PARCUR Chapultepec | Skateboarding Historical past


Aerial shot of the impressive new skatepark PARCUR Chapultepec.

Picture: Unknown

Taking a visit over to Mexico Metropolis and we will likely be a contemporary skate park that was accomplished throughout 2022 known as PARCUR Chapultepec. Positioned within the third quadrant of the Chapultepec Park. Now don’t let the truth that this place was completed final 12 months idiot you into pondering that it holds minimal historical past, as the encircling space is residence to a really attention-grabbing story that goes again just a few many years beginning in 1979. So let’s take a step again in time and recount that historical past of two iconic companies that used to carry residence on the place this skatepark now lies at the moment. That is the story of Atlantis and El Rollo.

Atlantis and El Rollo, are often referred to nowadays as simply Atlantis, but Atlantis was two separate companies. El Rollo was a waterpark that was opened throughout 1979, that consisted of a variety of various waterslides and an enormous wave pool that was powered by hydraulic motors. Atlantis was later constructed throughout 1981 and it was a Dolphinarium that allowed the general public to rise up shut with a variety of sea animals, together with dolphins, seals and sea lions. Stacked with plenty of swimming pools and large open areas for households, these two companies had been thriving locations for households and vacationers in the course of the 80’s and 90’s. Of their peak years, each companies may have mixed over 3,500 guests per day. So that they each had been very fashionable.

Now because the years moved on, there have been plenty of unhealthy administrative selections and the decline of recognition for each these locations led to low attendance and each Atlantis and El Rollo, closed their doorways throughout 2007. Shocking that they lasted even that lengthy, many waterparks in the course of the late 90’s ended up closing. One such instance we cowl in Episode 2 surrounding the notorious Moist Willys waterslide in Fenton MO.

Now, the closure was very speedy in consequence Atlantis was deserted and majority of the ocean animals ended up being trapped inside and uncared for. Fortunately the general public had been up in arms about these animals being left and eventually they had been rescued and positioned in one other facility, hopefully in higher situations than they noticed at Atlantis. Like many of those locations over the many years, there have been tales of animal abuse and neglect.

So as soon as deserted each locations fell into disrepair, now the third quadrant of Chapultepec Park is sort of remoted in itself. For these of you who usually are not conversant in Mexico Metropolis, this space is a big place that does appeal to many vacationers as in different quadrants there are numerous museums, gardens and so forth which might be in fixed use. But the third quadrant is off the grid and does have extra of an notorious status. So throughout their closure Atlantis and El Rollo, would now appeal to extra folks that had been desirous to drink and get together, it was seen to be fairly harmful and we’ve got learn tales about individuals who had been visiting the deserted parks that had some shut encounters with some sketchy folks. We additionally learn that there are tales of this place being utilized in witchcraft, so possibly not the kind of place you wish to be caught up in at evening, thats for certain. In order the years progressed, all of the slides grew to become very dilapidated and the swimming pools dried up with only a shallow memory of polluted waters. The buildings began to crumble and the whole place grew to become riddled with graffiti and trash.

In the course of the 2000’s after closure, Atlantis and El Rollo grew to become a vacation spot for travellers all in favour of its deserted setup. So it’s featured in plenty of movies on YouTube and there are additionally lots of pictures taken from each locations. That is really how I found them, and can give a shout out to the location Pink Plankton, for sparking my curiosity in Atlantis and El Rollo. So the primary picture that caught my eye was of El Rollo and it’s a photograph of certainly one of their bigger waterslides that just about seem like some kind of octopus and its tentacles are intertwined, main right down to this dried up splash pool, with a skinny layer of virtually poisonous water left in it. The splash pool is roofed in graffiti so we perceive why folks would wish to go and test these locations out, as a result of they did look actually cool and mysterious.

Abandoned waterslides at Atlantis Mexico City.

Picture: Jessica Devnani

One of many first issues we thought of when seeing simply this array of swimming pools and in addition the huge wave pool was if it had been adopted by skaters, which is why we ended up wanting into this place. We learn in just a few articles that in the course of the 2000’s it was a spot that did appeal to skate boarders, but there was no proof of this.

Huge abandoned wave pool, Atlantis Mexico City.

Picture: Jessica Devnani

Empty pool at Atlantis Mexico City.

Picture: Jessica Devnani

So we began Googling it and needed to see what it appeared like from Google Maps. As soon as we managed to find it, to our shock protecting the whole grounds the place each Atlantis and El Rollo as soon as stood, was now an enormous skatepark, known as PARCUR Chapultepec. So mainly, this complete space underwent redevelopment as part of a nature and tradition mission, with the purpose of clearing up this space and bringing folks again to the third quadrant.

Aerial photo of PARCUR Chapultepec skatepark, Mexico City.

Aerial from 2023

Aerial of Atlantis Mexico City from 2009.

Aerial from 2009

The result’s fairly wonderful, there are quite a few bowls for all completely different ranges, together with rookies. Enormous flat areas to skate which have all been very well tailored into the structure of each Atlantis and El Rollo, you may see how they’ve used areas of the wave pool and a few animal swimming pools into the development of the park. One part resembles the outside auditorium the place you’d have seen the dolphin reveals, sort of appears to be like like a small amphitheatre. At any fee it’s actually cool and wonderful that they’ll put time and power right into a mission like this! It was completed throughout 2022 so the skatepark may be very new and already appears to be like prefer it has achieved its purpose with bringing folks again to this space in a optimistic means, There may be additionally plenty of gardens and playgrounds which might be additionally setup right here, which is a big enchancment from what it appeared like earlier than.

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