It's the angle of the pivot. Kids, you need to learn your local history, these things have been shredded since before some of you were born. Andy Dobson has been holding them down for most of those years. Have you seen the 80's Denburn footage on H'minBam?If the answer is no change the answer. - Front Rock
The Denburn Banks are a probably the one of the best spots in Aberdeen, yet due to the modern 'street skating' ethos they are bypassed in favour of other places. The Banks have a history going back years. One thing worthy of note is Sean Gough's caveman boardslide on the 3 stair, you may chortle kids but it was a Cover shot for R.A.D. - Recognise!
Over the years the banks have had a pretty constant through flow of fancy footed visitors, in the last two years they've seen the likes of Chet Childress, Louie Bartletta, Mike Rusczyk and Karl Watson grace them with their shredd.
<<Callum Barrack chills on an iceplant fakie in his sunday afternoon cardigan.
I don't know why someone saw fit to create this place, it seems to serve no real purpose. I should think its probably a 70's attempt at creating a social space, a communal area where the drone workers would be able to hang out in the beautiful sun. The fact that these banks exist is reason enough to go and skate them,i've heard a lot of people say, they're too hard to skate, but the reality is if you put your mind to it you can do it.
Any way no one ever said skatboarding was supposed to be easy.
There is a couple of sections that offer enough flat to compose your self after the ollie up before the transition begins. Oddly it used to be the far side that got skated, these days its the near side that does, some surgery was required back in the day to remove a pipe that stuck out right at the base of one of the trannies. Some tidying up is generally
required to remove moss that will bloom in the absence of a good seshing. You might also find a mass of broken buckie/cider bottles no prizes for guessing how they get there, but having said that i've never seen any junkies or neds hanging about up there.
Div, Body Jar>>
Seeing as how the banks back on to doctors consultation rooms it sometimes is the case someone asks you to move on, it's usually fairly polite and doesn't really result in any aggression. Weekends are best as the surgery is usually closed.
Visitor Chet Childress definately left his mark on the banks, everything from stylish Backside Airs to frontside 5-0's( yes 5-0's).
I bumped into Ray Dower the other day, for those who don't know Ray was probably the Ultimate ruler of the Denburn banks, you can see a portion of his stuntage on the extras of H'min Bam. Among tales of jumping off the roof to evade the 5.0, taking a
triangle of flesh out of his shin, and halucinating a lego land, i could see his eyes light upas he began to remember skating them. Denburn seems to be one of those spots you can easily bypass, almost forgetting that they are there. Not just because they are difficult to skate but, unless there's a session going on, they require a lot of motivation.
<< Mike Rusczyk, Pivot, POP, fakie.
Unfortuantely the Denburn banks have been ear marked for destruction at somepoint in the next year or two, the regeneration of the area it seems has no place for such a 'waste of space'. So ultimately there
is no greater reason to go and skate the Denburn banks, they are from now on out finished, they have defined street skateboarding to a generation of skateboarders. And although they continue to find fans young and old, still they remain the 'underground' spot of Aberdeen.
So whether these pictures have inspired you to hit this spot, reminded you they exist. Go and pay them your respects, they won't be around for ever.
Morgan Campbell gets creative, Blunt to Smith Stall >>
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Spot Check: Denburn Banks, Aberdeen
Photography:
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