Yeah, I know the whole “FREE LOVE PARK” shit is done. Love is gone. Yeah, again I KNOW YOU CAN STILL SKATE IT…But you all know it’s not the same as it was in it’s heyday…
So what I am asking for you to dig into the memory banks and share something you saw at the infamous spot….
Do you remember?
HAVEBOARD NOTES: comments are limited to 1000 characters. Please break your stories up into multiple comments. This topic may go into Haveboard Issue 5. One day, I’ll post up issue 4 for you lurks to peep.
How funny, I was JUST editing the Wild in the Streets footy from two and a half years ago (haveboard throwbacks) at about 6am today. “FREE LOVE PARK, FREE LOVE PARK”.
One day…maybe.
i was there when pappalardo switch ollied the fountain. that was sick to watch him get closer and closer and then finally land it.
it was like a game, running from the cops. they’d rarely catch anybody because there would be so many kids skating.
Ki, I was there when pops was trying to switch flip into the fountain. Soooo close… Fat Bill yelled at you to put your camera away.
Where’s the footy, Ki? POACHER!!!
i was there when my board got jacked.
I have a copy of some little zine that mr. ed made a while ago with the story of the love park zombies in it.
Otherwise, I remember eating lunch there in business attire and watching skaters leave because they thought I was undercover.
I remember being 18, having just moved to Philadelphia from the middle of nowhere, and watching Rick Howard and Tony Ferguson playing a game of SKATE at Love. The rest of the Girl/Chocolate team was hanging out watching. I remember thinking, “This is the greatest place I’ve ever been in my life.”
If I have to pick one story I guess it’ll be the day I was there with Kerry, Kalis and Florentin “Flo” Marfaing. They were all skating the gap. Kerry was trying f/s half cab, Flo was landing on (but not riding away from) nollie f/s half cabs, and Kalis was so close to nollieing into the fountain. Yes you read that correctly, Kalis was skating the fountain gap.
As usual the bike cops show up and everyone runs, except Flo cause he’s from France and either didn’t know the deal or didn’t care. So Josh sticks around to talk to cops. So he’s standing talking with the bike cop at the top of the fountain, cop has Josh’s board and Flo is continuing to skate the gap. Josh just keeps telling the cop that the guy is from France and doesn’t speak a word of english. Flo would run back up the steps, wave to Josh and the cop, say something in French and just go at it again. This went on at least 3 or 4 times.
To wrap it up the cop gave Josh his board back and got Josh to get Flo and leave. It was a funny thing to see the cop completely clueless as to how to explain to this French guy that he can’t skate. It was a good day, and watching Josh skate the fountain gap gave me a new respect for that guys skating abilities.
People may hate on Ki, but you have to hand it to him on this awesome post, encouraging EVERYONE to participate. DO, your story is HILARIOUS!
Sub Zero had this huge contest planned and it snowed. I was like 19 and going to the art institute. I went down to love with a shovel that I stole from the wawa i used to work at. I was by my self and Fred Gall walked up and asked me what was up. I told him I was gonna try to make the contest happen and he got stoked, showed up with like 5 other dudes and we got rid of the snow. The next day that contest where Vinnie P. ollied into the fountain went down.
The ledges would spark. That was awesome. I guess they still spark, then.
I DID in fact film Pap’s switch kickflip. Fat Bill told me to put my camera away, but I told Pap’s I wouldn’t post this anywhere. Which I didn’t. I still haven’t posted it. He came SOOOO close.
I did show it to Reynold’s one night, and the next day, he made the frontside flip. I guess it got him sparked.
I also filmed all that stuff in the DC video where the kid is getting grabbed my the cops. There was more to it than that. I may post it someday.
I used to be real self conscious about skating in front of people so I would just go there and film people instead. And that’s just some of the goodies I ended up with.
Remember the Asian kid that used to do primo slides all over the place? Now THOSE were some serious sparks.
I remember skipping school in 7th and 8th grade I would throw my board out the window meet the boys at fkd terminal, had a change of clothes (catholic school bitch) and 5 bucks. Just meeting so many people I still kick it with today it was crazy…
And yo don’t lie the x-games was dope too… Just skating Municipal with 1000 people around was fun
I remember my Mom dropping me off there for the day when I was like 10. From West Chester.
My friend in 8th grade brought a tazzer with him,cause he thought he’d get jacked. Only to taze himself reaching in his pocket.
Watching two bums fuck in the fountain when they used to have those gay ass hippie drum circles there.
I surpressed the rest of those memories!
I was down Love the day Jeremy Wray attempted the frontside 360. The day was redic. So many dudes were throwing bangers.
Wray backside 180’ed the gap first try, then just went at it for the 360. Must have came close to landing and slipped out 4 or 5 times. So close.
Cairo Foster even went at the gap, but landed to face plant on the first ollie.
We used to take the capital bus from Pottstown to the city at least twice a month. I was about 15 or 16 at the time(1995-1996). We go from the bus station straight to love. Heads would always be there ripping shit. I remember one time grabbing some food at wawa alway hooking Ottis ( i think that was his name) up with some grandma’s cookies and headed back to love. I watch Scott Johnson trying to get this line while i eat. I remember a nollie flip back 50 in the middle of the line. I thought dam i suck. Those were the days….
about ’94, coming into the city when most heads were still rolling on small ass wheels. Jerry Fisher was cruising around the fountain trying to sell some 51mm Spitfires. I thought they were dope (I was never tech anyways). I asked to see ’em but I only had 6 bucks and a trolley token. Jerry let me have the brand new set for 6$, I was hyped. My friends thought I was fucking crazy to ride wheels that big. 13 years later and I’m rolling on some 51s today. Thanks Jerry!
I was there the day Kalis was trying to nollie the fountain too. I always thought if he made it that would have been the sickest trick yet down the gap (until the infamous bs 360). I was also there the day Wenning was catching switch heels down it. But I gotta say my fondest memories of Love Park are Stevie just hanging out smokin blunts of the dirtiest dirt ( you could smell the seeds throughout the park) and just filming lines killin everything. He’s one of the best dudes he could just do lines for days. Natural talent.
My love park memories. ME and Carvin Marvin would go to Westies on Sunday nights. Eat wings and get drunk after FDR. I’d never been to Love before, this was close to the time they’re goin to shut it down. Fuck it ya know gotta go. Ollied down the steps. boardslid every easy ledge. Busted out my mad banger yo, ollied up the ledge around the fountain to fs 180 out. Shit was dope. Even had my board go in the fountain once. We did this maybe 3 more times before it got shut down. I think it’ll be back one day. Probably be awhile. Keep hope alive. Anyways all the pros in this area could go way out in the sticks, buy a bunch of land and build they’re own replica. But they’ll never think of that. GIT R DONE
you caqn still skate love. and film there too. last time i was there was like 3 weeks ago. you have to go in the early morning hours i went at like 3am. i only do it once in a while but its so worth it its LOVE park its sick skating the city and LOVE at liek 3am
proved your worth more on the get away sometimes.Those cops were and are ruthless.Eye out for bike cops,most able to give chase.