McNally St. Skate Dot

 McNally St. Skate Dot

Georgetown

Before I begin, I have heard that remediations should be made this coming spring.

Georgetown has a good action sports network and planned 2 small spots with this 'skate feature' being built first.

BUT...

there are some issues.

It looks like a nice little 'A' frame hubba with a cow catcher front. It's hard to get a sense of its size from photos.  The run up on both sides is just over 23ft.  The feature itself is 13ft long.

Why do skatepark need Advocates?

The concept did not have the hubba offset into the grass.  This makes this 'beginner' feature much more challenging.

Spott Check

I consider myself an Intermediate Skater and I found this feature very challenging. The exit to grass was a problem. I brought a small wedge ramp to land boardslides and popped out early on grinds to avoid hitting the edge.  The hubba is also 18 inches tall and one approach is uphill.  I feel like a 14 inch high ledge would have served this park better. 

The full addition isn't bad. It could be way better. 'Park' 571.  They can't all be as good as 570.

This is why I've launched a free Skatepark Consultation service. 

Skatepark Consultation

 Ontario Skatepark Consultation

Scott Loyst is a Full-time Skatepark Nut!

(He's also a full-time paramedic)

I am happy & available to consult, totally free of charge, on any skatepark & action sports facility projects in your community.  I am not a skatepark designer, builder & I don't work for any of the Design/Build Companies.  What I do have is a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over 20years/570 parks of skatepark riding experience. I possess a vast collection of skatepark photos and articles, free to be used as examples in your advocacy efforts. I've become familiar with most of the Canadian Skatepark Companies and Builders, skatepark materials & budgets, Grants and RFP processes. I've been in touch with The Skatepark Project (formerly The Tony Hawk Foundation) and even won their Online Trivia Contest.

I have skated over 570 different skateparks across Canada and the USA.  I've been involved with several projects in the GTA and beyond.

If your community is planning a skatepark, I want it to be the best investment for your community.  I always recommend giving the local users what they want & will use but an experienced outsider perspective can always be useful. 

I have been advocating for skateparks for the last decade and the Advocacy Details and Skatepark Profiles can be found on this blog. (best viewed in desktop mode).  My skatepark photographs have been used by New Line Skateparks, Pickering's 2017 Skateboard Park Strategy and Hamilton's Skateboard Park Study.  

In 2022, I reached out the The Rotary Club of Milverton, ON when I had discovered they were planning a small skatepark with a Skatepark Company that is well known for the wrong reasons.  The Member I reached stated 'We're the Rotary Club. We're great at raising money but we don't know skateparks.'   They had been given an existing design as a cost saving measure but the flow and structure of the park was not great.  I suggested some adjustments, gave rationale for them and drew a modified version of their concept.  The constructed skatepark is fun with all the core obstacles and some fun tweaks. 

Milverton Skatepark

The new Burford Skatepark is currently under construction after many months of consults with their local advocates.  We corresponded by email about the layout of the park and how to include the basics while providing the flow the local riders desired.

I've skated some truly terrible skateparks and my goal is to assist your project to be the best it can be.  For best results, I recommend using an established Skatepark Designer/Builder. I've compiled a 'resume' of the companies that have designed and built projects in Ontario as well as a list of General Contractors who have built skateparks in the Province.  

Ontario Skatepark Consulting.

I put the 'Free' in Freelance.

Scott Loyst

Email: scott.loyst@gmail.com

IG: @spotttheloonie

@PickeringSkateparksAlliance

Sixteen Mile Creek Skatepark & Pump Track

 Sixteen Mile Creek Skatepark & Pump Track

Perfect for ledge lovers and big tranny chompers!

3070 Neyagawa Blvd

My 570th skatepark!

Finally!!! A California-Sized park in Ontario, Canada!

This is quite possibly the largest (at least largest within the last 5 years) in the Province. The Street section features a solid ledge, rail and manny pad.  Then some fun stuff - there's a big bank to ledge, a fun ledge section with a curb cut and out ledges that are a little lower.

Sweet 16 Mile
 

16 Mile Creek Tour

 

This thing is pretty big.

4ft QP and Bank

Generic Skatepark Sign (not kidding, that's what it had taped on the back of the sign)

Went back for this.

This was the one section that felt out of place. The QP was good for the big ledge but there's nothing to stop boards from rolling into the bowl.

The Combo's Bowl (lol)

Fun Pump Track with a lil' Kicker

Who needs a drone.

This is my step ladder. I never knew my real ladder😂

Bike repair station. Strange spot for it since every sign says 'no bikes'. The town even included bikes in the promotional material. Who's gonna enforce that rule?

Lots of spots to sit that aren't ledges. Two shade sails as well.

Spott's Hot Takes.

Great for ledge fiends. Destination Bowl for vert rippers. Lots of open space and other park amenities. Seating and Shade are great.

No beginner transition. The Volcano is wasted space.  This much park and no curbs? Dope park, glad it's not my local. Maybe if it had a mini ramp.

George Jowett Random Ramp

 George Jowett Random Ramp

or

How to find parks - Part 3

George Jowett Memorial Hall

13137 Riverside Dr, Morrisburg

A couple of years ago, Kurt of The Dirty Jags Tour said he's seen a ramp somewhere near Morrisburg, Ontario.  I got to lurking and the only thing I found was a random ramp in Ingleside.

In 2022, I checked out Ingleside on the way to Cornwall but these ramps were gone.

Fast Forward to 2024 and the April Eclipse. I get a message from another friend.

'Name that Skatepark' is my favourite game!

Well, I didn't recognize it.  I lurked my friend and her BF on FB and all their Eclipse photography had Morrisburg tagged. So I'm not much closer with this new info but it's eliminated Ingleside as the ramp is still present.

Working off this photo, I tried zooming in on the mural on the hall but you can only say 'enhance' so many times.

Then I tried something new.  I plugged the shot into a google image search and focused on the mural.  Despite the poor shot, Google matched to image and gave me the location.

Despite its age, I still got some. Probably an NBD!

George Jowett was an English-born Canadian Strongman. (1891-1969)

Three days later, I realized the front bank had been removed.

Greely

Greely

Greely Village Skateboard Park

& Dirt Track

7292 Parkway Rd

I like this Park!  Is it perfect - No!  Is it Fun? YES!

This looong spot is bent into a lightning bolt shape and I'm told this really helps segment the park into 3 distinct lanes when the park gets busy.  There are a bunch of curbs, ledges and um...Stuff.  All the basics are here with some tweaks to make me happy.  

Tour clip.

Lane 1 - Starting with a nice Pier 7 ledge and a 3 set.  This leads to a quality flat ledge and flat rail with some waxed planter curbs.  This leads you to the QP.

This is a really nice and wide 3' QP with a little bit of a key hole cut in the middle. 

Heading back down Lane 2, there is an 'A' frame with a gap and rail. The rail is a little high (only negative in my review). This brings you to a hipped bank.

Lane 3 - coming off the hip, there's a long, wide manny pad/ledge and some more curbs.  There are long paved strips leading to both ends of the park.

Beveled fronts for wallies!!!  This should be skatepark standard now.

"not enough room" is not a problem here.

Double Dirt Track.