Skateparks: Ramps, Rails, Steps, Pyramids And Tony Hawk Foundation

The one time stigma placed on skating, where you imagine some frustrated cop chasing wild teens from some mall or office parking lot has been torn down and bulldozed away in the path of progress. What progress? Skating progress. In the last ten years with the arrival of the skatepark in mainstream America, there has been more movement in a positive direction than throughout the whole history of the sport.

Since the landing of skateparks on the public scene, the sport has seen a rise in not only commercial popularity, but in communities as well.

The rise in frequency of skateparks among American cities and towns gives testament to this newly sparked support. This has led to public and private sectors moving into the business of creating these new found homes for skaters.

Besides simply giving skaters another place to spin their wheels, skateparks have helped contribute to the competitive angle of the sport by inspiring skaters to get serious about trick and professional skating one time only possible for those affluent or in the know. Now, almost any kid, teen, or grown-up (which you will find) can refine their skills as well as learn from one another in these think-tanks of ply-wood and metal rails. Further, skaters can now take refuge inside on a rainy day that would otherwise put the option of skating by the wayside.

A variety of skateparks have come out of this new flux, each allowing for different varieties of riding and trick maneuvering. Hundreds of skateparks are in the process of being built right now, not only in the States, but in numerous countries around the world. These parks reflect the growing interests and have widened the possibilities within the sport. Ranging from the smallest of public parks, containing only a quarter pipe and a few rails, to the most illustrious of urban plaza designs, the skatepark sector has quickly diversified.

Parks are now designed and built by private companies that specialize in creating concrete parks, bowls and pools, flow courses, hybrid parks, and combination parks. Each course has its' own feel and fulfills certain needs within the skating community. Typically most people associate a skatepark with mere ramps and rails, but the array of ramps, rails, steps, pyramids, etc. offered are just as diverse as the parks themselves.  

Courses built from dug-out sites usually combine flat surfaces and ramps to achieve style of street skating that lets riders move from trick to jump and jump to trick, while bowls, pools and pipes allow for a flowing, constant exchange of tricks and grinds.

Support groups for the construction of skateparks are standing up in growing numbers demanding that their areas counter old problems of public skating by building them a new home. Organizations such as the Skaters for Public Skateparks (SPS) and the Tony Hawk Foundation have already begun to aid communities crying out for parks. The amount of sites which help inform citizens on the proper steps to having a park built can be found with ease on the Internet.

Skateparks are certainly springing up in record numbers. However, one question remains unsettled, “How well do these facilities mix with the riders of other extreme sports?” Many parks ramps remain left open for rollerbladers and bikers alike, although not all skaters are happy about sharing this turf. The battle continues and the parks keep opening.

If the future of skateboarding was ever uncertain, it is no longer a concern. Just explore any major city or town and you will almost surely find a wealth of constructed peaks and ditches, all birthed in the name of skating.




Skaters for Public Skateparks. 2005. 28 September 2006.www.skatersforpublicskateparks.org.

Tony Hawk Foundation. 2005. 28 September 2006.www.tonyhawkfoundation.org.

Vuckovich, Miki. How to Get Your City to Build a Skatepark. Transworld Skateboarding. 17 September, 2006. Transworld Media. 28 September, 2006. www.skateboarding.com.