Year after year, the tennis courts at Albany’s Washington Park become a hotbed of professional and amateur skaters grinding, skating and trying out new tricks alike. Now, they finally have a safe and professional place to channel their enthusiasm for this largely misunderstood urban sport.
The BlueBanks, a new 20,000 square-foot skate park in Albany’s Washington Park wasn’t always a concrete wonderland, in fact, it wasn’t a skate park at all. For years, the unused tennis courts on the park’s west end were filled with homemade rails, boxes, and ramps.
Now, the once cob-job of a skatepark is filled with ripped pants and good vibes in a safe, modern environment. It features a smooth concrete sector in its lower banks, along with an extensive variety of features inspired by the minds who shred the city on four wheels.
“The skateboard community in the capital district has now become infused in a wide array of professional sporting spectacles,” said one skater.
SANTORE’S TAKE:
After spending some time pushing around on my board throughout the park, I found there was a significantly positive energy around me, I was instilled with new ideas as I derived creativity from others and their runs around the park. All ages and skill levels correlate with one another making it a positive environment for even the youngest of skaters. The obstacles showcase talent while providing endless progressive opportunity at all skill levels. The more intricate, higher skilled, professional riders provide a realm of exhilarating experience for spectators, and those who skate cohesively with them. There was so much to gain from being at the park, rather skating or spectating the experience was exhilarating, a unique energy to add a diversity to our athletic environment to soon bring a wave of prosperity around our community.
