Monday, 4 July 2016

How to find Skateparks.

How to find Skateparks.

If you're trying to find parks and you're reading this, you're in the best place for parks in Southern Ontario.  If you're looking elsewhere, I'll give you my tips for park spotting.

1. Skatepark Design/Builder websites and social media.  There are dozens of reputable companies slinging concrete these days. The most prolific in Canada is New Line (Spectrum Skateparks merged with New Line ) but some other companies are getting contracts up here. Follow them and if they're building in your area make sure you get involved.
 Audley Rec Centre (ARC) Ajax, ON by Spectrum.
Brant's Crossing Plaza, Brantford, ON by New Line

2. City Websites. You may have to expand your search when looking by community.  The town of Acton has a park but it's listed on the larger community of Halton Hills website along with Georgetown's park(but only one of the 3.5).
3 Mustatears Skatepark, Acton, ON.

3.Cold Searches. Goggle "X City" skatepark.  Other suffixes can include 'skate park', 'skateboard park', 'skate plaza', 'action sports park' & 'multi-use ramp park'.
Searched 'Elmira Skatepark' and discovered the open house for the future park was only a few days away. I got involved and the rest is history.

4. Random Finds. My wife says I can smell skateparks. On more than one occasion (4 I can think of) I've just gone off in some direction and found a skatepark. Just think, 'If I was a skatepark would I be over here?' Check it out.
Mississauga's Malton Multi Use Ramp Park

5. Other Skatepark Listings. Skatepark tour.ca has Western Canada pretty much covered and there are listings for almost everywhere there are an abundance of parks.

6. Google Earth & Street View.
Recently I found a park off another blog and made a trip out to it.  I wanted to see if there were any other parks nearby but found no listings for any.  I used Google Earth and looked at the next town to the North.  
 Most skateparks a located near existing facilities so I started by looking for a community centre or baseball diamond.  Finding the ball diamond I zoomed in and found this.


Port Lambton was a spot that was fun in it's ridiculousness.
I've found parks all over the world using this method. 

Another Park I was having trouble finding was the park in Ridgetown, ON.  The Google Earth view at the time was very grainy and the street view of the given address didn't show any park. I tried a different street that runs along the border of the park and voila!

Another park finding post can be found here.

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