Velodromes?

#1

I was wondering if many have headed to their local outdoor velodrome to skate? I used to cycle at Canterbury Velodrome in Sydney but haven’t been there for years. Seems like they should have the potential to be interesting spots to muck around in an old school “concrete wave” kind of style.

I’m sure there are a few other outdoor ones around in Sydney (and there’s sure to be more in Melbourne). Even ones where the banking isn’t too steep ould be interesting I reckon.

Anyone?

Edit: I’ve just remembered it was “Camperdown” not “Canterbury” velodrome that I used cycle at… but Camperdown was demolished a while back I think.

#2

Theres one in Unanderra, a suburb of wollongong
We tried skating there once but the banks just arent good enough to get any speed from
Not worth the petrol to get out there!

#3

havent tried a velodrome but i used to try to skate this natural bowl in one of those pits that they turn train engines around on. u could fully use half the banked bowl which would be divided by the mechanism and the actual track, and there was just a little bit of flat bottom on each side, pretty shit but we gave it a go…the most memorable sessions are always in the crappiest spots anyway!!!

#4

Hmm, interesting thoughts on the speed issue, Pig. It actually came to me as I was reading the Friedman Dogtown and Z-Boys book and was looking at the “banks” in those school playgounds that they used to ride. I guess to make it work you’d need a decent flat area below the bank to carve off and get back up the bank… I think I’ll investigate further and suss out the Tempe/Canterbury velodrome some time soon.

#5

Hey Doglog, was that natural pit where they turned trains around in, was it in Wyong. I remember skating something, there I think, like that a long long time ago.

#6

Yeah’
I remember the Steel City Ramp Rage’ (in Newcastle) in the 80’s
We all dicked around & streetstyled on the banked velodrome walls in between sessions, (the vert ramp was in the middle of the velodrome)

Very kewel’ comp that 1’

#7

Newcastle velodrome (1975) was the only place i’ve ever had a board confiscated and it was my very first (chicago trucks and wheels on flat ply deck that my dad cut out for me). My old man built the velodrome too so it was quickly returned by the velodrome officials.
And so it was a scream for me to see those same officials quietly tearing their hair out as the ‘who’s who’ of oz skating at the time cut loose around the track when not on the vert ramp during the Steel City comp in 1987. They had given us permission to use the venue because track cycling in Newcastle had hit hard times and they were trying to get some paid multi-use out of the place.