flyer. I must say im rather excited at the thought that we’re going to have somewhere to session indoors that isn’t 45 miles away from the general riding scene in Newcastle, Gateshead, South Shields and Sunderland. As a bit of a treat i’ve attached some photos of progression for you to look and share about the place, spread the word and get down there when you can.
On Friday, the night before the opening, we’re going to release some final finished photos of the park build so keep your eyes peeled!
Override Skatepark Opening | 9th March 2013