Neal Hendrix Goes To Some Big-Ass Chinese Skate Park Article at Skatepark of Tampa

Neal Hendrix Goes To Some Big-Ass Chinese Skate Park

Posted on Tuesday, November 8, 2005 by N. Hendrix

Neal Hendrix Goes To Some Big-Ass Chinese Skate Park
Photos and captions by Neal Hendrix with a bit of Rob Meronek commentary

Neal's caption: A crazy freaking vert ramp. 180 feet wide. By far the widest vert ramp I have ever heard of. The paint they used on the metal surface was a little thick and soft so the ramp felt really slow but when they are able to repaint it or something it will be better. Oh, by the way, the ramp is 15 feet tall and has 13 foot transitions with two feet of vert. That's big

Rob's caption: The Chinamen are making up for some shortcomings like that middle aged dude who buys a Ferrari
Neal's caption: I took a photo of this security guard sleeping and his security guard buddies got bummed and ran over to stop me. When I showed them the photo they got a good laugh at their sleeping compadre

Rob's caption: Are you sure his eyes aren't really open? ‘Cause, ya’ know, that ain't no round-eye, White Boy
Neal's caption: I went exploring and found the ghetto of Shanghai

Rob's caption: I actually lived for a few years growing up in conditions like this in the Phillipines. Rooster alarm clocks, full grown pigs as pets, ducks chilling in the house, baths with well water that you have to pump yourself, etc. I even got robbed at sling shot point, not gun point, a damn sling shot
Neal's caption: Dinner time....quack quack

Rob's caption: Quack quack? I would have gussed woof woof or meow meow
Neal's caption: Funny story about this ledge. The park designers designed it without the kink (obviously) and when they came to check on the construction progress one day the Chinese construction workers showed them the added bonus they added onto the ledge. The last I heard they were cutting the kink off
Neal's caption: You can tell this is a massive fullpipe since I am like 5'6"
Neal's caption: I changed my ticket to stay after the contest and went to the park by myself. I gave my camera to some Australian dude and he took this photo of me doing a frontside air over the big hip
The awards ceremony. Willy Santos, Josh Evin, Dayne Brummet, Lee Jay (our Shanghai tour guide), and myself
Neal's caption: Me with the Chinese army guys who were guarding the skate park

Rob's caption: Who says all orientals look alike?
Neal's caption: Sandro buying a fake Rolex on the street. The going rate was about US$2 a pop

Rob's caption: You can probably buy a Chinese boy on the black market for that, too
Neal's caption: Sasha Steinhorst - frontside carve over the pipe
Neal's caption: PLG backside air in the big bowl
Neal's caption: The street course. In the background you can see the stadium that they built just to hold events at the park

Rob's caption: Those gigantic toothbrushes on the right could really help with my dragon breath
Neal's caption: Overview of the fullpipe

Rob's caption: Looks like you need a coal miner's helmet with a light to skate this thing
Neal's caption: This is the deep end of the big bowl. It's nuts, like 15 feet deep, give or take a few feet

Rob's caption: Just fill it with water and we'll all have a lot more fun
Neal's caption: A good view of the trumpet. This mini-pipe shoots right into the giant full pipe. Seems crazy to build something like that. What if you are skating the giant pipe and someone, or someone's board flies down the trumpet? You're jacked

Rob's caption: Wow, I never skated a giant concrete butthole before. Looks fun for about 30 seconds, then you can fill this one with water, too
Neal's caption: Dtreet course

Rob's caption: They should build an over-vert stair set on the street course
Neal's caption: One of the coolest things about the park is that it is totally surrounded by skateable stairs and ledges

Rob's caption: Yeah, but someone tell my parents there to get the hell off the street course
Neal's caption: There are a few of these capsules around the park.

Rob's caption: Whoopie damn doo!
Neal's caption: Brazilian karate kid Sandro Dias, striking a pose

Rob's caption: Damn, I was probably conceived on a bridge like that
Neal's caption: I have no idea what this bowl creation is?

Rob's caption: Fill it with water
Neal's caption: A park overview in the rain the first day we went there

Rob's caption: Finally, someone's filling it with water
Neal's caption: I asked for a broom to sweep the vert ramp and this is what they gave me

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