Snake Run
The Snake Run, also known as the Albany Snake Run, Albany Skate Track and Hare Street Skate Park, is a skatepark in Albany, Western Australia.[1] The park is the oldest community funded skatepark in Australia and the second oldest in the world.[2][3]
Snake Run | |
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General information | |
Type | Skatepark |
Location | Albany, Western Australia |
Coordinates | 35°01′10.2″S 117°53′52.3″E |
Type | State Registered Place |
Designated | 17 May 2016 |
Reference no. | 1972 |
The impetus for a dedicated skatepark came following the death of a skateboarder in Albany's main street in the mid-1970s.[4] In 1975 a group of students from Albany Senior High School formed a committee with the idea of building a skatepark. The group started fundraising and soon accumulated A$3,000. The Albany Town Council donated 3 acres (1 ha) of land that was once a gravel quarry and donated A$10,000 to the project.[5]
The track was opened in February 1976 by the American skateboarder Russ Howell.[5][6]
The run is made from concrete and is 140 metres (459 ft) in length running downhill.[4] The track is curved downward and lipped with a wall on first turn with lower rises on the next two turns and finishing with a drained bowl at the end.
The park was heritage listed in 2016, making it one of the only three skateparks in the world that have heritage status.[3][4]
References
- "Albany Skate Track". Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- "The Snake Run Project". Perth International Arts Festival. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- Kendall O'Connor (12 February 2016). "Snake Run skate park in Albany WA gets heritage listing". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- Ken Acott (12 February 2016). "Skate park makes heritage history". The West Australian. Yahoo7. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- "The Snake Run, Hare Street". Albany Gateway. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- Tim Edmunds (4 December 2015). "Skating legend back at Snake Run". Albany Advertiser. Yahoo7. Retrieved 14 February 2016.