Cookson skatepark & Sheffield Skating

[Skaterash 10]

I myself have been a skateboarder in sheffield for the last 10 years and over the past 5 i have seen park's such as cookson have skateparks built on them. Cookson is a prime example of a waste of money. That skatepark is by far one of the best in sheffield and its under used because of the surrounding area. In the 5 years the park has been open i have only been there 4 times. once at 7am on a thursday morning. once with a group of 20 mates at 9am on a saturday morning because of the people who come out around the area. The other times were when council have held supervised events in the park. £95000 was spent on that skatepark and it is always unskateable. The worst area to build it when you considor places like millhouses and devonshire green could both do with some development to them.

 

Ive recently been looking into opening a new skater owned shop around the division street area in order to try to provide the sheffield skate scene with something that the council and other shop's cannot bring to the table. When i was growing up there was a shop called "Sumo" they use to bring skate teams and competions and gatherings to sheffield from seeing things like this it kept me and plenty of others off the streets 10 years later im still largely involved and would love to be able to draw people towards skating again as it seems that all the skateparks in sheffield ( apart from cookson) are heavily used and devonshire green has been falling apart for years.

 

Every city in the UK now has its own luxury skatepark and every single one gets the right care and is up to date with what people want these days. However sheffield is still stuck with dev green a park which has been out dated for a good 8 years.

 

Now there is going to be alot of people on here who start to dish out the hate however im hoping that people will read this and relise that skateboarding and BMXing are not bad things to be apart of if anything its skating is more like a group of mates who dont want any trouble they just like to go out and push a plank of wood around.

[kittenta 10]

Cookson park is heavily used. You've obviously been down there at the wrong times. It's usually crammed with kids, some on bmx's, others scooters and others skateboards. It's not just kids that use it either, I've seen a few older regulars down there too.

 

Many years ago, Bolehills used to hold a bmx group, meeting every week to race. This is no longer there and they've made the bmx track far too complicated (or is was last time I was there). Millhouses is pretty basic. Remember though, that to keep these types of parks in good condition requires money. Money that just isn't there.

 

I agree with you that there needs to be more 'groups' of this nature however. I wish you luck on your venture.

[Sid Umpley 10]

a decent park requires land.

land is always cheaper in a ghetto than a suburb, hence cooksons location

[Skaterash 10]

a decent park requires land.

land is always cheaper in a ghetto than a suburb, hence cooksons location

 

This is true however when cookson was built there was alot of land available and the council own most of it.

 

As for your comment kittenta i agree with what you are saying regarding bowlhill's however that was made by bikers for bikers they have every right to change it if they can. your comment about cookson been heavily used is incorrect as i would class devonshire green heavily used because of the amount of people who have or do travel to skate the park. cookson is used by its local's (people who all gho to school/college togther) it doesnt have people traveling to sheffield to skate it this is because of the "chav's and rif raf" that comes with goiung to that skatepark. If it was in a better area people would travel for miles to skate it as its an amazing park and its just a shame that it gets over looked because of the area and the trouble that comes with it.

[kittenta 10]

This is true however when Cookson was built there was alot of land available and the council own most of it.

 

As for your comment kittenta i agree with what you are saying regarding bowlhill's however that was made by bikers for bikers they have every right to change it if they can. your comment about Cookson been heavily used is incorrect as i would class Devonshire green heavily used because of the amount of people who have or do travel to skate the park. Cookson is used by its local's (people who all gho to school/college togther) it doesn't have people traveling to Sheffield to skate it this is because of the "chav's and rif raf" that comes with going to that skate park. If it was in a better area people would travel for miles to skate it as its an amazing park and its just a shame that it gets over looked because of the area and the trouble that comes with it.

 

You seem to have some sort of problem with Cookson Park. You say I'm 'incorrect' about it being used, yet you've only been four times? Not really enough times to form a realistic opinion is it? 'at 7am on a Thursday morning'. I should hope that they were all getting ready for school, not hanging around on a skate park! Besides, if they were all on the park at 7am, they'd be accused of disturbing the peace .

 

The trouble that you speak of. Would this be the trouble that an official police officer states that there isn't any?

I have checked our incident list for the past 12 months and there have been no incidents of anti social behaviour, violence or damage reported at this location

See this thread - http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=782824.

 

I'm not pretending that the place is perfect, no where is. You will always get a few rowdy kids where ever you go. But it's a good skate park, the older ones are willing to help out those less experienced if they need it and they all enjoy skating/riding. Isn't that what it's supposed to be about?

 

Instead of putting other parks down to make your favourite park look good, start concentrating your efforts into doing something about it. Saying the money shouldn't have been spent on Cookson (or anywhere else that matter), it should have been spent on Dev Green is going to get you nowhere.

 

Drum up some support locally and further afield if you wish, but you won't get any support by putting other areas and parks down.

[sumayyah 10]

just to see if i have this right. ur whinging that you want somewhere to skate. the council provide a skate park. you decide its not to your liking so your whinging you want somewhere to skate?

[olilew 11]

Cookson park is heavily used. You've obviously been down there at the wrong times. It's usually crammed with kids, some on bmx's, others scooters and others skateboards. It's not just kids that use it either, I've seen a few older regulars down there too.

 

Many years ago, Bolehills used to hold a bmx group, meeting every week to race. This is no longer there and they've made the bmx track far too complicated (or is was last time I was there). Millhouses is pretty basic. Remember though, that to keep these types of parks in good condition requires money. Money that just isn't there.

 

I agree with you that there needs to be more 'groups' of this nature however. I wish you luck on your venture.

 

there is still a club at the bole hills, my 2 lads go. have a look: http://www.bolehills.com

[westbrook 10]

ash, have you personally had any trouble at cookson? I've only been like 2/3 times but i've never had any trouble. When parks first open they attract people who have little interest in the proper use, as a bit of time passes they generally stop going. You should go check it out some more times to get a more informed opinion. Stoked to here you're thinking of opening a shop though.

 

Craig.

[Skaterash 10]

Craig to answer your question first.

 

Yes ive had trouble there before while there was an event on and this was 3 years after it opened and it was because of the surronding area that my mates windscreen got smashed. we got brick threw at us because " we were not local" and that is what was been hurled at us as we were getting chased away.

 

kittenta - im not saying at all that cookson skatepark isnt a good skatepark at all in fact in my orignal post i said its probs one of the best park in sheffield. ive been up too the park alot more than 4 times however the four times is the amount of times ive been the to skate because there would be no1 around at 7am. The park is all about helping the young ones and thats exactly what im trying to do. a couple of older lads aint gonna show kids much more than the ways of that area where as when i was growing up people where pushed to see the bigger picture by "sumo" they organised events which brought everyone togther to one skatepark to everyone could meet new people and learn new things. nothing can be organised to happen at that skatepark because of how ruff the area is. i know this because i have tried for the last 2 years to make events happen there but once word gets out about it trying to happen the council will not help us because of the trouble from there previously. Cookson deserves more than just 10 or 20 people visiting it each month. with a park like that sheffield skate scene could have easily been put on the map i mean devonshire green is rubbish however because its in the centre of town people will go there and its always a meeting ground you get 20 skaters on there a day.

 

Im not complaining that the council dont give us anywhere to skate i just dont think people relise what is happening to that skatepark compared to whats happening in skateboarding and its important that this stuff surfaces to the right people however the right people dont want to listen because of where it is. its a shame and it honestly bugs me that this isnt a place i could go to and skate when its ment to be a "public" skatepark.

[Big Sigh 10]

Looks like Cookson park has been upgraded from a skate park to a stolen car park. Theres a stolen car in the middle of the skate park with head lights and stereo on on top of the humps..

[Miss Lounty 10]

I think cookson has changed over the years. Several years ago my eldest son and his friends used to go there really early to avoid meeting local kids, they didn't appreciate on locals using the park. Now my younger so and his friends go bmxing there and have never had trouble.

There is the indoor skate park and shop at Parkwood springs, owned and run by the owners (if that makes sense!!) that is a good environment for skaters and boarders.

[fisch 10]

im looking to buy my 12 year old son a scooter been looking at Mad Gear Pro scooters online do you know of a shopin sheffield that sells good scooters