The dull thud of ribs smacking chipboard from a 9ft drop is one of those sounds you feel in your guts.
So when Passion Park coach Josh Brown hits the deck after wiping out off the indoor skate park’s biggest ramp, there’s a collective intake of breath.
Onlookers turn to one another, open-mouthed: Is he OK?
“I’m good!” wheezes Josh, 27, as the air that was knocked out of him finds its way back in.
Standing up with a groan, he keeps a toothy smile plastered on as he rolls calmly back to the top end of the skatepark.
Only when out of sight of his young audience does he fold over and screw his face up in a silent scream.
His girlfriend and fellow coach, Cat Ross, has come to check he’s alright.
“Yeah,” he chuckles, as she inspects the already-blooming bruise, “I’ll be paying for that tomorrow.”
“Worth it, though.”
Less than five minutes later, he’s back out on the park helping the youngsters that look up to their coaches like idols.
“Was that sore, Josh?!” pipes up one young skater.
“Nah, not really,” Josh lies, winking over his head at the adults in the bay. Then, sincerely: “Everybody falls, it’s OK.”
This is the vibe here at Passion Park: go for it, fall, laugh, go again.
‘Massive relief’ to get Passion Park open
I’ve come down this morning with photographer Steve Brown to capture what it’s like on a Saturday at Dundee’s only indoor skatepark.
After several years of hurdles and “relentless” delays, owners Lewis Allan and Scott Young finally opened the doors to Passion Park in January 2025.
“It’s a massive relief to finally have it open after all these years,” says Lewis, who is there to greet us when we arrive.
“Seeing it all come together, it’s brilliant. We just wanted to create a real community space.”
The outside of Passion Park is hard to miss. Splodges of cool, graffiti-inspired purple paint decorate the white industrial unit.
The entryway, stuffed with skating paraphernalia, is deceptively small.
Beyond is a tall, airy space filled with movable obstacles, wooden ramps and a concrete area perfect for skateboards, roller-skates, BMXs and scooters.
There’s also a cosy chill-out nook with windows into the park, where visitors can hang out and watch.
“It was really busy for the first couple of months when we opened,” Lewis continues.
“Now coming into summer, it’ll be a bit quieter – that’s just how it goes with indoor skate parks.”
No fear of falling in supportive skate scene
Then sun may be shining, but Passion Park is far from quiet.
On weekend mornings, the park hosts its beginner sessions for kids, and there’s at least a dozen young skaters here with their families in tow.
Liam Lindsay, 7, is here for the first time after getting a scooter for his birthday yesterday.
But dad Brian’s been left with the scooter, as after half an hour, Liam’s a skater now.
“I’m not scared to fall, I fell many times on my bike and my scooter,” says Liam proudly, already attempting a small ramp on his board.
Brian credits the “phenomenal” staff for getting Liam feeling confident on a board after just 10 minutes.
Meanwhile he’s feeling nostalgic for his own skating days.
“Me and my pals used to skate a lot, up the back of Angus,” he smiles. “I’m saying to myself now, maybe I want to get back into it.”
Can adult beginners skate at Passion Park?
Though this is a kids session, Lewis tells me there is already a thriving community of adult skaters of various abilities at Passion Park.
“We see more adults in the evenings, and kids on the weekend mornings,” he explains.
“We have our adult beginner sessions on Tuesdays from 6-8pm, which can be good if you’re just starting out or a bit rusty.
“And on Thursday nights we have our girls sessions, for girls of any age and skill level to come and support each other.
“Honestly it’s such a friendly atmosphere, with more experienced skaters happy to help newer ones learn.
“Skating has always been like that in Dundee.”
Girl power on wheels
Sisters Abigail, 8, and Zoe, 5, from Errol are proudly flying the flag for girl skaters today.
I watch Abigail make it most of the way up a ramp before bailing, completely unfazed by her fall.
“They’ve been here three or four times, we just popped in to see what it was like,” says dad James. “It was really fun so we gave it a go, and here we are.”
What is it like for parents at Passion Park?
Sam Hillson, 9, is here from St Andrews with sister Annie 5, and mum Claire, 39.
For Sam, the best part is “learning to do tricks”, while Annie is still deciding whether she prefers skating the ramps or using them as a slide.
No one minds. Aside from an emphasis on safety, there’s no enforced structure or stringent coaching here.
Lewis, Josh and Cat are on hand to give skaters guidance and help them practice, and everyone I speak to raves about the quality of teaching.
Like Scott Fraser, 35, who is dad to twins Bray and Jax, 7.
“Through the winter we’d go to outdoor skateparks round Dundee, but we really felt we were lacking something inside,” he says.
“So we’ve been coming here since they opened. The guys here are really good with them.”
Skate part is ‘safe space’ for Dundee kids
The kids are also incredibly supportive to one another – the air is filled with little shouts of “you’ve got it!”, “don’t be scared!” – which is something the Passion Park crew have intentionally fostered.
“A lot of kids that come here have tried loads of sports and nothing’s stuck until they tried skating,” says coach Cat, 27.
“At the beginning, they were all quite shy and kept to themselves. But now we’ve got them to chat and make friends.
“We just want to make sure these local kids all know they’ve always got a safe place. It’s exactly what this community was needing.”
Cat herself started skateboarding age 22, after persuading boyfriend Josh to teach her during lockdown.
Her advice for adults thinking of getting (literally) on board?
“Go for it! Even if you’re scared, just do it anyway. You’re not made of glass.
“And it’s the most fun, rewarding thing you can do.”
Passion Park is open 10am-10pm Monday to Friday, and 9am-10pm Saturday and Sunday.
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