Skate to the Party: The Loading Bay x The Skinny
We helped welcome The Loading Bay skatepark to North Glasgow last month – here's a recap of the night
Everyone loves a housewarming – invite some friends round, have a few drinks, get some good tunes on and show everyone around your new digs. That was the idea behind our party at The Loading Bay last month, throwing a showcase night for Glasgow's first indoor skatepark.
The new 30,000 square foot skatepark in Port Dundas – the result of a collaboration between Scottish Canals and the world-renowned skatepark builders at Vision Ramps – is a new hub for the skate scene in Glasgow, so we were more than happy to help welcome them to the neighbourhood. Here's what happened...
The venue
The Loading Bay makes the most of its hefty square-footage – there’s a bespoke 60-foot skate bowl, a modular area for skaters to create their own obstacles and skate runs, and a reduced-risk practice area that includes a trampoline and foam pit.
It’s one of the centrepieces of Scottish Canals’ regeneration plans for North Glasgow, and among The Loading Bay’s plans to make the park as accessible as possible is a scheme that offers free skating to young people from low-income areas in the north of the city. Skaters simply sign in with their postcode on a tablet device at the park – if they qualify for a discount, it’s discreetly offered there and then.
The music
On the decks were a collection of Glasgow’s most exciting DJs. Heading things up was the fantastic Maya Medvesek aka Nightwave, bringing the genre-defying sounds of her Nightrave nights to the Loading Bay. Nightwave was ably assisted in keeping the party going by a trio of selectors – VAJ.Power’s Sofya Staune, AISHA and Bessa.
The skating
That music proved to be an excellent background for the clicks, clacks and occasional thumps of the skaters making the most of the city’s first indoor skatepark. A collection of top-level skaters pulled some spectacular tricks for a watching crowd that included BMX legend Danny Macaskill, while plenty of Glasgow’s skate community took the opportunity to carve around the park as the party continued around them. There were a few scrapes and tumbles, but as a showcase of what The Loading Bay can offer the city’s skaters, it was hard to argue with.
The refreshments
Keeping the party hydrated were a pair of our favourite Scottish drinks brands. The Glasgow Distillery were on hand with their Banditti Club rum, spiced and matured just a few miles from The Loading Bay, while Innis & Gunn brought down a selection of their brilliant beers. The fine folk at Red Bull also came through with the energy kick that’s needed after an evening of skating (or watching other people skate).
Thank You
You can’t throw a party without a bit of help, so we want to say a big thank you to the following people: Scottish Canals, The Loading Bay, Banditti Club and the Glasgow Distillery, Innis & Gunn, and Red Bull. Thanks to Nightwave, VAJ.Power, AISHA and Bessa for DJing, and Wee Moe for running the sound, and thanks to everyone who came down on a chilly Saturday night.
The Loading Bay, 100 Borron Street, Port Dundas, G4 9XE
Open 10am-10pm, Mon-Sun