Clube Doze is located in Florianópolis Brazil and was inspired by Skatercross skatepark in LA, this spot was chosen for its steep downhill run and natural rock structure. The local community wanted to make this park unique, a different layout than most snakeruns that were present in the world at the time. The track flows from a steep downhill formation, with a range of elbows that lead towards a final bowl section at the end of the track. Most of the manoeuvres were done on the upper part of the track, which was on the slope of a hill of about 30 degrees. The track was a beast to handle with the sheer speed generated along with the tight corners gave it a formidable reputation. “Cuidado Perigo” was the name of one of the corners, which translated to “careful danger”.
History of the Clube Doze Snakerun
This place was a truly historic skate park for the history of skateboarding in Brazil. The snake run held two national contests in both 1978 and 1979, which was the first event to bring together the various skate teams from around the country. As skateboarding was quite segregated at this time throughout Brazil, this track was the first time many skaters could connect and share their flair and style, which was hugely influential for the growth of skateboarding.
During the 1980s, surfing and football continued to increase in popularity and the interest in skateboarding declined. From the time it was built in 1978 onwards no maintenance was done on the snakerun and the deterioration set in. The run was used infrequently during the 80s, yet the same attention and crowd that the track used to generate was incomparable. During the 1980’s vert became popular and wooden half-pipes were developed in other parts of the community, driving away more skaters from the track. During 1989 however a cement halfpipe was built at the end of the run and used during a few competitions later that year, it was also ridden by a young Bob Burnquist. Despite the successful rebirth with a few competitions that followed, the snakerun continued to fall into disrepair.
During the 90s street took over and the half-pipes use became less and less. The bottom flat area was still used during the 90’s with rails and ramps setup, yet most recently the snakerun has become un-rideable, with large cracks in the concrete and the majority of the snakerun being overgrown with weeds, it is a sad sight to see a park of this significants left in this state.
A documentary was created during 2011 which outlines the history of the track. It is in Portuguese, yet you can toggle on English subtitles and is well worth a watch.
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