Skatepark - Roche-sur-Yon, France

This one is definitely worth a visit if you like old rough 70's English skateparks like Harrow or Romford. Actually, this one is believed to have been built by one of the English companies responsible for the first generations of skateparks. Since La-Roche-sur-Yon is inland , it gets few visitors and it never had that many locals , it was mainly local skaters from Nantes. When it was built in 1979, skateboarding was already dying over here, so it never got the acclaim it deserved. A few bmxers and long boarders have been enjoying it over the years.
It has one huge banked reservoir bowl, with a quarter pipe good for launching airs. There is also a 70's concrete vertical half pipe with no flat bottom, which is great fun to grind and try tricks on. The challenging part is the pool (which until Gujan Mestras was built remained the only one in the country) which has broken tiles and coping , and deep end trannies comparable to a backyard pool, a bit unpredictable.
The whole area is beautifully located, and bbq and camping don't seem to cause any problems. Natas Kaupas, a young Alan Petersen and others visited the place late eighties. The French old school skate jam was held there in 2007 and 2010. In other words the place is legendary.
Advice:
-bring wheels in the 95-96A (or soft ones) range to really enjoy the rough, cracked, worn out concrete and asphalt. SPF's/101A type hardnesses are not recommended.
-there are no shops within walking distance so bring everything with you. However, it is safe and the local people are friendly.
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