|
Page 3 of 6
What Is A Skatepark?
Today's skatepark is as diverse as any urban environment. One may be a deep, undulating form. Another may be geometric and boxy. They are often concrete, but they can also be wood or metal. They may feature premium materials like granite, brick, marble, or even incorporate large boulders. Some are beautifully landscaped and suggest a reflective environment. Others are designed more like sporting arenas with bleachers and lights. Some have shade structures or are even fully covered to allow them to be used in poor weather. Many skateparks are distressed beyond any reasonable safety standards, while others are carefully maintained and expected to withstand a decade or more of heavy use.
Many of the world's most famous
places to skate were never intended
to be called "skateparks."
It's important to understand that skateboarding does not require a skatepark. A person can ride a skateboard on the sidewalk, in the street, on a driveway or path, in an empty swimming pool or drainage ditch, or in any area that is fairly smooth and wide. Skateboards themselves have been developed for different styles of riding. There are small skateboards that sit low to the ground that enable flipping and jumping. Others are wide and have larger wheels for carving through bowls. There are special boards for slalom racing. Long boards with soft wheels replicate the feel of surfing and are a popular choice for inexpensive urban transportation. There are even "luge"-style boards specially designed to lay down on that can reach speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour. Many of these types of skateboarding don't require skateparks, but they all need a smooth, paved surface. In the broadest sense, a skatepark is simply any place that sanctions skateboarding. Many skateparks were never originally intended for skateboarders, but the smooth concrete and interesting forms attracted the activity, and the City responded by permitting (or not denying) access.
CONSOLIDATED'S THE PLAN
One of the first comprehensive guides to skatepark advocacy was
produced by Consolidated Skateboards. It has been available online for
several years and provided the catalyst for many of the skateparks we
enjoy today.
Skateparks, as designated skateboarding facilities, come in all sizes.
Many communities are seeing value in the smallest possible amount of
terrain for skateboarding, the skate spot (or skate dot), as an
economical solution to their lack of skateboarding terrain. Many
communities look to the neighborhood skatepark to attract the area
skaters. A few cities have even built magnificent destination
skateparks that can safely accommodate dozens of simultaneous users.
Each type of skatepark has its unique strengths and weaknesses and it
is up to the skatepark advocate to help explore which sizes and styles
are right for the community.
A quick survey of today's skateparks will reveal a diverse offering. Most skateparks larger than 8,000 square feet will offer a variety of terrain. In other words, except for the very smallest of skateparks (or skate spots), skateparks will generally have different flavors for an assortment of skate abilities and preferences.
Skate spots will only have one or two
structures like this simply platform.
Skate Spot: While there are different kinds of extraordinarily small skateparks, the skate spot generally represents one or two structural attractions. These are often street-style obstacles such as a ledge or embankment. Skate spots seek to mimic the character and singular qualities of a structure found "in the wild." They can also be unique structures clearly designed to attract skateboarders. Either way, the skate spot has particular appeal to those communities who want to bring small amounts of skateboarding activity to a particular area.
Flow courses can complement the other
popular styles of skatepark structures
such as street or tranny).
Flow Course: While the descriptive term isn't widespread, there is a style of design that relies heavily on the undulating forms found in transition, but unlike swimming-pool replicas, never reach the dramatic depths or angles found in true "vert." These areas are sometimes called "beginner areas," though a skater of any experience level can find ways to challenge themselves with the smaller forms. Flow courses can be complicated spaces to design as the areas can attract multiple simultaneous users. Traffic control and visibility are often key issues.
Transition forms are
characterized by steep,
curved forms.
Bowls, Vert, and Transition: These are the swimming-pool replicas that many people assume when skateparks are mentioned. There are many different kinds of bowls, and seasoned skateboarders often claim that every bowl has its own unique characteristics. While bowls were once the most popular type of terrain, today's skateboarder will generally prefer the geometric architectural forms found on the streets and in other public areas.
Any portion of a transition (or curved) skating surface may reach a vertical angle. This is vert. It is common for portions of modern transition-style skateparks to have a small amount of skateable surface be overhanging, or beyond vertical, so that the only thing keeping the skater attached is centrifugal force and pure bravery.
Transition is a broad term that refers to any significantly curved portion of a skatepark. Transition is the design antithesis of street. Some parks might be predominantly transition, or "tranny," while others might just have a few transition elements and be otherwise street. It is not uncommon to hear skaters declare their allegiance to one type of terrain at the exclusion of the other. In some regions the street-tranny "debate" continues to this day, even though a majority of skateboarders prefer a diverse choice of terrains. Like flow areas, transition areas also must be designed with the utmost attention to visibility and safety. While size and depth are rarely a concern, speed and direction of intended travel is...especially if BMX riders are expected to use the facility.
Street plazas mimic the kind of
architecture typically found in any
public urban park.
Street Plaza: These spaces tend to feature exclusive street-style attractions. Because they mimic the type of architecture common to many urban public spaces, plazas are attractive to skaters and the broader community. To both the nonskater and the novice skater, street plazas don't appear exclusive or quite as daring as the deep precipices found in transition-style parks. Street plazas generally don't feature any kind of transitional elements.
How these skateparks are used is largely a result of the site selection, how active the skateboarding community was in the design process, and the facility's specific amenities. While most parks' administrators needn't become experts in "spotting the lack of flow in the frontside line," it certainly will help if everyone involved in the planning process has a cursory understanding of skatepark design as well as the capital-project process.
|
