Multi-storey skatepark opens
Where would you hear the words “kickflip”, “nosegrind” and “ollie”? Well, maybe at the world’s first multi-level skatepark in Folkestone, Kent, in England.
Opening on 4 April, the F51 building has four floors in all. Three have different styles of skate park and it’s designed for everyone from beginners to Olympic-level skateboarders. The ground floor is home to a boxing club. The first floor has a concrete bowl that’s perfect for cyclists, rollerbladers, roller skaters, scooters and skaters, to try out their tricks. The “flow” floor is perfect for beginners and features volcanoes, wallrides, waterfalls, blends and skateable pillars. Right at the top is a “street” park, where skaters can practise on benches, kerbs and railings. The building also contains the tallest climbing wall in the southeast of England and a café.
Built on the site of an old bingo hall, the F51 project was paid for by a charity and it was designed by a company called Hollaway Studio. It took seven years and £17 million to build. The Sports Trust charity will run F51. The charity’s project officer, Alex Frost – a keen skater himself – wants to make it welcoming for local people of all abilities. The walls are decorated with artwork by Folkestone skaters, who will be using the building. The aims of F51 are to help skaters improve their skills and to be a place where young people can safely hang out together. “The focus is putting young people first,” said Guy Hollaway, who designed the building. “The world’s first multistorey skatepark, put right in the heart of town, tells young people ‘You are the most important thing and the future.’”
Skateboarding has become more popular around the world after it was one of four new sports added to the Olympic Games in 2020. The building’s backers hope that
F51 will attract national and international visitors, putting Folkestone on the skateboarding map.
For more information about what is on offer in the building, and explanations about how to get there, go to f51.co.uk