Skatepark
A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment for skateboarders, BMXers, and inline skaters to ride and develop their sport and art. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, handrails, trick boxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, stairs, and any number of other trick-oriented objects.
Skateparks may be privately owned or publicly owned. Privately owned skateparks usually have admission fees, while publicly owned skateparks generally charge no entrance fee. Many privately owned skateparks are indoors, usually in warehouses, roller rinks or buildings with tall ceilings, especially in areas of the world with snowy winters. Public skateparks are almost always outdoors.
History
Skateparks first emerged in 1976, and were primarily private, for-profit endeavors, although several public parks were built. Parks of that time included pools, bowls, snake runs, freestyle areas, banked slalom areas, half-pipes, and full pipes. Most were built of concrete and were located outdoors, although in more extreme climates indoor parks were built.
None of the private parks of the 1970s remain, with the notable exception of Kona Skatepark in Florida, United States. Many of that country's public parks remain, such as Derby Park in Santa Cruz, California. Most of the parks of that era were poorly designed and built by "get-rich-quick" type businespeople who wanted to make money from skateboarding. The best parks, such as the Upland Pipeline, designed by skateboarders and carefully built, survived well into the 80's, until they were overrun by escalating land values that made their survival less profitable than if their sites were to be turned into shopping centers or condominiums. Outrageous liability insurance premiums made possible by the fears of enormous lawsuits also were a contributing factor in the decline of the original skateparks.
Modern skatepark design can be traced back to Portland, Oregon, in 1990, with the commencement of the Burnside Project, a DIY "barge build" sited underneath one end of the Burnside Bridge. Skateboarders took an area that was populated primarily by what the city would call "undesirable elements" and created a skatepark there, slowly building one section at a time. That process came to be known as "design/build" (DB), and is characteristic of nearly all the best skateparks in existence today. The design/build process makes sure that adjacent skatepark features are harmonious and rideable, allowing skateboarders to create endless "lines" to ride among the many elements extant in the design.
The modern public skatepark is a relatively new creation, made possible by legislation stating that skateboarding is an inherently "hazardous activity", and therefore municipalities and their employees may not be held liable for claims of negligence resulting in skateboarders' injuries.
In recent years, estimates have it that a new skatepark opens somewhere every three days.
Controversy
With its history of fringe social acceptance, skateboarders have only recently gained significant legitimacy. Still, there is no shortage of controversy surrounding skateboarding.
Many urban areas face widespread property damage caused by skateboarding and some have addressed the problem by creating skateparks. However, the design and materials used often leads to heated discussions within the skateboarding community.
Though once there existed a some friction between inline skaters and other skatepark users, the small number of inline skaters at skateparks does not tend to contribute to crowding or collisions. BMX bikes, on the other hand, are the subject of a great deal controversy within skatepark communities due to safety and skatepark maintenance issues.
Notable skateparks around the world
- Stockwell Skatepark - South London, UK
- Louisville Extreme Park - Louisville, Kentucky
- Livingston Skatepark, Scotland. Created at the end of the 1970's, 'Livvy' was the first of a new generation of concrete parks. The brainchild of Iain Urquhart the chief architect for the local council and the chairman of the Scottish Skateboard Association, Urquhart managed to gain funding for the park by creating a multi-sport complex comprising of a fitness trail, climbing wall, kayak launching area and the skatepark. Having been to California and seen the parks there, Urquhart was able to create a revolutionary facility. Comprising a half pipe with flat bottom, a large banked area and a double bowl, the 'Rock and Roll' (because of the climbing wall and park) has outlasted its creator, who died shortly after its opening. It has been extended and coping added to the pool.
- Paris Skatepark is a skateboarding and inline skatepark, located behind the Syl App's Arena in Paris, Ontario, Canada. The Paris skate park was hastily constructed in August of 1998, largely because of continuing antagonisms between local skateboaders, the Paris Police, and private property owners who had expressed numerous liability concerns. The Paris Skatepark is approximately 5000 square feet (470 m²) of ashphalt terrain, and is complemented with both steel and wooden ramps. A large tree provides shade for the southern portion of the park during the day.
- Missoula Skatepark - The Missoula Skatepark Association (MSA) is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt US organization of local skateboarders in Missoula, Montana who are in the process of building free, concrete, public skateparks in the Missoula area. The MSA is committed to constructing safe and positive places where skaters of all ages can build confidence and self worth. Phase 1 of the first MSA skatepark is currently under construction (spring 2006).
- FDR Skatepark - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Skate Plaza is a venture by pro skater Rob Dyrdek. It differs from most previous skateparks in that it eschews halfpipes and bowls in favor of a streetscape environment. The first Skate Plaza opened in 2005 in Dyrdek's hometown of Kettering, Ohio. A second park opened in Shreveport, Louisiana in March 2006.
- Shaw Millenium Skatepark- One the world's largest outdoor skateparks. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
External links
- SkateOregon - A resource for Oregon public concrete parks.
- Skaters for Public Skateparks
- Free Skateparks - Worldwide Skatepark Directory
- Livingston Skate Park Website
- California Skate Park Coalition Website