20190811 Walsh Mexico 13
22 Apr 2020

NO OPEN POCKET WAS SAFE - MY TRAVELS WITH COREY WALSH

Words and photos by Rob Dolecki

vans flying v clean

By Rob Dolecki | Article originally published in DIG issue 99.99 December 2019

The week prior to the 2019 Vans Pro Cup Mexico stop, Corey Walsh flew out to Philly for a few days. I live a very domesticated home life, so it wasn’t really about doing a tour of all the bars in my neighborhood. Riding, particularly FDR, was the main objective. (Thanks to Derek Adams, we also got in a session at the new Castle Bam bowl, which was built for Corey’s super- sonic speed). FDR had been on Walsh’s bucket list for a minute now.

And man, what a sight it was to see a hyped-up Corey set two wheels on that concrete. It’s no exaggeration when saying I’ve never seen anyone ride that place the way he did, even on his first day there ever. No open pocket was safe; some moves and transfers that had been joked about over the years were ticked off casually. It was quite a show to witness, to say the least. (You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of it in Corey’s upcoming “Fast & Loose” section, and an upcoming Maintain video)

https://shop.digbmx.com/collections/all-clothing
20190810 Walsh Fdr Bams 21

One of multiple FDR open pockets Walsh repeatedly slayed in typical Corey style, as the Deathstar looms in the background. DOLECKI PHOTO

20190809 Walsh Fdr Bams 10

Corey at Castle Bam. DOLECKI PHOTO

We both left Philly and went down to Mexico City a few days before the Pro Cup started to stay with Oscar Sanchez, a longtime friend of mine, (plus Mr. Joe Rich also joined us), with one main objective - to knock one spot off my list: Parque Estatal Flor del Bosque in Puebla. I first found out about this skatepark during another Mexico trip a few years ago, right after it was constructed. All of the photos and video clips of that place looked bizarrely intriguing, with features like no other I’ve ever seen at any other park. Due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to go visit then. But I knew next time I was in the region, I had to go.

20190812 Walsh Mexico 21
20190812 Walsh Mexico17

One of the wildest objects, at one of the most bizarre parks ever created. Five holes high on the Parque Estatal Flor del Bosque Lotus clam shell. DOLECKI PHOTO

If the phrase “Photos don’t do it justice” cliché fits anywhere, it’s this skatepark.

- Rob Dolecki

If the phrase “Photos don’t do it justice” cliché fits anywhere, it’s this skatepark. Seeing this anomaly in person was even more wild than I could have imagined. There was literally nothing cookie cutter about it, for better or worse. I can go on and on about this park. Weird pump track lines with canals under boat hull/shovel spade-looking type of quarters, the spiral vortex, and of course the MASSIVE flower clam shell, complete with multiple holes shaped into the top half. At first glance it looks like whoever designed it took a bunch of acid while drawing it up. After realizing the name “Carlos Carsolio” is engraved in both the skatepark clam shell, and random sculpture pieces dotted around the city park, our conclusion was that some sculpture artist was behind the design and construction. It definitely looked a lot better than it rode, due to not-in-a-good-way quirky transitions and flat bottoms, and creaky concrete (the clam shell made some scary crunching sounds every time Corey ripped around it), but so worth it to experience. Though, after a week of riding this park and figuring out how to manage the bizarreness, who knows, maybe it might have a lot more to it than meets the uninitiated eye. Imagine what could be achieved if this Carlos combined his design vision with a proper skatepark building company - the result would be insane.

20190811 Walsh Mexico04

Last licks before Nightfall, and food poisoning sets in. DOLECKI PHOTO

A few days after our excursion to Puebla, right as the Pro Cup was getting underway in Mexico City, Corey, Joe, and I all came down with a heavy bout of food (or more likely, water) poisoning that had us all shut down for at least a day or so, and took the wind out of Corey’s sails for the rest of the comp. If being confined to the edge of a toilet bowl for 24 hours was the price to pay for experiencing that crazy skatepark, it was more than worth it. - RD

20190917 California Sf La 005

Van life - Corey back at home. DOLECKI PHOTO

Previous

A STORY OF BMX & PUNK DISCOVERY IN FLORIDA

Profile's Tampa Neighborhood Crawl

Next

BREAK(ING) GLASGOW - BSD X ODYSSEY

Looking back at ten days of actual dream team madness

Related Content

Fast  Loose Corey Walsh Full Pipe Loop 1

FAST & LOOSE

Shredders shredding the Pacific Northwest

16 Nov 2017
Dig 99 99 Issuu

DIG MAGAZINE ISSUE 99.99 NOW ONLINE

2019 in Photos & The DIG Awards

8 Apr 2020
Corey Walsh Loop Baldy Award

Corey Walsh - Our DIG 2018 'Rider Of The Year'

A roasting hot breath of fresh air

28 Dec 2018
Boyd Hilder Mexico 2019 Rob Dolecki 0056
Play Button

DIG Raw - VANS Pro Cup - Mexico City 2019

All the wild action, from Best Whip to Best Trick...

20 Aug 2019
Image Dig 99 99 Awards 2Wide

NEW DIG BOOK OUT NOW! - Issue 99.99

A 2019 Photo Journal & Much More

23 Dec 2019
Jwatts Carbondale Lookback

GIVE IT HELL! Fast & Loose in Colorado

Deep and steep, straight up the guts...

1 Aug 2019
https://us.bsdforever.com/collections/bsd-revolution/products/revolution-hub

Latest Content

Y49a2k3 Hg5 Ehqdefault
Play Button

Strangeways Volume 6 - Full Video - 2025

50 minutes of pure street action

24 Jul 2025
Lh Se TO4u56khqdefault
Play Button

Alex Donnachie 'EDIT' | BSD

12 Minutes of Mind-Melters

24 Jul 2025
Zr ASP6 H1id Uhqdefault
Play Button

DAY 1 - BMX DAY by OUR BMX / CASH UP | SAN DIEGO

Clairemont, San Diego

23 Jul 2025
Shirt swell k0150m back

Product Drop - KINK 2025 APPAREL

For Fall/Winter

23 Jul 2025
M 3gg E4 Bbzshqdefault
Play Button

BOYD HILDER - JETLAG

The first in a four part series from Monster Energy

23 Jul 2025
Ox Q Bwp U9o Yhqdefault
Play Button

OUR TRIES

Felix Prangenberg, Moritz Rieger, Kilian Roth, and Bruno Hoffmann

23 Jul 2025
KADY3y WL3j Ihqdefault
Play Button

LA Bangers with Mike Hoder

Reminiscing with No.1

23 Jul 2025
J zp25 Mv3fchqdefault
Play Button

MadManTing - Lisboa 2025

Portugal adventures

22 Jul 2025
U9 E37 A9npj Ihqdefault
Play Button

STILL HAVING FUN

HEAVY HITTING FULL LENGTH FROM COLONY

22 Jul 2025
I4rla Gdk L14hqdefault
Play Button

RHEIN/MAIN GRINDTIME 2025

Frankfurting

20 Jul 2025
Lj I3 JCP Uk T Qhqdefault
Play Button

Odyssey BMX - PERRIS Bar

Benegas Bars!

20 Jul 2025
Yh VD3 U S4 Qhqdefault
Play Button

KINK 2026 BIKES

New completes

19 Jul 2025

DIG Partner stores

More Features

Street Station Lyon 25 mcgrath 70

BMX Street Station 2025 x 'CASH UP' PHOTO JOURNAL

The Bros Bike Store is back to take over Lyon yet again!

16 Jun 2025
Swampfest 2025 mcgrath 9

Photo Journal: Swampfest 2025

Mud, sweat and beers.

26 Mar 2025
Manny Kilpack Elf Handoff Ektar100 35

SHAWN 'ELF' WALTERS & THE MAKING OF 'DOUBLE OR NOTHING'

"As long as I’m healthy and into it, I see no reason to slow down."

17 Mar 2025
SS 2025 digbmx mcgrath 37

Simple Session 2025 – In Photos

Celebrating 25 years strong!

14 Mar 2025
Francina 03 RGB Raisa Abal

HIGH FLYERS - AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANCINA FERNANDEZ

"Little Francina would not believe everything that is happening now in my life."

13 Mar 2025
Jack Miller vans intrv leader

HIGH FLYERS - AN INTERVIEW WITH JACK MILLER

"One time I took the day off school and went to the skatepark and snapped my knee..."

24 Feb 2025
Yanosharches 1 sur 1

HIGH FLYERS - AN INTERVIEW WITH JANOSCH KLAUS

"My close friends inspired me the most."

21 Jan 2025
Will and NJ

BMX AFTER 30 - The Hard Dad Jam

"Watching old friends step into the unknown..."

8 Jan 2025
Mankind Catalog Cover jpg
2024 E FISE WOLVERHAMPTON 0009

E-FISE Wolverhampton - In Photos

6 teams and one untapped UK city

3 Oct 2024
KG drone shot

KEEPING IT LOCAL - 20 YEARS OF KELVINGROVE SKATEPARK

Happy Birthday to our local Glasgow park.

18 Sep 2024
Jamie Pipe Tribe

A Brave New World - The history of KHE Bikes, Part 2

Taiwan, a pornstar, and innovation in a can

18 Apr 2024