From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skatepark
Skatepark
obstacles, but in the long run they require fewer repairs and less maintenance.[1]
History
Skatepark in Davis, California. A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment for Skateboarders, BMX riders, and rollerbladers to ride and develop their technique. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, stairsets, and any number of other objects. Skateparks were originally designed for skateboarding, but have evolved to support mainly roller bladers and BMX riders. Skateboarding and BMX riding have been known to create safety issues if done at the same time, leading some skateparks to ban BMX riding. There are many skateparks that are an exception to that rule and even several exclusively "bikes only" parks have been built. An example would be Espee Bike Park in Chandler, AZ. Skateparks may be privately or publicly owned. Privately owned skateparks usually have admission fees, while publicly owned skateparks are generally free. Many privately owned skateparks are indoors, usually in warehouses, roller rinks or buildings with high ceilings, especially in areas with snowy winters. Public skateparks are usually outdoors. Concrete parks, now "pretty much the industry standard", according to an editor of Transworld Skateboarding magazine, concrete parks can cost three times as much to build as parks with ramps and wooden
BMX rider in Ontario, Canada Skateparks first emerged in the 1970s, and were primarily private, for-profit endeavors, although several public parks were built globally. Parks then included pools, bowls, snake runs, freestyle areas, banked slalom areas, half-pipes, and full pipes. Most were concrete and were outdoors In more extreme climates parks were built indoors, often of wood. None of the private parks of the 1970s remain, with the notable exception of Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Many of that country’s public parks remain, such as Derby Park in Santa Cruz, California. Most of that era’s parks were poorly designed, being built by business people seeking a quick profit. Better parks, such as Upland, California’s Pipeline, designed by skateboarders and carefully built, survived into the 80’s, until escalating land values made their sites vulnerable to
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
development. Exorbitant liability insurance premiums also contributed to the demise of the original skateparks. Modern skatepark design can be traced back to 1990, with the commencement of the Burnside Skatepark, a DIY "barge build" beneath the Burnside Bridge, in Portland, Oregon. Skateboarders used an area populated primarily by the city’s "undesirable elements" to create a skatepark, building one section at a time. The process is called "design/build" (D/B), and is a characteristic of nearly all the best skateparks today. The design/build process ensures that adjacent skatepark features are harmonious and rideable, allowing skateboarders to create endless "lines" to ride among the many features. The modern public skatepark is relatively new, made possible by legislation such as California’s 1998 law stating that skateboarding is an inherently "Hazardous Recreational Activity" (HRA), and therefore municipalities and their employees may not be held liable for claims of negligence resulting in skateboarders’ injuries. Parks are usually for persons 14 or over.
Skatepark
the skateboarding community. But if they had a skatepark they wouldn’t damage property and get hurt as much.
Common obstacles
• Quarter pipes – Literally, quarter of a pipe - riders air from it and perform tricks in the air or on a platform above the ramp or drop in on it to gain speed. • Spines – Two quarter pipes back to back. • Flat banks – These can vary in angle but are simply a angled wall for which to ride on. • Wall rides/vert walls – A vertical wall above either quarter pipes or flat banks. • Mini ramps– Two small quarter pipes facing one another, like a halfpipe, but with a short flat area between. • Hips – Essentially two quarter pipes or flat banks, each with one edge at a right angle or a more aggressive angle to the other. • Funboxes – A steep quarter pipe like lip with a deck extending to a landing often less steep than the lip. • Pyramids – A four way wedge or transition box. • Launches – A curved ramp that launches the rider into the air, like a quarter pipe, but less steep. • Roll-ins – A long sloping ramp. Also used to refer to very tall ramps (15+ feet). • Euro – A ramp where the platform drops like a step to a flat ramp.
Notable skateparks
Burnside Skatepark in Portland, Oregon 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 often lead to heated discussions within Pedlow Skate Park, San Fernando Valley, CA • The Flow Skatepark - Columbus, Ohio One of the largest indoor skateparks in the nation at 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2). • Alamosa Skatepark Environment Albuquerque, New Mexico.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Stockwell Skatepark - South London, UK • Harrow Skate Park - Harrow, UK • Louisville Extreme Park - Louisville, Kentucky • Skatepark of Tampa - World famous skatepark in Tampa and home of the annual Tampa Pro and Tampa Am. • FDR Skatepark - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Shaw Millennium Skatepark- One the world’s largest outdoor skateparks, designed by Spectrum Skateparks with Landplan associates. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Skatepark
• Pedlow Skate Park - Encino, California great for pool skating, 12,000+ square feet.
References
[1] Porstner, Donna, "Curve appeal / Area’s new skate park opens", news article in The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut, July 13, 2007, pp 1, A6
External links
• Skaters for Public Skateparks • SkateSpotter - skatepark videos, photos, and maps • The Skatepark Directory - Large Skatepark Directory • Concrete Disciples - The most comprehensive worldwide Skatepark Directory • List of skateparks around the world churF international skateboard community • World Skateboarding Map - Community built map with videos and pictures • Skate Parks Maps (extremesportsmap.com) - See worldwide skateparks on Google Maps • Skateboard411 Skatepark Directory Large skatepark directory with Google Maps feed
Louisville Extreme Park, Kentucky • Concrete Wave Country - Nashville’s first public skatepark. • Skatopia
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skatepark" Categories: Skateparks This page was last modified on 9 May 2009, at 02:01 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
3