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- “Underexposed” in the Public Eye: Amelia Brodka Interview
- 2012 Skateboarding Fatalities
- Replacing Modular Parks with Concrete
- The Skatepark Bid Process
- Sample RFP for a Skatepark Bid (Replacing a Modular Skatepark)
- Stand Up For Skateparks
- Just Say NO To Modular Skateparks
- An Interview with Ty Smith: Drop Into Skateboarding
- Putting Wenatchee on the Map!
- Skateparks $100K and Under
- Art of Board and I Ride I Recycle – The Bruce Boul Interview
- 2011 Skateboarding Fatalities
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Best of Texas Archive
Victoria, TX: Taking the Park Back
On Dec. 20th 2008, the City of Victoria opened a state of the art 15,000 square foot skatepark. The park features a large street area and a flow bowl, and is hailed as a destination skatepark in South Texas. Unfortunately, when the park opened it lacked common park amenities like restrooms, water fountains and shade structures. On top of that, the skatepark was poorly sited behind...
The EZ-7 Ditch
EZ-7 is Houston’s oldest skatespot. The best I can tell from researching the construction of White Oak Bayou, is that it was built around 1967-69. I am sure the skaters and surfers found it right after that. The earliest skate photos I have seen are from 1973. There are about 15 of these same type ditches along White Oak Bayou, but none as skateable as EZ-7....
Cedar Park, Texas
Back in about 2004 the City of Cedar Park approved $125,000 dollars for a skateboard park in one of the city’s parks. Every time they tried to approve a location the surrounding neighbors would show up to protest and they did not want this built in their back yard. So the money sat for a few years until the city decided to go in with Williamson...
Texas Skatepark Index
We are proud to introduce the first of our State Skatepark Indexes. The information that follows is the result of hard work, loads of phone calls, tons of emails, and dozens of tanks of gas. We trust that you will find this information helpful in your local skatepark planning. If you enjoy this report, please consider a donation of time or money to SPS. We would...
New Braunfels, Texas
In 2006, I received a call from Cary Skinner in New Braunfels, TX apparently her husband and two children were avid skaters, but they were really unhappy with the local skatepark. I was very familiar with this park because it was a modular park installed a few years ago and it had already shown signs of wear and tear. Cary felt that the modular park did...
Lockhart, Texas
Lockhart is located 29 miles south of Austin, in Caldwell County — one of the poorest counties in the State of Texas. This fact is important in considering how a destination skatepark was built in a town of 11,852 people — for just $108,000 — during the worst drought ever recorded in Central Texas, and in one of the most severe recessions in recent history. Ideas...
Spearman, Texas
When I moved back to Spearman, Texas in 2005, I was hired by Spearman ISD to fill the 5th grade Science position at Gus Birdwell Elementary. I immediately saw a need for a skatepark because of the usage that my own backyard mini-ramp was getting on a daily basis. Also as an elementary school teacher, I would hear kids discuss the idea of Spearman having a skatepark during...
Round Rock, Texas
In 2004, the City of Round Rock, TX allocated $110,000 to build a public skatepark. Local skaters had petitioned the city a few years earlier about the need for a place to skate. However, by the time the project was finally approved, all those involved had either given up or moved on. With no skaters to help guide the project, the city officials were looking for...
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, TX currently has 10 public skateparks owned and operated by the City Parks and Recreation Department. Beyond the city limits, there are 6 public skateparks in El Paso County and soon to be 3 in neighboring Dona Ana County (New Mexico.) Local skaters have been involved to varying degrees in the design, build, purchase and upkeep of these facilities. Photos/locations of all can be...
Houston, Texas
The Houston area has a unique skatepark system in which there are both skateparks operated by the city and the county. The City of Houston operates six skateparks and Harris County where Houston is located operates six skateparks. Altogether there are 12 skateparks operated by the city and county. However, the most notable skatepark out all these is the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark. The Lee...