Dec 30, 20192 min read

Ade (The Terrible)

Updated: Jan 9, 2020

For anyone who doesn't know me, I'm Ade (sometimes known as Ade The Terrible for reasons that are too long to explain). I run a skateboarding blog called The Terrible Company, which has documented skateboarding in and around the Coventry & Warwickshire area since 2003.

I grew up 5 minutes down the road from the War Memorial Park in Cheylesmore, and I remember being so stoked on a skatepark being built so close to my house. Early on I remember spending whole summers down the skatepark learning the basics of skateboarding and making lifelong friends. The Terrible Company blog started from documenting sessions at the War Memorial Park, and is a huge part of who I ended up becoming as a skateboarder, so the skatepark means a lot to me.

With that said, I think we all know it's seriously lacking in build quality and design. The floor is rough, the obstacles are uninspiring, the joints between ramps are falling apart and in the modern age of skateboarding it just doesn't hold up compared to the wealth of new skateparks being built all over the country. It's a relic from a time when councils wanted to provide a skatepark, but lacked the knowledge to provide something good, and were also reluctant to invest so heavily in something they thought was a fad. For this reason alone I just don't find the place interesting anymore, and choose to travel elsewhere to skate.

We all know that skateboarding, and skateparks in general, aren't a fad anymore. Skateparks are hugely popular amongst young people, skateboarding is now an Olympic sport, and core skateboarding companies like Thrasher and Palace are sought after fashionable brands - skateboarding and skatepark culture is a permanent part of society now, and cities like Coventry should provide facilities that adequately cater to this user group.

There are hundreds of young people out there in Coventry doing a positive, creative, healthy activity - whether it's skateboarding, BMX, scooter riding or rollerblading - who don't have a good facility to hone their skills at. Skateboarders are in a constant battle with security guards and police officers within the city centre, as they are kicked off of interesting obstacles which far outweigh anything on offer at a local skatepark. Which is crazy, because people shouldn't be punished for doing something positive, that they enjoy! After 10 years of campaigning from local skaters for better facilities, it's time for the city to finally have somewhere for skatepark users to call home.

Cheers!