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By: Max Olijnyk
Article published: 30th Apr 09
What:
Geelong Waterfront Skatepark
Where:
Geelong waterfront - west of Cunningham pier
When:
All the time
How much:
Free!
Throughout the nineties, it seemed the council paid a team of concerned pensioners and aggressive motocross riders to design all the skateparks. Everything was either impossibly bland or totally ‘extreme', never managing to rival the attraction of exploring the city streets.
That was then, this is now - the era of the skate plaza. They've been building these things for a while now, complete with ‘real street' features such as ledges and stairs, but rarely replicating the ambience of a real street environment. There's never enough space, or shade, or imagination involved. They all feel a bit staged.
Well, they've cracked it with this one. The Geelong Waterfront park actually looks and feels like a street spot, one that's too good to be true. The design and accompanying landscaping is reminiscent of Embarcadero plaza in San Francisco, the most hallowed grounds in street skateboarding.
An especially innovative feature is an iPod jack that broadcasts your music through speakers placed strategically all over the park. The whole thing is amazing - I can't fault it, really. It has to be the best street plaza in Victoria, if not Australia.