The Strange Story of France’s Abandoned Skate Utopia | When eccentric non-skaters dream too big
When people who know nothing about skateboarding dump huge sums of money into skateboarding without consulting actual skateboarders, it’s usually a bad move.
‘Rooler Gab’ did just that trying to put the world on its head by opening a downhill skateboard park complete with ski lifts in France. Though it didn’t last long, it was a novel idea. Kareem Campbell even came to skate it. Wonder what he thought?
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Sample:
After retiring from winemaking in 1988, 60-year-old Leuret found himself with plenty of money and time on his hands. But he didn’t feel like spending his days gardening or wandering around his house near the Mediterranean Sea. “I was still quite young at the time, I didn’t want to stay idle,” he told French artist Raphaël Zarka in 2003. “I had to start something new.”
Lauret eventually came up with an idea during a ski-trip with his wife: he would build a downhill slope for skateboards and rollerskates, served by a ski lift. It would be a worldwide first, and the kids would – he was sure – love it.
It took Leuret four years to make this dream come true. In 1988 he found the right hill, then bought a brand new ski lift. Although there were some hiccups along the way – Leuret got in touch with every department of the French government, even the Army, as no one knew what kind of permit he needed to operate a ski lift in a snowless area – the Rooler Gab’s grand opening was finally announced in September 1992.
The slope was 1.2 km long with ten banked turns, leading to a 3000-square-metre flat space equipped with a mini-spine and a small table. There were also plans to build a bigger ramp, along with a bungalow camp and some other spines. Leuret also hoped to open a second slope, which would be used with non-motorised go-karts.
Click to HUCK MAGAZINE for the story behind the abandoned skate utopia
