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Skatepark

A '''skatepark''' is a purpose-built recreational environment for skateboarders to ride and develop their technique. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, handrails, fun boxes, 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, can cost three times as much to build as parks with ramps and wooden obstacles, but in the long run they require fewer repairs and less maintenance.Porstner, Donna, "Curve appeal / Area's new skate park opens", news article in ''The Advocate (Stamford)|The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut, July 13, 2007, pp 1, A6

History

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 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. 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 the skateboarding community.

Notable skateparks around the world

- '''The Flow Skatepark''' - Columbus, Ohio - One of the largest indoor skateparks in the nation at 50,000 square feet.
- '''Alamosa Skatepark Environment''' (aka West Side Skatepark) located in Albuquerque, New Mexico is a one of a kind public park that opened in 2007 and was designed by Skatepark Environments. The parkscape draws inspiration from Albuquerque's world renown arroyo system as well as site specific elements in the city that are now off-limits to skating and BMX. Various elements are incorporated in a cohesive site plan, some of the distinctive features include; the real-street arroyo segment, a brick central plaza, session-specific sculptural elements, integration of green space landscaping throughout and natural stadium seatng, colored concrete, and the world's first skylit 3/4 pipe.
- '''Stockwell Skatepark''' - South London, UK
- '''Louisville Extreme Park''' - Louisville, Kentucky
- '''FDR Skatepark''' - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- '''Millennium Park (Calgary)|Shaw Millennium Skatepark'''- One the world's largest outdoor skateparks, designed by Spectrum Skateparks with Landplan associates. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- '''Concrete Wave Country''' - Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville's first public skatepark.
- Skatopia

References

External links

- Skaters for Public Skateparks
- 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 Category:Skateparks|*

Related Images

- BMX rider in Ontario, Canada
- Pedlow Skate Park, San Fernando Valley, CA
- Louisville Extreme Park, Kentucky

Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL

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