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Spot Check – The Ripped

07.05.08
Words and pics by Phil Procter

About a decade ago a random little park appeared in Ravensthorpe and was rather misleadingly called called Aggroverts. I don’t recall any vert in there other than a 1foot wide tranny up a pillar on the miniramp! Almost 10 years later the park has changed hands and had a complete reworking by the hands of Snoz and his team.

The outcome is nothing like any other park in England, if anywhere?! Its more like a scene out of Apocalypse Now! The park might not be the biggest, nothing like the 75 foot vert ramps we see at Corby – but this place doesn’t want to be a skate leisure complex, it’s happy with its cement copin’, blood stained transitions and general rough and rugged northern vibe.

As for the ramps, not an inch of the place is wasted – there is literally not a single piece of the building that someone hasn’t popped a bank or tranny up against, not ever put off by low ceilings in some rooms, the solution is just to pad the rafters and bang in any height ramp, some as low as 18″ high. The baby spoon bowl is a joy, its actually scarily addictive too for something that can’t be 2foot deep!

The mains centre of the park is so gnarly, long lines of skulls daubed on the tranny while the blood drips down from the pool copin’ on the main bowled out section, leading to a driveway of sorts and several wall rides and a spine – it flows pretty well, I imagine the crashup factor could be pretty hardcore, but that will force you to session on, or find some abstract jersey barrier style object to hitup in the back. It’s all made of wood, tho some of the curvey joinery gives the impression of shapes only available to cement.

Never has a skatepark been so aptly named, get involved……….get RIPPED!

Address:

The Ripped
Unit 54,
Calder Wharf Mills
Huddersfield Road,
Ravensthorpe
Dewsbury
WF13 3JW
United Kingdom

Phone: 07886840468

Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 3:30pm till 9pm
Wednesday – 3:30pm till 5pm then skate wednesday starts 5pm till 10pm only £5
Thursday – 3:30pm till 9pm
Friday – 3:30pm till 9pm
Saturday – 10:30am till 10pm
Sunday – 10:30am till 7pm

Web: www.myspace.com/therippedskatepark