Hey, this page will outline the best riding spots in town, including sick lines and chances of getting kicked out. Throughout Espo there are a bunch of sick riding spots, ranging from road kickers, to sick walls for riding. Also there are a few stair sets ranging from 3 sets to some huge 10-11 sets. Now, I kno Espo is small but we do offer a variety of things to ride. It is my opinion that everything in town is rideable from beginner to pro levels, pros wont be too happy cuz well their pro duh!! hehe so on with the locales.
I'll write em down first then have the riders on the site rank em so if u ever come to espo u'll kno where to ride ^_^.
Place Number 1: The Royal/Cambrian Connection is not just one location. Its 2 locations seperated by the highway. I've combined it cuz well u ride em both. If u start at the bank then u usually end up at cambrian wen ya get bored. this area contains some pretty tech stuff, it has some walls, rails, 3 stair sets, a 2 set and 2 3 sets, 2 nice flat areas just for dicking around. In my opinion it's one of the best riding places in town. Chances are getting booted, slim to nil, I've never been kicked out by management or the police. Tho i have heard stories of kids getting nabbed, i believe them to be lies.
Location 2: I'm gonna combine this area to, its the animal hospital/french bank/alcohol and post office area. K this is a big area and offers alot for every level, and some trials stuff ^_^!. KK heres wats there, kk 5 set, rails, a lil ramp to get speed to manual the road, uhhh a mini drop, a lil lip for jumping, a ledge for dropping or hopping, at times the loading dock is down for dropping and hopping, theres a lil 3 set used mainly for side hopping ty style ^_~ and thats about it. I believe this is another place for beginners to ride. I like it and im sure they will too. Chances of getting pinched, high, I've been busted 3 times, not by the police. The postal workers are truly postal ^_^+ But yea, if ya don't get caught its a good place to ride.
Location 3: Domtar, the paper mill, the money zone. Its also the hardest place to ride, not because its tech, but because its secured to the tits. It's the only place with security, and the security enforces the law. U wanna kno wat they are keeping u from, the mintest stair sets and rails in town, aswell as a beauty flat spot for skaters. This area is considered semi-pro to pro...the stair sets are 4+ and the rails are high...and the top bars are now capped and un-rideable, unless ur some sorta pro mastermind that can ride capped rails. If u are, I want an autograph. Also huge fines come with getting caught, so i reccomend u dont get caught ^_^+.
Location 4:Espo Upolestry, GT and the rest of the center street strip is the biggest riding zone im gonna describe, mainly cuz its well just easier this way. Espo Upholstry contains a lil uhhh step area for jumping on and dropping off, not like a stair set but more like, well a drop. Also if ur daring, or stupid theres a lil roof drop, I've only seen it done twice, twas pretty cool. Rite next door there is GT all it has is a lil dirt jump created by urs truly and uhhh VENDING MACHINES ^________^ lol...uh easy place to measure ur manuals due to the parking lot-ness ^_~ ummm continuing on now we hit the strip. This will pretty much be just a normal riding area, benches to hop on, fences to ride, stores to stop and get lunch, also soon there will be some kickers built outta small dirt hills along the sidewalk. Some things that stand out are the Yolles area, which has a a nice lil step down, a road gap if ur daring, and a table-top/hip jump. I love busting no-footers off the hip and table-top. This huge location is rated Beginner to Semi-Pro. It gets boring after a while, but im sure u can get creative and mix it up.
U've probably noticed I'm mainly writing this from a bikers P.O.V., well I'll get my skater bro to write a skaters view for all those skaters that come to ride espo.
O.K Back to the locations and coming in at number 5 is the timmies/crappy tire strip. Starting at timmies, theres a nice half pipe type area, its really just a ditch, but yea lips can be built into it if ur daring enuff to try and hop out of it and say onto a picnic table. at Macdon's theres some curbs to ride up and manual across, aswell as a crazy step down over some rocks to the parking lot, bout a 15' gap. Next to that there is dairy queen, some curbs to hop around on, aswell as another step down rock gap, this one is huge and about 30'. Continuing down the strip there is the petro jump...lil kicker to flat landing, Brian landed his first 360 ehre and i bust off huge no-footers of it. then there is Winkels, has a nice box to hop onto, and a huge power box u can drop off, bout 4' to a small hill, 10' away from that is a higher cricle for hopping onto. Or u cud hop to manual it like ive seen a few riders do. Further down the strip is crappy tire, not much cept a weird wedge wall that has been used from everything like a wallride, to a lip, aswell as a sweet varying level step down. just dont get pinched by the employees. This last area is beginner to pro rating and slim to nil chance of getting busted.
Location 6 is The Track, set up by me and ty this is one of the only dirt jumping spots in town besides the ski hill. Currently it is not finished, give us another month of building and it will be done to rideable status. The track will never be finished truly. Its a pretty moderately difficult track, with huge hits and a nice lil 8 foot drop near the end of the track. There is no chance in gettting busted, but u gotta ride with a select few to ever find this place.
The final location is the Ski Hill. Its the only complete dirt jumping spot in espo.And it isnt that big, theres 2 big jumps and 2 lil jumps, a speed whoop set and a pretty nice table top. Oh and if ur daring u cud try and hit Jared's step up into the actual track, no one but him has hit it. But yea, its a nice place to dial in some tricks, the gaps arent that big, boout 5-6 feet, but u get some nice pop off them. I have hit all the jumps since they have been re done and i have to say they are nice, U cant get caught cuz ur not doing anything illegal, and its pretty beginner stuff so theres nuthing to worry about.
Pix coming soon of all the locations mentioned here. Thanx again, and plz look forward to a skater's P.O.V. of the riding scene in Espo.
