North Bay All-Wheel Park & Pump Track

 North Bay All-Wheel Park & Pump Track

Wyld St & Oak St E

A nice, big New Line Skatepark with pump track.

Plenty of parking (cheap but probably only enforced on weekends)

It's a really nice skatepark/pumper in a large public park with a playground, splash pad and sport courts near the waterfront.  It is pretty classic New Line with a lot of features laid out like previous designs. 90% sure the pump track is Velosolutions.

There's lots of flat and all the standard features.

I would not be bummed if it was my local.

Oh yeah! It's got motion sensing lighting!

sesh - Cosmic Frog Butt

My legs were toast so I couldn't pump by the end of the session.

The park is built into a hill and the QP meets an integral retaining wall bank at a 90degree angle. Interesting feature.

This bump to rail is a little high but I felt like it was the only feature with big proportions. Not as much of an issue for BMX but my legs were toasted.

This small QP is a little tight. I had no issues but it may be more difficult to learn drop-ins.

Cosmic Skater Frog Butt!

Great Pump Track. Everyone was enjoying it.

Rest in Peace Amber

While this mural is set to be removed, hopefully the small memorial will remain.

This is my buddy Garrett. We went to the same high school. We were in a band together. We drove, with another friend, to Vancouver Island in a 2 door Honda Civic and hit 22 skateparks in 21 days back in 2006.  He said he hadn't skated in a decade. Bro was 50-50ing the flat bar and Blunt Yanked the big QP second try. Good Times.

2013 - Same Shirt😂

And a little advocacy on the side...

I had a little interaction with a graffiti removal contractor.  Do it right and don't get peeved when you don't like the experts advice. He (the expert, me) may just know what he (the expert, me) is talking about.

I didn't like the idea of the park being damaged so I sent this as soon as I made it home.

I woke up to this message

& received this about an hour later. You're Welcome!

Earl Bales Skatepark

 Earl Bales Skatepark

4169 Bathurst St

EB is now under construction by Melfler Construction LTD (I'm digging to find out if they subcontracted it to a skatepark specialist UPDATE - Ewww, looks like CRC, so not so much a skatepark specialist as skatepark butcher). Melfler's been attached to Milton Community Skatepark & the Mount Albert Skatepark. I dropped by the site and saw the ground work underway. I'm posting now to see which skatepark is completed and open first, EB or HALP in Queensville by CRC.(the race to last place, their design for Eglinton Park is happening too)

It should be open and vandalized before winter.

Above is August 9, below in August 30. 

What have you done in 3 weeks?!?

Here's the concept for reference.

Sept 7th.

Sept 27

NOV 1

Sidewalk (yay) is done.

It snowed today (Nov 9). Does the City get a partial refund if the park's not done this year?

The King of the Road Curse

The King of the Road Curse

This article deals with death.

I'm not supersticious. I don't believe there's an actual connection between Thrasher Magazine's King of the Road Series and the untimely loss of several skaters and guests that appeared in the show. When I see posts about KOTR, there's often RIP's to some of the more well known participants and hosts like Ben Raemers and Jake Phelps.  I believe this is a complete list of those we've lost. I'm not going to get into the deep details of their passing but I'll link the Wiki/info when appropriate.

but first...

Thrasher's King of the Road is the brain child of now Editor in Chief Michael Burnett. It ran for 14 runs between 2003 and 2017 with some rumours of it returning in 2026. Zero and Birdhouse Skateboard companies are both 3 time winners. KOTR is described as a cross country skateboarding scavenger hunt road trip filled with surprises, cool cities and guest skaters. The winners get the cover of the mag. 

Here, let's have Phelps explain it from the into to the 2010 KOTR

 In 2014, KOTR dropped to 3 teams and production value increased in what I theorize was a pilot for the eventual Viceland run of 3 seasons.  

Unfortunately, as with anything that runs as long and involves so many people, we've lost some wonderful humans.

Jake Phelps - Jake's death in 2019 shocked the skateboarding world. Jake was a larger than life character, a walking encyclopedia of skateboarding.  He was a presence on KOTR, hanging with teams and hosting meetups. Jake was was always willing to take a slam or tell someone to 'get up there and try it again'.

Ben Raemers - Ben's death by suicide in 2019 was a shock to everyone. The happy Brit from Enjoi was on the second Viceland season where they came in first place.

Preston 'P-Stone' Maigetter - The Thrasher videographer who was on many KOTR's was killed in a motor vehicle collision in 2017.    He was honored in the 2017 Season of KOTR by the REAL skateboards team at Lower Bobs DIY Skatepark.

Shane Cross - Shane was killed in a motorcycle collision in 2007, two years after he was on KOTR with the Flip team.

Joe Hammeke - Thrasher photographer and writer passed in 2021 following a heart attack.  

Jeff Grosso - Grosso, who died in 2020, was best known for his youtube shorts 'Loveletters to Skateboarding.'  He appeared as a guest skater with the ZERO team in 2004, reportedly a week after a heroin OD.

Mike Davis - Davis was on Birdhouse's 3peat winning team, knocking out some of the most technical tricks in the book. 

Mark 'Monk' Hubbard - Monk, the founder of Grindline Skatepark, Grindline; the Band, Skatepark Builder extraordinaire appeared on the 2015 season of KOTR where he taught the Birdhouse team some of his signature tricks.  GRINDLAND, a doc on Hubbard and Mark Scott ends with a gathering in Hubbards honour.

Gangsta Boo - Lola Chantrell Mitchell, AKA Gangsta Boo of the Three 6 Mafia appeared in the 2016 season where she participated in the 'Do a trick over a twerker' challenge. Lizard King hit a crooks bonk on a board held by Jamie Foy over Gangsta Boo. 

This article sucks

RIP

hug your loved ones

im feeling sensitive today.

Carrville Community Centre Pump Track

 Carrville Community Centre Pump Track

655 Thomas Cook Ave

Vaughan, ON

Big property with a nice pump track by Transitions Bike Parks and some opportunities for some street spots if you're willing to put in the work. I got a weak nose slide on a ledge and no hassle. 

This Pumper has Lights but you gotta stay on the track, there's water hazards.

Hindsight being 20-20, I wish this 'desire path' had been paved.  It would have added additional line options. The double bumps are fun but I like the kickers present in the last few pump tracks I've hit.

How's the helmet rule gonna be enforced.