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KICKASS
SKATEPARK BUILDERS |
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The
FreeBasin Pool - Soho, New York City |
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The
FreeBasin Pool was in NYC from December 2002 to mid-February 2003 at the
Deitch space on Wooster St. in Soho. It is a well-travelled installation
(previous engagements in Chicago and Germany) conceived by Steve Badgett
and crew form Simparch.org.
Like its southern Californian progenitors, it was only there to be skated
for a limited time, and was appropriately ripped to shreds in the last
days before it went byebye. Because I am a creepy bookreading hermit who
lives in a shed in the mountains up the river from NYC, I didn't make
it here until its last week, but my visit was certainly memorable. |
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The
session I attended started off mellow, but by the time I left, the pool
was ablaze in hot sweaty action (the non-pornographic type). The atmosphere
was very friendly, as cheers erupted for the rippers as well as just about
anyone who ground the coping or carved around real fast. Even a couple
of groms were there learning to skate tranny. The pool was surfaced with
thick hardwood, which made it slightly kinky (again the non-porno type)
in spots but it was still fast. Think "clickety-clack" kinky
as opposed to face-bashing "Oh-Shit-My-Teeth!" kinky. The transitions
were quick and very authentic representations of a real backyard pool,
as was the real pool coping. The FreeBasin was likely the most unique
event to hit Soho in a long time. Along with the many skaters and skater-types,
lots of artsy fartsy New Yorker peds crowded the deck to catch a view
of the action, and seemed to be authentically mesmerized by the skating. |
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The
bowl was built on stilts, which allowed you to walk underneath the pool
and view its ribbed skeleton. If you put your ear up to it, you could
hear the sound of the ocean...and the urethane. |
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There
was also an art exhibit in the loft levels surrounding the FreeBasin.
Lots of different mediums representing the visual energies of both skateboarders
and non-skaters alike. Unfortunately, I was on an tight schedule there
that day, and could only stay for two hours. That said, I skated the whole
time, and bolted outta there at the very last second. I didn't get to
check out the art close up, and I regret that, but skating that sick ass
pool took priority. One piece of particular note that I did see from the
pool's deck was a skateboard with a photo on it of a woman bending over
with her mound peeking out from between her legs. (In corner of above
pic) I haven't confirmed this, but from my previous experiences with his
work, I knew it had to be one of Ed Templeton's pieces. Dirty old Ed.
Plus, I believe I correctly recognized the shape of the deck that the
photograph was mounted on was one of Ed's O.G. New Deal shapes from @1990-91. |
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| For myself and I'm
sure others who skated it, this pool made for another grand skateboarding
session. Like almost all skate spots, it was around for only a short time,
and therefore made every moment sweeter and more memorable. |
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