Almost everyone familiar with St Albans will know Pioneer Club and Skate Park. The Charity was originally founded by evacuee’s that were relocated from London to St Albans in WW2 and in the seventy-five years it has been running it has evolved to become a multi faceted centre that is more than just a simple youth club.
Over time Pioneer became home to the oldest indoor skate park in the UK, this being converted from an old warehouse in 1991. A couple of years later the outdoor skate area was added The skate park is known worldwide and often attracts visitors from overseas to its regular skate and scooter jams. The involvement of legendary skater Rod Clarke, who remains an active part of Pioneer and who is a Trustee of the charity, has been key in making the skate park what it is today.
For the past 30 years it has been a centre of skate sessions and music and has now been revamped. With the help of Skatelite, Frontline Ltd has taken on the task of refurbishing the outdoor space and tells the story and process through the creative film (above). Definitely worth a watch!
Frontside Ltd provides a range of professional design and build services, specialising in the construction of skateparks.
The ramp was stripped, structurally repaired and extended in height and width. Then, using reclaimed steel from a local building site, new copings were installed with hidden tabs. Once the ramp was resurfaced with two layers of reclaimed ply, and it was weather proofed, it was ready for some Skatelite.
Using this material will make a great impact during the winter months, where Skatelite comes into its own. By not absorbing water it dries incredibly quickly, allowing it to be ridden far more regularly than other surface materials. It is a nearly indestructible material that delivers a balance of speed and grip unattainable through any other surface. Smooth, fast, durable, and aesthetically pleasing, it is the surface material consistently chosen for indoor or outdoor ramps.
Project
Pioneer Skate Park
Design and Build
Frontside Ltd
Material
Skatelite
Application
Outdoor miniramp
Location
Hertfordshire, UK
