Chapter 5: Management

Closures
Maintenance crews may find the need to close the skatepark for routine or irregular maintenance tasks. The crew should be visible and their task apparent. Signage explaining the reason for and duration of the closure may be necessary so visitors need not press the crew for details. Pylons or some traditional temporary barriers may add an air of legitimacy to the work. For tasks taking longer than an hour or two, some advance notice may prevent skaters from traveling to the park only to be disappointed.

Closures without supervision can be tricky. Fenced skateparks that must remain closed for a day or longer should have a sign posted to inform users of the duration and reason for the closure.

Closures for parks without fences are the most difficult to properly enforce. Skateboarders, long trained to skate until told to leave, have developed very little regard for no-skateboarding signs. Preventative devices can be used such as pea gravel. This effectively deters skateboarders, but can quickly be swept up or kicked aside if too little is used.

Spalling in this kind of high-traffic area can be replaced quickly and without a park closure.

Most areas requiring maintenance can be secured by closing only the particular area of concern. Some type of traffic barricades and tape should serve this purpose well. Many traffic barriers will be moved to other areas of the skatepark and used as obstacles to jump over. Ordinary cones, Jersey barriers, sandwich boards, drums, and A-cade signs are favored for this purpose, while the looper tube variety is not as attractive to under-challenged skaters. The skatepark users, if they are aware that the work ultimately benefits the skatepark, should not tamper with the barricades.