Who Skates Skateparks

Stranger than fiction...

2012-01-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

"Do not consider it proof just because it is written in books, for a liar who will deceive with his tongue will not hesitate to do the same with his pen." Maimonides

The time has come- the time to tell your city that temporary steel ramps are for kids and the salesmen are full of crap. The Tony Hawk Foundation has eliminated ALL funding for prefab or precast parks with kickplates, Skaters for Public Skateparks and SPAUSA have declared open season on any rattle-trap installations and even going back to 2004 many had already began to question the reality of a 20 year warranty and such easy setup... and for good reason.

I know, I know- we've all heard the prefab guys whining because they claim we're targeting them and falsely slandering their product, I've even been threatened with a lawsuit as have many in the industry. But he truth is actually pretty easy to grasp; Mareketing money and slick brochures have had their way with our industry for long enough

So let's get down to brass tacks with our top 10 picks of untruths spun by the prefab industry-
- Prefab has a 20 year warranty
- Your climate is too cold for concrete
- Your soils won't support a concrete skatepark
- Your budget is too small for concrete
- You can move the park if it's not successful- well, this is only half of a lie. The fact is you WILL remove the park WHEN it fails if you buy prefab
- You can't move a concrete park around- again, this is actually true but if your park is designed by professionals not posers with beepers and acid-washed jeans then you won't NEED to move it around
- Prefab is quicker and the kids will be skating sooner
- Prefab isn't noisy but in case you want it "we offer a noise-reducing package for $$$"
- Prefab is cheaper
- prefab designs are FREE... not

Simple fact is that prefab is an archaic and unwanted type of skatepark and we need to band together to help usher in the new-normal where all kids are given an opportunity at a great park, no matter the size.

Help us in our fight for all public skateparks to be concrete- designed by skaters, built by skaters and used by skaters.

What does a sawdust burger have to do with skateparks?

2011-09-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

ring-ring... ring-ring... “hello, City of Anytown, how can I help you?”
“I have some questions regarding he skatepark bid, who might I speak with?”
“That would be Jeremiah, please hold”

“Hello, this is Jeremiah”
“Hi Jeremiah, I was reading the bid and was curious why you would be building a temporary steel park rather than a permanent, professionally-built concrete one?”
“Simple- warranty and cost. Concrete isn’t warranted and it costs three times as much as steel”.

Awkward silence...

“Well, then can you tell me why the bid spec for the ramps is written by the vendor and eliminates anyone else form bidding?"

"Because”, Jeremiah offered, “it’s just the industry standard...”

More awkward silence...

In the 30 minutes that followed Jeremiah grew more and more angry at the fact that this company, whom they had chosen to lead the skatepark design process with their community, had actually abused that trust and used it as an opportunity to create a no-bid sale of their product- despite the fact that the project is funded entirely by tax-generated funds- your and my hard-earned tax dollars.

The process has become more and more common in our industry with one company working tirelessly to create a list of requirements- from insurance limits to warranties to the use of copyrighted names to put themselves at the top of some self-invented heap in a game of marketing at the expense of quality. So the question begs- does a copyrighted name that only one vendor has the right to use make a better product? How about upping the length of your warranty to more than twice the length of time your company has ben in business and 5 times that of a Mercedes? In my opinion, none of this makes shit for a difference when the time comes to skating... and we are building a skatepark, right?

Proprietary Specs and the abuse of trust

There are many ways to gain the trust of a client- reputation, history of quality and timeliness, length of time in business, etc. There may even be religious values that draw you to a particular company over another or, gasp, their brochure just looked real good and had LOTS of completed projects and quotes... but why anyone trusts a particular salesman and chooses a particular product isn’t the real issue, we are discussing what someone does with that trust.

Skateparks are strange, abstract little beasts and to the non-skater, which the vast majority of city officials responsible for buying one are, it can be a very scary endeavor. That said, once a the aforementioned official develops a level of trust with the salesman things can move along pretty quickly. And now we arrive at the problem- when the salesman abuses that trust and pigeon-holes their product in to the process.

Development of product and competition, it has been said, is the cornerstone of creativity. But what about the development of specifications and procedures which don’t create a better product but simply serve to create a monopoly. And what happens when that monopoly is presented in such a way that those who don’t offer the same product are somehow inferior? Seriously? Because every restaurant in America isn’t willing to cook up sawdust burgers the one who does is the automatic winner? “Well, our sawdust burger is the best in the world and we’re the only ones doing it!” Do you see a problem here, Clem? Your burger isn’t the best... as a matter of fact it isn’t even any good at all but with enough marketing dollars and a little help from above even a sawdust burger can burst on to the scene and lead the industry for a while.

Of course all good (or bad) things must come to an end and so it will go for Clem’s sawdust burger- but I’m sure by then Clem will have bought another restaurant and try and find a way to create something else that no one really wants, like sawdust dog food or sawdust pillows...

Fair is fair, it's time for a new look at public recreation...

2011-08-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

I want to know why, in most case, baseball diamonds have been built and maintained, without complaint, by taxpayers for decades. When is the last time you saw a trash receptacle tipped over or overflowing at a baseball field after a big game? It's a pretty common site where I'm from. Do the residents complain that the baseball players are belligerent, disrespectful punks and the field should be shut down? No, the taxpayer-funded DPW walks out there like they always do and clean it up... So, why is it that news articles pop up every day regarding fences, monitors and "punishment" closings at skateparks for the same things? I can see the headline now "SKATEPARK CLOSED BECAUSE OF TRASH PROBLEMS"... "we decided to close the skatepark until these kids can learn to respect it and pick up after themselves"... yea, just like the baseball players, right!!!

Now, simple math gives us another look at this- three DPW employees in two trucks for approximately 2 hours totals about $400 out of the coffers every time the field needs to be picked up. Multiply that by 15 weeks and you get what, $6,000 in trash pickup alone for one baseball diamond? Seriously? And let's not forget the public space necessary for a baseball diamond. When a skatepark committee is fighting for 3,000 or 4,000 square feet for a skatepark the ball fields take up more than ten times that... Baseball diamonds don't get crammed in behind the police station, they don't get an old40 year old tennis court (because the Town is spending $90,000 on a new one to replace the bad one) and they don't a tiny sliver of land next to the new dog park... baseball diamonds get the prime land, they get all the funds and they get all the exposure- all so that a bunch of kids can play the Nations pastime for two months... now, I love baseball as much as the next guy (not really but it sounded good) but when is fair fair?

Oh, and when was the last time you heard anyone complain about a baseball diamond being mowed two or three times a week at the taxpayers expense? The average public ball field or city park costs $9,000 per year to mow and maintain, without figuring in the cost of the $30,000 mower...

Skateparks are becoming a necessary element in towns across America and it's time public officials start recognizing the need for at least ONE skatepark in town- especially when there are already multiple tennis, baseball, football, basketball and running facilities.

Over and out...

Why do City officials think our kids need supervision in skateparks?

2011-08-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last ranted but it's been a busy summer. Today I'd like to get to the bottom of why the hell city officials and parents think skateaprks need to be monitored... and to a greater extent why public money should be spent on skateparks to begin with... so here we go-

First, people need to realize that the sports we recognized as "normal" are changing as fast as the times. Kids are less interested in tennis, basketball, baseball and other sports (with multiple places to practice in most towns) and more interested in the sports they see on MTV, video games and other age-specific programming. When's the last time your kid wanted to run to Best buy to buy BORIS BECKERS PRO TENNIS PLAYER or TIGER'S PRO GOLFER? Tony Hawks pro Skater is one of the top selling games of all time for a reason, stop making these kids feel like outcasts because they don't want to participate in your idea of "proper sports"... municipalities need to adjust with the times and provide kids with the outlets they need instead of building more tennis courts when there are already a dozen in most towns.

Next, the type of facility will dictate what type of use it gets. Buying prefab ramps from a catalog and plunking them on a tennis court is NOT a skatepark. This type of park results in more trash, less traffic and a much more limited user base than a professionally-designed concrete park designed for all ages- yes, adults do skate and create a structured atmosphere with constant mentoring- remove the adults and you have immediate problems.... Steel skateparks are like paving a baseball diamond or building a tennis court on a hillside, it's just wrong.

And lastly, why does everyone always assume a skatepark needs supervision? Are skaters genetically predisposed to trouble and does putting them inside a fenced area with some intern shouting at them going to suddenly set them straight? No... it won't, that's called school. A skatepark should be cutting edge and attract users of all ages and abilities. And, just like your publicly-funded playgrounds on public land, It should NOT be fenced. It should be designed as an integral part of the landscape and disappear to most passers-by if there are no skaters there. Picture a beautiful little park-inside-a-park with trees and benches that was designed to be skated- there is no noise, no circus show... now picture a fenced tennis court with noisy steel ramps and a gate- it's noisy, looks like an MMA fighting ring and sounds like an elementary school band practicing inside of a steel drum...

SO, do your research, open your minds and stop thinking that skaters are any different than any other athlete. But also give some real consideration to your own prejudices about them... if your neighbors kid was a star football player you'd wave and say what a good kid he is but change his clothes and put a skateboard under his arm and you'd be locking your doors at night... and that's just wrong.

Oh yea, I still have questions- I do have to ask if the local playgrounds, ball fields and such are supervised in your town? Can kids go to a local park and play soccer without a supervisor keeping them safe? Are the basketball courts monitored? Can kids toss a frisbee in a public park? Is there a monitor at the local tot-lot or is the supervision of all of these facilities at the parents risk? I think the problem lies in fears that skating should be treated differently than other sports. If a group of teens can go to a basketball court and play barefoot, drink out of glass containers and not wear eye protection than kids should be able to enjoy a skatepark without "the man" watching... RESPECTFULLY submitted, I appreciate the points of view.

Skatepark Warranty- is the devil in the detials?

2011-05-18T09:29:00.001-07:00

This is a repost from February 2010 but I feel it is as important today as ever.

Skatepark warranties- too good to be true? Only if you actually skate your park, it seems.

For years I've questioned the promise of 15 and 20 year warranties offered by some companies and, I have to say, they are too good to be true. Seriously, can anyone really expect any product built from concrete or steel to last 15 or 20 years, let alone have a realistic expectation that same product will have a warranty that long? Police cars, fire trucks, computers, electric generators, water lines or even the very building in which you are probably sitting right now... are any of them covered for 20 years? 15? Maybe 10? How about 5? In short, no they're not... and neither is your skatepark.

Can customers really believe this promise? These prefab steel parks have a history of 3-5 year effective lifespans after which time they are typically either removed, replaced or refurbished. So what, you say? After performing the necessary maintenance to keep one of these items viable and safe- or moving the ramp within the same park or to another location- the warranty is VOID.... period, done like dinner, it's all on you now. It's hard to imagine that moving a ramp across the lot (remember all the promises of being able to reconfigure the park to keep it interesting?) can some how be responsible for the steel walls rusting but it must be true, otherwise why would they write it?

Below is a copy of the warranty from a prefab steel and precast concrete ramp manufacturer. When a promise of a 15 or 20 year warranty is qualified by saying "installation of replacement parts... not covered under this warranty and freight is to be PREPAID by purchaser" I think the "purchaser" should be scared. Can you imagine not only paying twice for an item but prepaying for shipping on 10,000 pounds of prefab concrete? Then, once the item arrives at your site you have to remove the old ramp with a crane and dispose of it, install the new one with a crane and perform the necessary repairs to the surrounding site. Do we see a problem here?

Here's how I read this warranty-
* warranty is at the discretion of manufacturer
* warranty does not cover normal wear and tear (it is a skatepark, remember)
* warranty does not cover acts of God (such as freeze and thaw cycles?)
* if a purchaser does not follow the daily, weekly and monthly maintenance recommendations the warranty is void

In my opinion, these promises are misleading and intended to offer nothing more than an empty one-up to the competition in a selfish game of sales wars. And as long as "purchasers" hang their hats on the number of years the product is (supposedly) covered our industry will remain stagnant and the skaters will lose.

Seriously, isn't using a warranty written by the vendor like asking the fox to guard the hen house? WRITE YOUR OWN WARRANTY!!!

Companies like Who Skates do not hide behind caveats but rather clearly and honestly spell out what we will and will not cover and for how long. Cities and Towns should write the warranties as Exhibits to the contract and remove all of the wiggling and fine print... force builders to make the commitment to no-fine-print warranties covering EVERYTHING in their contract, give them little or no wiggle room and go for the jugular if they leave you hanging... in a test of only the strong (or experienced) survive you will be doing a service to the taxpayers and the skaters.

Oh, and make sure shipping is included...

I got it honest...

2011-05-18T04:09:00.000-07:00

Now you ain't looking at some dude
That was born with a Silver spoon in his mouth
And I might seem like some kind of low-life
To that high-falutin' crowd
But I'm plain spoken, straight talkin'
And damn proud of what I have acomplished
Some folks appreciate that and some don't
But, I got it honest Aaron Tippin

For over 23 years now Who Skates has been helping to develop the dream of skateparks, skateboards and the lifestyle that we all know as our own. 23 years is a long time and to be sure some of you have had your chances to talk shit, speak praise or just talk in general to us or about us for some reason or another. We've made some mistakes, had more than a few successes and turned more than a few kids on to skating...

We run an open ship here at Who Skates. We proudly discuss our previous projects with clients and skaters and you can damn sure bet I'll defend anything anyone wants to say, especially if they have the huevos to sign their name to it. Whether anyone wants to realize it or not I have always been the one on the other end of the phone, driving through the night coming home from an 8:00 meeting somewhere no one ever heard of, sitting at a computer all night to get some City enough info for their council meeting the next night for approval of their park and on and on. I've always been here and always will be. I will always sign my name to the contract, always answer the phone and always be the one responsible when we make a mistake.

So, what's my point? My point is that we did it ourselves... we started Who Skates in 1987 in a former hardware store in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Everything we ever built, we built ourselves. Everything we messed up, we messed up ourselves. I started Who Skates and it has been my only job since I was 21 years old. I didn't work for 7 other companies and then claim what I did there as my own... I didn't buy other companies and try to convince clients that just because I own it that I built it. Where I come from that's called a POSER...

So, in a day when it's easier to just buy what we need how many companies do you know that have nearly the original staff? Still owned by the original owners? Where every contract and reference, good or bad, was signed by the founder? Think hard...

SO, if you've made it this far without falling asleep, thank you. We are proud of the fact that we are one company, one name, one set of references and two owners- my wife Sandy and I... but here's the real reason for today's rant- do your research before you drink the KoolAid. The biggest "this", the glossiest "that". Before you commit to entrusting the future of your skaters (and tax money) to some wannabe company who has bought everything they claim (including their Facebook friends- true story) rather than building it themselves, decide if you would buy a house from that info-mercial dude Billy Mays or the SHAM-WOW!! dude...

You wanna claim somethin' then you better be willing to earn it... and I did.

TTFN,
Tom Noble

Fundraising is getting tough, do we hold out or build now?

2011-04-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

We are working with a lot of cities right now who are questioning their fundraising efforts and whether or not they aimed too high- Should we build in phases? Hold out for more money and do it all at once?

Here is a quote form a 2010 client who didn't wait-

When we had 1/2 of the amount of money that we thought we needed, Tom (Noble) recommended that we go ahead and build something.... just to get us started. We did just that, and the positive response that we recieved from the community (and the naysayers) was really overwhelming. Now that we have a visible demonstration of the popularity of this facility, it seems easier to move ahead with additional fundraising efforts.

Director, Standish Parks and Recreation
Standish, ME

Here's what Standish got for their $40,000 Phase 1

In short, get 'em skating!!!

Breaking Ground Skateparks purchased and disbanded

2011-01-30T17:26:00.000-08:00

This is a very cold day for New England Skating. After 10 years of creating concrete skate terrain in new England and beyond, Breaking Ground has sold out to American Ramp Company, the prefab steel ramp builder out of Missouri. The fact that the sale took place isn't noteworthy but the fact that ARC took this company, developed a new logo and is now touting alllll of those parks built under the BG name as their own. The staff is gone and the leadership now placed in the hands of some office guys somewhere in the Midwest.

If ARC or Hardcore Skateparks are in your town claiming an almost unbelievable amount of work completed in the last ten years then maybe you need to read THIS ARTICLE where they admit they have only been pouring concrete since 2009 and even then only because they bought the equally bad Solo precast ramp company out of Canada.

Beware y'all.

Ladies and Gentlemen, THE NEW PORTLAND SKATEPARK!!!

2011-01-14T06:24:00.000-08:00

At first glance, the new skatepark in Portland, Maine is awesome to look at... if you don't skate...

But upon further inspection, the place is already falling apart. Cracking and incredibly poor quality are evident in every corner of this park. Cold joints seem to be open 1/8" to 1/4" already and the caulking is already falling out of the ones that are sealed (NOTE: you shouldn't caulk joints in a skatepark).

In short, this is what happens when office dudes take on work they can't handle and then hire unqualified workers to build their parks!!! If we wanted a company from Auburn to build our park we wouldn't have had experience criteria in the bids.

These photos were taken on December 20th, 2010. This date happens to be 30 days after the park was complete!!! 30 days and it looks like this? Can you imagine what 3 years is going to do to it!?! Puddles 1" deep, cracking, a bowl with perfect "noping", more caulking falling out than staying in and rough finish everywhere... and then there's the Ardex Hubba. This is embarrassing people!!

Thanks ARC for building us such a great park and thanks City or Portland for letting it happen... NEXT!!!

Desgin Fail- form has truly overtaken fnction

2010-12-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

Here is my opinion- some designers are going sooooo far out of their way to create parks which look AWESOME from a helicopter (or to make the sale easier) that function is going out the door. Again, I am presenting this as my opinion but as a 35 year skater I see some flaws.

In the design below, the necessity for a cool aesthetic has created a park with duplicate items, dangerous intersections and road blocks where a skater will have to jump off their board if they land a trick. Sure, this represents true street skating but creating skateparks is supposed bring the BONUSES of street skating but leave the NEGATIVES behind.

1.) 2 one-sided Hubbas at a cost of over $5,000 each when one two-sided version does EXACTLY the same thing.
2.) A grass gap that leads directly to a long ledge, which is a great feature by itself, forcing a skater to stop abruptly if they land the gap ollie. Wouldn't a little 2' tall jersey barrier/ quarter pipe be a better idea there?
3.) A Pier 7 ledge which is only feet away from a grindable ledge where skaters travel in perpendicular paths. Whether a skater or their board goes in to the lower area a hazard occurs.
4.) Same as 3 (above) the other side of the park features a handrail.
5.) Absolutely NO way to skate back to the top of the park forcing kids to walk back up the stairs. Again, in the street this is fine but we're spending good money to better the sport and walking up stairs is foolish.
6.) No tranny at all in the park except for a poorly-placed volcano. Sure, plaza's are very efficient uses of space but a park this size without any quarter pipes or any way to gain speed (other than ollying gaps or kicking) is, in my opinion, silly.

Form has indeed overtaken function... flame suit on...

Lee Mass Plaza

2010-09-24T16:53:00.001-07:00

$50,000 donated from the Kiwanis gives these kids an awesome concrete park. Price included all design, site work, labor and materials

Skate park ready to roll

2010-09-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Skate park ready to roll

Colerain Township, Ohio

2010-08-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

14,000 square feet of concrete. Small flow bowl, 9+1 kidney with Block and a simple street area that's actually pretty nice.

What makes WHO tick?

2010-08-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

An interview from Skaters for Public Skateparks

Tony Hawk Grants now apply to concrete parks

2010-08-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

In a move sure to shake the skatepark world up a bit, the Tony Hawk Foundation (who is responsible for grants to communities to build skateparks) has changed their rules to apply only to poured in place concrete parks, with a few exceptions.

In an incredible move, the THF is showing their support for skateparks that will promote our sport, create new users and dramatically reduce the temporary prefab parks our kids are forced to skate.

Thank you THF for supporting skating all of these years and thank you THF for taking the next step to ensure skating not only survives but thrives in years to come!!

Astoria, Queens NYC

2010-05-26T18:13:00.001-07:00

Watts Project- Los Angeles, California

2010-04-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

Who Skates is in sunny California building a nice little flowy-kinda-ramp-based-park.

Beginning Shots-

BRONX, NEW YORK

2010-04-08T13:15:00.001-07:00

Canal Winchester opens... finally.

2010-03-29T03:38:00.000-07:00

I hope the wait was worth it, here's a video shot over the weekend.

Canal Winchester skatepark opening weekend from michael newton on Vimeo.

Just some drawings...

2010-03-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

.

A couple of designs for ya'...

Who Skates calls the bluff of unrealistic warranties

2010-03-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

In a day when the jobs of City leaders, Parks and Recreation and DPW are tough enough, along come those pesky teenagers looking for a skatepark. Seems simple enough- just Google yourself up a search for Skatepark, skateboard, skate plaza or skating and your be rewarded with hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of hits. And rightfully so with Skating growing like no other sport in the world it makes sense!!

But just like any industry along with this growth comes marketing dollars and glossy catalogs... and unrealistic warranties.

I know I've only recently ranted on this topic but this time I have a solution. In the past I only drew attention to the problem but now I'm laying down my poker hand and "calling". Who Skates is officially offering to honor the warranty of any of our competitors...

Here's the deal- Who Skates offers a very easy-to-read 3 year warranty with no fine print and only obvious exclusions such as bike damage, acts of God (earthquakes, etc), vandalism or outright abuse. Cracking? covered... loose coping? yep, that too. But if the allure of a limited 15 or 20 year warranty like those offered by our competition is more to your liking then simply cut and paste their warranty into a new document and we'll sign it.

The question is will they sign ours?

TTFN...

Windsor Locks, Connecticut

2010-03-11T15:50:00.001-08:00

Who Skates is heading to Windsor Locks in April to build a great little Plaza. Check Back for construction updates!

Jackson, New Jersey

2010-03-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

Who Skates, in conjunction with industry-leaders Spohn Ranch Skateparks, will be on site in early April to build this nice all concrete plaza-style skate park with a 5' mini. Check back for updates!!

Country boys off to the big city... Bronx, here we come!

2010-03-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

Who Skates will begin the newest Skatepark in NYC building the Bronx Riverside Park. Completion sometime in April

Skatepark fundraising- skaters can use Youtube to gather support for skatepark

2010-02-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

Richmond, Virginia is taking matters in to their own hands. This can work!! Use your imagination and get off your butts!!!

Warranty- read the fine print

2010-02-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

Skatepark warranties- too good to be true? Only if you're the customer, it seems.

For years I've questioned the promise of 15 and 20 year warranties offered by some companies and, I have to say, they are too good to be true. Seriously, can anyone really expect any product built from concrete or steel to last 15 or 20 years, let alone have a realistic expectation that same product will have a warranty that long? Police cars, fire trucks, computers, electric generators, water lines or even the very building in which you are probably sitting right now... are any of them covered for 20 years? 15? Maybe 10? How about 5? In short, no they're not... and neither is your skatepark.

Can customers really believe this promise? These prefab steel parks have a history of 3-5 year effective lifespans after which time they are typically either removed, replaced or refurbished. So what, you say? After performing the necessary maintenance to keep one of these items viable and safe- or moving the ramp within the same park or to another location- the warranty is VOID.... period, done like dinner, it's all on you now. It's hard to imagine that moving a ramp across the lot (remember all the promises of being able to reconfigure the park to keep it interesting?) can some how be responsible for the steel walls rusting but it must be true, otherwise why would they write it?

Below is a copy of the warranty from a prefab steel and precast concrete ramp manufacturer. When a promise of a 15 or 20 year warranty is qualified by saying "installation of replacement parts... not covered under this warranty and freight is to be PREPAID by purchaser" I think the "purchaser" should be scared. Can you imagine not only paying twice for an item but prepaying for shipping on 10,000 pounds of prefab concrete? Then, once the item arrives at your site you have to remove the old ramp with a crane and dispose of it, install the new one with a crane and perform the necessary repairs to the surrounding site. Do we see a problem here?

Here's how I read this warranty-
* warranty is at the discretion of manufacturer
* warranty does not cover normal wear and tear (it is a skatepark, remember)
* warranty does not cover acts of God (such as freeze and thaw cycles?)
* if a purchaser does not follow the daily, weekly and monthly maintenance recommendations the warranty is void

In my opinion, these promises are misleading and intended to offer nothing more than an empty one-up to the competition in a selfish game of sales wars. And as long as "purchasers" hang their hats on the number of years the product is (supposedly) covered our industry will remain stagnant and the skaters will lose.

Seriously, isn't using a warranty written by the vendor like asking the fox to guard the hen house? WRITE YOUR OWN WARRANTY!!!

Companies like Who Skates do not hide behind caveats but rather clearly and honestly spell out what we will and will not cover and for how long. Cities and Towns should write the warranties as Exhibits to the contract and remove all of the wiggling and fine print... force builders to make the commitment to no-fine-print warranties covering EVERYTHING in their contract, give them little or no wiggle room and go for the jugular if they leave you hanging... in a test of only the strong (or experienced) survive you will be doing a service to the taxpayers and the skaters.

Oh, and make sure shipping is included...

Site selection- don't settle for less than you can have

2010-02-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

I've always said that the skatepark should be designed around the site rather than designing the site for the park.

In short, a site holds the magic to the park and some really nice locations can be easily overlooked in the pursuit of a flat area.

Is there a little elevation gain that can be incorporated into the park to create a unique obstacle?
Is the park facing South to make best use of the sun? Is there a big shade tree that can be incorporated for summer shade?
Is there a house or a neighbor that should be protected?
Is the entrance situated so that kids entering the park don't get run over?
Does the engineer understand the unique nature of a skatepark?
Is there an area for parents to relax?

In most cases the site is looked at like a chalkboard on which designers draw a skatepark but the problem comes when the site isn't flat like the chalkboard the first reaction is to flatten it!!

Work with it!! Make the park fit the site... it isn't that hard but the rewards can save thousands of dollars in development and engineering costs.

Skatepark Design- It's time for a new thought process

2010-02-16T09:19:00.000-08:00

There is one type of park that simply HAS to go away... the back-and-forth, quarter pipe at each end and a jump box in the middle. Sure, in a world where there is no other option it can be a way to get kids skating but let's assess this type of park with an analytical approach, by the numbers if you will.

The basis for this type of park is to deliver a skater to the handrail, stair set or Hubba ledge so that they can ollie or grind it... but here's the problem... we spend 70% of the budget just getting kids two feet off the ground and up to the handrail!! The noise and the ridiculous redundancy of the park, channeling all users into one common area and the fact that this type of park is generally a ghost town in two years should be reasons enough to stop the insanity...

Watch this video for a depiction of the wasted money just delivering the kid to the stair set-

Two quarter pipes that the kids have to clamor up on top of, drop in, cheat death with oncoming traffic (since EVERY skater needs to use the quarter pipe) make it up the disastrous kink on the middle section, go up, across the flat then hopefully ollie up on to the rail or ollie the stairs.... hoping that no one is doing the same thing in the opposite direction. SO, if you follow my logic not only have we spent approximately $10,000 on quarter pipes just to give kids enough speed to navigate a kinked flat ramp and arrive at an elevation 24" above the original elevation we've put them in danger of collision with the other skaters or bikers doing the same thing!! I'm confused and I just wrote this so don't feel bad.

Bottom line? Why not spend the money on a proper concrete deck at elevation 24" or 36", put a nice set of stairs, handrail, Hubba, Pier 7 ledge and let the kids skate the elements the way they skate them in the street?

So, by a show of hands? $35,000 for this (including slab)

Or this for about $40,000
A simple Poured in Place concrete Plaza is quiet, cost-effective and will last for many years and is what kids really want to skate. Plazas can be built on any tennis court or parking lot and require only about 2,500 to 4,000 square feet.

Nice Vid from Saugerties, NY

2010-02-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

What is it to be a skater?

2010-01-26T10:09:00.001-08:00

"What is it about skateboarding, anyway? All that back and forth and up and down and hanging around? All that noise, those ramps, those kids so focused on that seemingly unattainable trick…

What are the rules? Are there rules? It's cheap enough, as far as I can see. There's no major outlay for equipment. There are no team colors... as a matter of fact there are no teams. There are no coaches. There are no referees. And that suits skaters just fine, this solo effort amid a sea of others so like-minded.
What is it about skateboarders? The confident way they swagger around and seem to be directed by someone or something that no one else seems to hear? To an outsider it’s just a game, a distraction… but to skaters it’s a passion, an unavoidable and insatiable draw that only a few understand.
It's the body language that sets them apart. The slouching and casual way they set up a trick, all loose and swimming in their baggy clothes. The daredevil approach. Once they push off and start to execute a trick, there is no turning back. I would say they're showing off except they don't seem to care if anyone notices or not.
Everything is on the down-low. Everything is between them. It's private, an inside joke. Watching them talk and laugh is like watching a group of jazz musicians strike a chord or hit a note and then snicker and chortle. What's so funny? What's the joke?
For years I've thought of them as bandits, roving miscreants wandering the streets looking for concrete to navigate, looking for ways to get into trouble.
But leaning against the fence at the local skatepark, I started to have a different take. I saw a community. I saw people outside, exercising, working on skills. At first, all I saw was movement then I began to notice the synergy, the orchestration. No one waited for a coach's command. They were not practicing in sync or following directions. They were focused. When they messed up, they got up and did it again. And again. And again. “Dude, you’ll NEVER stick that, NEVER!!” and silently “Dude” rolls off to prove the nay-sayer wrong… over and over again.
No one was holding a cell phone; no one was texting.
And they had the look - the decals on the helmet, the T-shirts, the baggy pants, the talk ("Man, you should have seen the back tail revert I did. It was gnarly.") - but here's the thing: They were legitimate, they were legal.

If not for the public Skatepark where would this group be? Downtown? In their living room playing video games? Skaters are athletes, no different than any others with the one exception- dedication. Skaters practice not because of a screaming coach, not because of a league title… they practice day-in and day-out for the love of sport, the unattainable trick, the passion that cannot be described…"

-Anonymous...

Design Confusion- who should design our park?

2010-01-26T05:58:00.000-08:00

What may appear to be on of the simplest questions to answer is anything but. The simple answer should be the skaters, right? Wrong...

Although a skater should design your park a very unique skillset needs to be in play to properly design a skatepark which will;
* be challenging but not deadly
* be indicative of the local skaters
* be indicative of the local skate terrain, but...
* provide terrain that isn't offered locally
* not cater too completely to any one group, young or old, street or pool
* come in on budget when the bids are tallied

Topics we will discuss are-
1.) architects design the SPACE that the skatepark fits in to, not the skatepark. Unless your Architect is a skater they have NO business designing a skatepark and need to be kept at arms length during the design process.
2.) local skaters design the obstacles they would like to see within the park with guidance from a professional designer
3.) pool skaters design pools and have no business designing Plazas
4.) street skaters have no business designing pools
5.) engineers will spend your money like you've never seen... sorry, but it is true.
6.) Know the difference between a salesman and a designer

Item 1 Involving an Architect in the design process
Simple question- WHY? Skateparks are unique in every sense- Six inches of concrete to support a 150 pound kid? 5,000 square feet of playing field for a small group of teenagers? Yes, and yes. The enemy of a skatepark is frost and mother nature, not the weight placed upon it but for some reason Architects seem to want to treat them as though the new World Trade Centers will be placed on the site in the coming months. Skateparks support no weight and need to be designed in such a way as to limit the effects of frost not failure due to settling. Consistent slab thicknesses, limited use of footings and careful consideration of bond beams all work together to create a good product that not only stands the test of time but doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Just remember two simple rules- overkill does not always create a better product but it does effectively help you get rid of all that extra funding you had kicking around.

Speak to your skatepark builder and see what they've seen work well then, if an architect needs to be involved, have them confer with the park designer rather than go it alone. You will be glad you did.

Item 2- Local Skater involvement
This has always been such a tough topic. Sure, your local skaters "skate" but do they have a concept of construction? Do they really know if the Hubba should be 22" or 18" high? 4' or 7' radius at the bottom of the flat bank? If they're 12 or 13 have they traveled to many other parks? Have they skated useless prefab parks, death-defying concrete parks as well as refined and clean indoor parks? The answer is probably no... They skate in the driveway, take an occasional field trip to the local park two towns away and read a lot of magazines. None of these facts lend themselves to producing a teen worthy of spending copious amounts of taxpayer money on a skatepark, does it?

Now, before you start typing an angry reply, consider my direction... hire a designer. Kids have an idea of what they want in a park but any salesman worth his or her salt can convince a group of kids (who think they're entering the final stretch of the process) of about anything he or she wants... "no, dude, you want an 8' quarter pipe here not a 4'er". Or better yet, "you know Mrs. Johnson, Johnny will really become a far better skater is he learns to skate this 72' deep pool. He's really not progressing unless he learns to skate pools" or "street is really a dying fad, they really need to learn to skate vert"...

Listen to your kids, watch their expressions as the plans are unveiled and step in when you think they're being railroaded. If I read another article declaring saying that "So-and-so skatepark company had their final design meeting with the kids and they really got the park they wanted" when what they really got was overflow inventory from a bygone era on a tennis court. This is a topic for another time but you get my drift.

I guess I should summarize this whole thing- your kids know what they want for dinner and can order it in a restaurant, but can they cook it themselves? If your son or daughter orders a bowl of spaghetti with meatballs and the waiter says "what you really want is our double-fire-hot porcupine met chili!!" do you think you'd step in? Of course, give the skatepark the same attention. Help your kids be the skatepark experts in your town, don't allow them to be...

Item 3 and 4- Pool Skaters Designing Plazas
It's funny how a certain segment of our industry fails to admit that street skating exists- problem is it does and has for almost 20 years. I'm fine with that, your opinion is your opinion but when one of these "designers" is forced to include a street obstacle or, dare I say it aloud, an entire street area, the consequences are disastrous. Not that it's funny, more ironic I guess, but I love reading the opposite story when a street-based designer lands a job designing a park with a pool the uproar is heard 'round the world!!!

Basically, there are skater-owned companies who do more harm than good when they attempt to incorporate street into one of their designs. The kids lose and the designers actually consider it a triumph when they build something that no one can skate. The problem is that they actually think it's because they designed something too hard to skate when, in fact, they just botched it so bad that it simply doesn't work!!!

Pick your designer carefully and be sure that they have the staff to create a park that truly delivers an accurate depiction of the local skaters.

Item 5- Engineers and your money
This is a touchy subject but engineers should not be your first call when you decide to build a park. Your designer, if properly chosen, should know everything there is to know about the construction process and an engineer should refine those thoughts if required by local or state regulations.

Item 6- Salesmen vs. Designers
I will probably rant about this as its own topic soon but let me just touch on it briefly. What's a salesman? Someone who is employed or compensated by the sales of a particular item. In the instance of skateparks that would be steel ramps or methods that no other company can supply.

So, what's a designer? We always joke that a salesman tells a client what they want, while a designer asks. Sure, some of the criteria is the same- pay based on sales of an item, etc. But, in this case, a designer is there to help design a project regardless of the outcome. A designer will help a City or Town develop a plan for a skatepark as a complete project, good site or bad, big budget or small and with the best interest of the taxpayers or skaters in mind.

I guess ultimately it's up to you to decide if you're dealing with a salesman or a passionate designer...

Can local contractors build our park?

2010-01-26T04:47:00.000-08:00

Well, yes and no... but mostly no... Contractors come in all shapes and sizes, we all know that and concrete installers and excavators are no different. Flat work guys usually freak out when the slab needs to be tilted, foundation guys are generally not equipped or experienced in finishing flat concrete and, in general, no residential contractors are prepared to provide the extra hours to provide a finish that is so smooth it passes the "knuckle test". What's a knuckle test? When you can turn your hand over and rub your knuckles as hard you want on a piece of concrete and it doesn't hurt... that's smooth, and that's what a skatepark should look like.

Now don't get me wrong- there are some GREAT concrete contractors out there but the process necessary to create a proper concrete skatepark is simply not something that most contractors are willing, or able, to provide. A skatepark is more like a HUGE concrete counter top, perfect in every way, hand rubbed and polished to perfection... only we have to do it with curves, angles, vertical faces, steel edging and, most importantly, we have to do it without cracks or expansion joints.

This crack occurred in a skatepark before the it was even opened. Obviously poor attention was paid to the substrate (dirt) compaction or rebar placement within the slab and the customer is left with a safety concern before the park even opens!!

Skatepark builders not only have unique skills but unique tools and very unique motivation... we skate and understand that a broom finish hurts, a radius needs to be perfectly tangent at the bottom and coping needs to stick out JUST the right amount...

The best analogy is to ask if you've ever tried to tape drywall... without the ability to sand it when you're done!

Canal Winchester, Ohio flow plaza

2009-11-24T12:04:00.001-08:00

New pics of the Canal Winchester, Ohio flow plaza completed December 16, 2009

Saugerties, New York

2009-09-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

More Northeast Concrete...

Mattoon, Illinois next on the list

2009-09-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

Mattoon is next on Who's list of parks. Slated to start in September completion will be in about 3 weeks.

Greenville, Illinois

2009-09-04T17:23:00.001-07:00

Complete, 5000 square foot plaza with a nice little 4 corner bowl

Oxford, Mass Skate Spot

2009-05-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

Park is complete !!!

Oxford, Mass is a small Town just South of Worcester whose only claim to skate-fame was another municipality suckered by Scituate Concrete into buying their boat-anchors-for-skaters and calling it a skatepark.

Due to the efforts of Sean Divoll, DPW Director, Oxford Skaters now have a legit street park only 1 block from downtown and in a busy basketball/ baseball complex.

Completion should be June 1...

Greenville, Illinois Skatepark Discussion

2009-04-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

Concrete !!!

Hey All,

Welcome to Who Skates. We've been designing and building skateparks since 1987 and want to invite you to give input on the Kingsbury Park District Skatepark. I will be posting the different designs and changes here so please keep checking back, commenting and helping us make this park exactly what you want.
Here is a rendering of the original design with an added mini- Here is a quick view of a park I thought might also work well with an included bowl-

This is only a starting point. Let us know your thoughts...
Some have commented on the loss of the center section but I wanted to show that a bowl is actually an option.

Tom and the Who Crew ...

More views-

Hendersonville, NC Plaza Completed

2009-04-06T05:01:00.000-07:00

Who Skates has recently completed the build out of the 13,000 square foot Plaza and mini Bowl in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The park had over 100 skaters in attendance within 24 hours of completion.

Thank you to all who helped make this park a reality.

Tom Noble
Who Skates since 1987

Website Troubles!!!!

2008-04-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Valued Clients,
We are experiencing HUGE problems with our server and website and it is unclear when we will be back up and running. To all of our clients, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. To future clients looking for Skatepark info, please bear with us and check back, I think you'll be glad you did.

Please take the time to post a response if there is anything we can do for you during our website down time, or call Who Skates at the number below.

Tom, Sandy and the Who Crew.
207-632-7602

Getting kids Skating- the importance of mini ramps

2008-03-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

As designers of Skateparks, I feel that it is my and every park builders' obligation to build parks that matter. This means that every park, from $500,000 concrete wonders to $10,000 starter parks in small towns, every Skatepark needs to make a difference in some kids life.

That being said, I'd like to discuss the role that the Mini Ramp (mini half pipe) plays in today's skatepark world. Obviously, Municipalities are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to space, funds, insurance and maintenance budgets (but they keep building little league diamonds, discussion later) but the fact is that for $7,500 and up, with no pavement or site work (in some instances) the kids of your town can be skating.

Let's be clear on one point- a Mini is NOT two quarter pipes placed facing each other. A Mini Ramp has 'flat bottom' which connects the two ramps and is one, continuous, flowing unit with NO seems, bumps or steel plates!!!

Mini Ramps teach kids the basics of skate etiquette (when you rip, you go first, when you don't rip, you watch), teach them how to stand on a board, drop in and most importantly, how to slam. Sorry, but it's true. Learning to slam is part of skating and it's a lot less painful to slam on a nice mini than planting your forehead into the sidewalk due to a Pea-sized pebble on the sidewalk.

Now, something that bothers me to no end is a City or Town who sits back, year after year, waiting for the perfect location to become available all the while sitting on $10, 20, 50 or even $100,000!!! Do the right thing and invest that money into phase One of the skatepark and get the kids skating. A mini is just the ticket as it requires no permanent infrastructure, can be moved at any time and satisfies a huge portion of the skate populous in most areas.

Obviously building Phase One of a killer park means that you'll have to go fundraising again because the ramp will be so busy YOU'LL NEED MORE!!! With the growing numbers of young skaters, ages 5-8 in particular, it makes sense to provide these younger skaters with a consistent, safe and reliable place to skate. A Mini Ramp does just that.

'Til next time!!!

Tom and the WHo Crew

Awesome article about punk skaters

2008-03-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

Any guess Tony Hawk's worth?
Do you know who Tony Hawk is?
Perhaps you saw him Sunday night on Oprah's new show, "The Big Give," but they didn't tell you much about him.Other than being someone familiar with Oprah, Hawk has developed more than 12 video games, has a clothing line featured at Kohl's stores, is an author and a creator of his own company, and soon is to be a creative mind in designing roller coasters for Six Flags.How did he come about all this? It started with a board with wheels on it.Skateboarding has been on the rise since the early 1990s, when Hawk burst on the national scene. And with winter nearly over and anxious skaters ready to get outdoors, the complaints about kids on skateboards are ready to return to fly recklessly into conversations in our communities.It's time again we take a deep look into the possibility of establishing a skatepark. It's been about 10 years since a group in Harrison County worked unsuccessfully on this project.The most annoying thing I hear about skateboarders is something to the effect of "punk, thrash, criminal-minded skaters are everywhere and they are a nuisance."How to solve it? Put them somewhere, and let's not wrongfully continue to call skaters a nuisance. Skaters and supporters of the skate community need to come together and make it happen. I can promise you a majority of leaders in this area — no way, shape or form — will go for it until the research is done and groups of people show they want it and why.Here is a little project for all the "we always know what's best for the youth of our community" people. Pack a little cooler of goodies and grab an umbrella to block the sun and sit at a local tennis court. There is a good chance that you'll quickly figure out there isn't much going on.The next day, take your same little get-up and head over to Louisville Extreme Park and stop at the skatepark located near downtown Slugger Field. What you will find is a community of kids, free of drugs and violence, not to mention, they are doing tricks and stunts I could never dream of pulling off. But those kids have a place to go.Hawk's history is no secret. The now multi-millionaire skateboarder was a crazy, troubled kid but a really smart one. Doctors said he was gifted mentally, so his brother handed him a skateboard. From there, the boy grew to a man who invented nearly every trick kids and professionals attempt today. Skating was an outlet for him, just as it is for many of the kids that grind the sidewalks here.Just take a look around the world and our community today. Have you noticed there's an obesity epidemic? The harsh reality is children and teens are gaining weight and sitting their butts in front of a television and video games more than we would like to admit.Skateboarding is an outlet for youth these days and it is an overall healthy lifestyle. Can't we quit profiling people by the way they dress and look along with what they like to do? Wake up, people. For once, these kids aren't involved in drugs and alcohol.According to research compiled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, they found physically active adolescents are improving their health and also lessening their chances of getting in trouble. The topper of the study, the best faring teenagers in the study were skateboarders. Go figure!The study also found that the kids who watch TV and play games are at a higher risk of moving to the dark side of risky behaviors. If meth and drugs are still one of the top concerns of our youth in this community, why not take a chance and give them another outlet besides team sports or the television.The fight to start a skatepark begins with those who want it instead of those who want to pick on the skaters.Pull a Tony Hawk and make a move, kids.

Written by Brian Smith

Airwalk Tour of the south with Andy MacDonald

2008-03-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

3000 miles, a few hundred stickers, 15 bad meals and about 500 Tshirts later, the Airwalk Tour of Alabama and North Carolina is OVER. Belk stores have began carrying Airwalk and Andy Mac clothing and were gracious enough to provide the area's of Birmingham and Charlotte a chance to see Andy for free, get some autographs, tshirts and stickers and just hang out in the wonderful Southern weather.

Who Skates provided a small demo set up for Andy and we had a blast doing it. Thanks to Airwalk, Belk and Andy for their hospitality and gracious attitudes. Andy is a class act, is always professional and of course rips the snot out of anything he skates.

Thanks guys!!!
Tom and the WHo Crew