My Favorite Video on YouTube and the Lake Dolores (Rock–A–Hoola) Waterpark
To say that we all rely heavily on YouTube for entertainment is probably an understatement. Doing a quick Google search for "Top YouTube Videos by View Count" yields results that put the top videos in the billions of views. I personally don't even watch traditional TV or streaming services, but I do have a YouTube Premium account that I use daily.
YouTube is great for fresh content and even for staying up to date on industry news. Usually I'll watch tech videos, and I follow some niche personal finance and economics channels fairly regularly.
But, one niche I've never followed is skating. I am not a skateboarder, nor have I ever taken any interest in the hobby. I still don't.
But ten years ago, a video was released that to this day I still consider my favorite.
Set to Patrick Wilson's "Adventures In Your Own Backyard", Kilian Martin: Altered Route is as much a short film or a music video as it is a skating montage. And that's what makes the video fascinating.
The entirely of the video is filmed in the abandoned Lake Dolores Waterpark off I-15 in California. For a short form video, it quickly gives great context via a car ride on a dirt road with an actual, vintage commercial playing on the radio telling us where we are and what to expect.
As the radio fades and the melancholic music starts playing, we are shown some incredible establishing shots of an abandoned park with many theme park staples still around, down to the red and white checkered food trays on the ground. From here, the rest of the video is a skating performance that's more akin to a ballet than it is to "Tony Hawk Pro Skater." It's a unique and creative style that suits the accompanying music, setting and cinematography perfectly.
One call out that has to be made are the past-day/current-day transitions that show the park as it once was, compared to what it is now. These are fascinating in their own right, and really elevate the video as a whole.
As the music winds down and the sun sets, we're left to wonder if the video might even be worth a second viewing. It's an incredibly well made short film that was created with a clear vision in mind, was well storyboarded and executed perfectly. We may also wonder what happened to the water park and want more information.
On one of my road trips, I hadn't even actually planned to visit Lake Dolores. As it turns out, trekking from San Bernardino to the Grand Canyon, I noticed that my route took me fairly close to the Mojave National Preserve.
Remembering the into to the video, I wondered how close I would come to where the park was located, and if it would be feasible to stop by. Also as it turns out, stopping by the park would only be about an hour and a half delay. Having always wanted to see the park in person, it was an easy choice to make.
As stated in the intro of the video, even in the present day, the park is located in the middle of nowhere. Located just off the highway, it's small and unassuming enough that if you're not paying attention, you'll pass it up.
The park itself isn't difficult to get into. At the time of visiting, there wasn't a fence blocking the entrance, just some sizable rocks that are easy to climb over. The park itself is still fairly walkable. Since the filming of the YouTube video, there's a noticeable increase in graffiti which as much as I typically dislike it, it does add some character to the place.
After doing a bit of walking around, I decided to get my drone in the air to take a few aerial photos of the park.
I'm always really worried about being in isolated places (especially abandoned ones) by myself so I didn't get too bold with my walking around. I regret not checking out some of the slide areas and getting some shots of some of the iconic spots in the Kilian Martin video.
It was a pretty awesome and unexpected place to visit. Had it not been for the introductory sound clip used in the video, I probably would have never thought to see if it was nearby.