Gnarcherfield Skatepark Jam - Rain Hail or Shine
Archerfield Skatepark on Brisbane's southside is a smaller park that features some odd-shaped quarter pipes, a great flat ledge, a fun box with a rail and well, that's about it. Located in an industrial estate often frequented by Falcons and Commodores doing burnouts (we were treated with a few on the day) it also has a seemingly endless supply of pallets and building materials that would otherwise be thrown away. The suburb of Archerfield has a car racing track, a light aircraft airport, a legitimate burnout pad and of course a pretty average skatepark. Given the area's weird vibe between industrial and residential, it’s no wonder it’s played host to a few BMX events in the past, including a LUX jam!
We decided it was time to do it all over again, so we got the crew together and headed down to Archerfield for the 2nd (almost) annual Gnarcherfield Jam. When you host a jam there are a million different ways you could go about it, but the one thing that remains consistent is that you don’t want rain! Inevitably it rained right as things kicked off, but in true BMX fashion, we handled it and made the most out of a wet situation.
Starting with a skid comp for anyone that was keen to get a little wet and sideways, riders of all ages got involved with some of the younger shredders proving handy on the back brake. After everyone had almost gone through their rear tyres, the obstacle course was set up and a few keen dudes got to work on trying to make their way through the slippery mixture of rails and pallets. Mitch Campbell saw something he liked and made short work of making it through. A man who never misses a QLD BMX jam, Travis Doyle (aka Snapper) got in next and while everyone hid from the rain, Snapper continuously sent it and crashed over and over again, providing tonnes of entertainment for everyone, thanks Snapper!
As the rain started to clear and the sun started to warm up the park, about half of the original crowd was still around to shred the wallride and box jump we DIY’d earlier, but before we could do anything, it was time to give away a Wethepeople Curse 20” complete bike! Everyone put their heads together and all agreed that one young dude that didn’t stop shredding in the rain the whole entire time and really making the most out of the day deserved the bike. Well done Jackson Simons on the new bike man, we know you’ll be out there shredding on it!
After firing up the blowers and getting to work on the brooms, the park started to get pretty dry making for a nice chilled afternoon session. It’s those moments where you really can’t explain BMX to people who don’t ride.. a solid crew taking laps at the wallride as the sun slowly sunk below the tree lines and everyone headed home for the night.
Huge thanks to Bellmott beverages for keeping everyone hydrated all day, Wethepeople and BMX International for providing the giveaway bike and everyone that came along and enjoyed hanging in the rain!
Hope to see you all at the next one.
Enjoy this recap video of the day for anyone that missed it!
