Groton Skate Park

**sprodigy** · 02-18-2008 07:39 AM

I just hit this place up on Saturday. I was impressed! It was my first time trying to skate a concrete park. There are also some decent hills in the area surrounding Mystic.

Anyone else regularly go here? I'm going to try and head there every weekend for some morning sessions (before the kids fill it up).

**Xgecko** · 02-18-2008 08:40 AM

I work in Groton and try to skate Paprocki park at least once a week (well until I sprained my wrist). There are a ton of lines there that I am just beginning to exploit. If you liked it you ought to check out Norwich and White Rock, also massaged by Jeff Paprocki and or the Breaking Ground crew.

**Orion** · 02-18-2008 09:06 AM

a couple of hamiltons are local to that place just post when you plan on showing up like day and time and im sure you will get a coulpe of us there

**ConnLongboarder** · 02-18-2008 07:32 PM

Would love to check it out sometime. You also gotta try the Stamford Skate Park sometime - that is sweet, brand new...

**Xgecko** · 02-19-2008 06:11 AM

a bit of an update...Jeff Paprocki is slated to do an update to Groton skatepark this spring adding another bowl section, bank and escalator over off the big 1/4 past the ladybug; anyone who's been there recently might have seen the spray painted sections This is Jeff's home park so it will be good. As always Jeff excepts volunteer labor for faster completion of the project

**Wells** · 02-19-2008 08:29 AM

That park kind of sucked when I went a couple years ago*. The lines were all weird and the ramps were lumpy and had strange transitions except for the breaking ground section. Hopefully he can fix it up some more and make it better. As is, it's the strongest case I've ever seen for letting the pros handle the job from the get-go.

Consider taking a short drive north to the excellent park in Jamestown (lines up the ying-yang and a fun pool section with real love-seat action) or a longer one south to Stamford (fast, smooth, awesome, closed 'till April). Both will be worth the trip.

Also, Skater's Edge in Taunton, MA has a good wood pool with gnarly pool coping, this full-over-vert capsule bowl thing that needs more flatbottom, and a kinda badass roll in to launch ramp to foam pit for all your backflip-benihana-ing needs (it's slightly slick, so stick the SPFs on the shelf and style out with some stingers from rainskates). Confusingly, this is the only skatepark left with a strong rollerblade presence. Even more curious, it appears that said rollerbladers stopped paying attention in 1999 and consequentially rock the full 1999 uniform of tribal tattoos, nylon pants, baggy nu metal t shirts, and unfortunate facial hair. It's indoors and you have to pay, but whatever. The workers are cool and there's a good shop on-site for all your street-deck and shoe needs.

*although absolutely nothing surpasses the prefab, line-less sucktitude of the skatepark in Bristol, RI and I skated that thing all the time growing up. The park in Newport is also awful. Don't bother with either. Pics of the carnage: SK8parkLIST.com: RI > Bristol Skatepark

**Xgecko** · 02-19-2008 09:11 AM

Groton: The lady bug helped connect a bunch of lines that were dead...the big pyramid still sucks but at least it's useful. I'd rather skate whiterock because it's more circular in line layout. Jamestown is only good if you are alone as the park is tooo small to support more than 5 people without feeling really crowded.