Review of Taoyuan's Skatepark

Technically, the park is in Zhongli. It sucks, because it's a skatepark, but it sucks less than some parks. However, the surface is like cement x sand paper and shade is a commodity in short demand.

Maybe Zhongli is considered to be another city, or maybe it's just a neighborhood in Taoyuan. Technically, we call that place Foulyuan, because it's a cancer ridden plague city of industrial pollution, and it looks the part. I love that place. No, not true, but I love the skaters who come out of there. Think of Cuyahoga River, but spread across an entire city, and also, no one ever cleaned it up. Panic, one of the coolest shops in Taiwan is there.

IM, who lives in linkou, invited me out to skate at the skatepark there. I met with lzyk to do some shopping and then she dropped me off at the park. It immediately started raining cause it's Taiwan, so I sent a msg to IM on line to cancel, luckily, he was able to get off his bus. Unluckily, it basically unrained and I was 2km from the train to get to his place.

I had one of the most pleasant cruises of my life. A wide, boisterous river there had smooth, stone river path beside it, downhill at the river's grade, all the way. I cant do many tricks anymore (fu steve, I know I never really could, I'm just trying to brag on the internet) but I got warmed up by the gurgling river and ****** a few things and ******* and ***-****** and ***ed and was kind of getting into the flow of it. Nothing is better than a slightly downhill cruise. Some little kids on bikes got on me like parasites, and shouted with glee at every trick, but the ones that made them laugh were the best.

I couldn't understand if IM wanted to swim at a pool or play pool. It turned out to be play pool. It was excellent, but I wish we had skated more.

I met lzyk again, but only for a bit and then went back to Taipei on the last train.

RMJ was waiting and we cruised. and cruised. and there is really nothing that gets at the essence of this activity that I love more that cruising. Cruise your local spots. You have a duty. Noone should know them better than you do.

There's nothing wrong with skateparks. It's just that they're boring, and only boring people skate them.  Freebird, arguably the coolest shop in Taiwan, is nearby. Taoyuan is gritty and cool, especially if you're into cruising and street skating. Don't waste your time at skateparks. Go skate the terrain you live in, no matter how difficult it is. People skate in Portland, for Christ's sake.