Alamosa Skatepark Environment facts for kids
The Alamosa Skatepark Environment, also called West Side Skatepark, is a large, in-ground skatepark located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was designed by ARTIFEX Skatepark Environments in 2004. This park offers a unique and exciting place for skaters of all levels.
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Skatepark Design: A Unique Approach
Most other skateparks in Albuquerque have simple bowls. These bowls have rounded edges and few street-style features. The Alamosa Skatepark was designed differently. It feels more like a big park where you can skate anywhere.
The designers got ideas from Albuquerque's famous arroyo system. Arroyos are natural drainage channels. They also looked at places in the city where skating is no longer allowed. The park combines many different features into one big plan. This plan fits with new trends in skating. Today, skaters like parks that feel like a campus or a city plaza. The Alamosa Skatepark is a special example of this idea.
The Trenches: Street-Style Fun
The skatepark has two main areas. One is called The Trenches. This area is unique because it has a mix of features. You'll find banks, ledges, walls, stairs, gaps, and rails. They are all put together in different ways.
Most of The Trenches is made of concrete. It also has a central plaza made of brick. The way this area is laid out and its concrete colors are inspired by Albuquerque's arroyos. This design lets skaters ride long lines or focus on specific features. It also helps spread skaters out across the park. This means fewer people are crowded in one spot. Water drains from this area through a special section that looks like an arroyo.
The Skylit Bowl: Deep Dips and Unique Features
The other main area is the Skylit Bowl. This part combines three deep bowls. It also has a three-quarter pipe with a large skylight opening on top. This was the first feature of its kind!
This area of the park was inspired by backyard swimming pools. Skaters used to ride in these pools when the sport first started. The bowls are deep, ranging from 8 to 11 feet. They have different curved shapes to help skaters move around easily. The edges of the bowls are made of round steel pipe and granite pool edging.
Park Layout and Connections
The Trenches and the Skylit Bowl are next to each other. They run from east to west. This layout fits the shape of the land. It also works with the natural slope of the ground. The Skylit Bowl is on the highest part of the park. This helps it connect to the city's storm drain system. The edge of the bowls is 7 to 10 feet higher than The Trenches. This creates a big mound between the two areas.
Between these two sections is a grassy area. Skaters can rest here and still watch others ride. The mound of the Skylit Bowl also helps block noise. This protects the homes next to the park.
The skatepark has many entry points. This makes it feel more like a public park. On the south side, a walking path leads to three entrances. There's an uphill walk, a downhill ramp, and a set of stairs. Two paths connect The Trenches to the Skylit Bowl. These paths make it easy to move around inside the park. They also make the park feel open to the surrounding area. This park is known as one of the best in New Mexico for vert skating. It also has some great street skate spots.
