Here are some photos from the HTC One opening night…
Slam team rider Neil Smith– Backside Tailslide – Photo- Sam Ashley
We all went to the opening night of the HTC One Skate Park in the old Selfridges hotel. We told you before about the Board Games theme which has seen us open a temporary concession in their Ground Floor. We turned up not knowing what to expect. What we were greeted with is a unique park, the best bits of which are inspired by London City streets. Homage is paid in there to spots existing and long extinct. Proof of the success of the park’s design was seeing everyone skate the whole of the time available with little thought given to the free food and booze being passed around to the crowds outside. There is a whippy white room reminiscent of the best bits of SEOU shows past…
There are all sorts in there, holes to carve over, books to grind, shoe boxes to slide, lipsticks to wallie. You could spend a day in there alone but it would be a waste because there is a lot more to offer…
Remember Southwark bank to block? Remember throwing down on the rough road, ollieing up the curb first and not having much time to set up? Well if you don’t it doesn’t matter and if you do, think about it and enjoy skating this all the more. It’s a really good bank to block which is always fun plus it’s coupled with a nice mellow hip that channels days spent under Hungerford bridge clocking up tricks over the hip at birdshit banks. This zone alone if found in the street would claim a lot of man-hours. There’s more…
There is a lot crammed into that space and for myself, I think this was the most enjoyable part of the park. Southbank’s old bank-to-wall is referenced, this is worth the lack of entrance fee alone. If you look to the right there is a Big Ben road gap. Don’t be put off, this is the size of the small one on Eastcastle street. I decided on this night that every skate park should have a road gap. Just behind this, not pictured is a Moorgate handrail, funnily enogh even on the opening night there were security guards at the bottom of it. They aren’t going to be a regular feature. We recommend you make the most of this while it is there. It is open until the until Saturday 19th April. Use of the park is for skateboarders only! Entry to skate the park is FREE! The park will be open from 12:00 – 21:00 from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 – 21:00 on Saturdays and from 12:00 – 18:00 on Sundays. It looks like HTC have offered an in town antidote to the April showers no doubt imminent. Beginners only sessions will be on offer at the weekends and there will also be free lessons, an under 18’s contest and a girls only night. The address is 1 Orchard Street, Marylebone, London W1U 1QZ. All of the pictures above were taken by Sam Ashley and found on the Kingpin website. Here is the 2nd video teaser, expect to see more footage from everyone involved very soon…