Photos: Max Jamieson
The UK seems to be knocking out huge indoor skateparks every couple of months right now which is always welcome due to our wet weather systems, especially in the North of the country. Knowing that both Liverpool and Manchester have been graced with amazing indoor parks lately, the inbetweeners of Warrington just off the M62 have recently been celebrating their own new build thanks to the helping hand of design and build team Four One Four.
After 10 months of planning, 2780 sheets of ply, 160,000 screws, 27283m of timber (equivalent to build a small Wimpey homes housing estate) and a 13 week build with a crew of 20+ people broken down into just over 12000 man hours, Ramp 1 Skatepark in Warrington is finally a reality. Many design concepts and ideas were chucked around between the park owners and the Four One Four crew over the past year to ensure they were going build something that would stand out, be completely unique and push the standard of indoor skateparks forward in the UK.
Ramp 1 boasts 50,000sqft of space and is divided into 9 different areas. One for beginners, a mini spine, a fun micro mini, a BMX Rhythm section, a huge 112ft long bowl (5ft to 7ft), a 40ft skateable tunnel, an Airbag (new cleaner, more hygienic alternative to a foam pit) a sweet mini ramp and a street plaza.
The street plaza comes with an array of obstacles that include a jersey barrier, Candy Apple lacquered handrails and flatbars, a hand crafted tiled pyramid bank, a bank to ledge around the hole, a steep quarterpipe with pool stones into the bank, granite ledges, a wide top steel planter, 5 and 8 stair sets, a disabled ramp kicker over a grass gap and rail, and a delta A frame with rail and ledge. This area is also pimped out with artificial grass and palm trees and also boasts LED lit hubbas. Yes. Proper bling. To round it off they have also added a Las Vegas ‘backdrop’ made by Visual Drop to make your ride even more of an experience. Love it or hate this 80s inspired inclusion, it’s fun.
The guys at Ramp 1 have also gone the extra mile by installing a brand new cafe with flatscreen TVs to view the park, HEATING, (yes, you read that correctly) comfy sofas, decent coffee and free wifi. Dream stuff considering most parks up until the 2000s were lucky to even have a caravan selling burgers and hot teas to keep you warm in the wonter months.
“For a while we wanted to build a rad indoor street plaza and finally the opportunity arose with a good budget and plenty of space to fill,” explains Four One Four’s Trevor Johnson this week. “After sussing a layout that flowed in the area that was allocated the theming began. The Las Vegas backdrop, Palms trees and LED lit hubbas work really well. You really need to see it for yourself to appreciate the scale of this, it’s awesome! We designed the plaza with moderate heights in mind so that it would be something you can get tech on, and also session daily without having to gear yourself up for ‘video part’ manoeuvres!”
The owners are already talking about a possible phase 2 build. Only time will tell but for now, this is one of the largest skateparks in the UK and it deserves a road trip.
Watch Superdead’s Jirka Bulin, Jake Potts, Eddie Belvedere and Nick Remon get a session in filmed by Phil Harvey and Adam Salais.
Shaun Currie and Timmy Garbett also show the plaza some love.
Visit Ramp 1 at Unit 1A Penketh Business Park, Liverpool Road, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 1QX
Map here.
Phone: 01925 747 733
Website: www.ramp1.co.uk
Opening hours/costs:
School Term:
Mon-Fri – 12pm – 9pm
Sat – 9am – 10pm
Sun – 10am – 7pm
School Holidays:
Mon-Fri – 9am – 9pm
Sat – 9am – 10pm
Sun – 10am – 7pm
Mon -Thu
2 hr 30 min Session = £6.50
4 hr 00 min Session = £9.00
All day £12.00
Fri – Sun
2 hr 30 min Session = £8.50
4 hr 00 min Session = £11.00
All day £15.00
RAMP 1 membership ID card/band = £2.00