Deja Vu SK8

 Deja Vu SK8

Skateparks should be original concrete sculptures, designed by professionals but directed by the people who are going to use that park. 60 foot flat bar? Done. Oververt Key Hole? Sure thing. Replica of some local street feature? You Bettcha!

Basically, no 2 parks should be the same, even with similar features. Features like Pier 7 Ledges & China Banks Ledge are found in tons of parks but can be integrated in different ways. 

Neenah, WI & Woodhaven, MI

In the article "The Perils of Pre-fab" I mentioned how modular parks are frequently a bank, box, quarter and rail bolted to the ground. Not much variety when your ramps are produced in a factory in Oakville 

Pickering Skatepark. VF&A parks tend to have the Safety Rails, Wading Pool 'Bowls', Rounded Ledges and Boxed-in Quarter Pipes. 

Living in Pickering, there were always comparisons between our park and the one in Bowmanville as they shared several of the same characteristics. In further travels, I found those distinct features at a bunch of other parks that were built around the year 2000. Pickering was quite progressive when it built a public skatepark in the late 90's. This was a time not known for the great skatepark companies we have now and the Design contract went to Landscape Architecture firm Victor Ford & Associates. This firm is still in business today but have, thankfully, left skateparks to the experts. The Pickering skatepark, being the only skatepark around (Beasley being the next closest and another VF&A project) was popular. The story allegedly goes, Bowmanville saw the popular skatepark (as bad as we know it is now) and said 'Give us one of those'. 

Bowmanville even got the mini-ramp with no coping.

Here's a few more examples.

Windsor's Forest Glade Skatepark has some of the Boxed- in features

Boxed-in QP at Beasley Park in Hamilton

Maple Park in Burlington has the same QP, Wading Pool Bowl and Ride-on Flat Rail as Pickering.

I often refer to parks as VF&A era which means a bad park of the late 90's to Early 2000's.    

In my travels around Ontario, I have since found more skatepark twins...and a triplet.

2024 Update!

I was recently on a road trip to Upstate New York and checked out what I was sure would be a bad park. I was amazed to find a mirror copy of the first Georgetown Skatepark in Lewiston, NY.  Every terrible thing is there from the no-coping ledges to the big square rail.  Lewiston (above) does have a better rail but the park is garbage (a local admitted as such).  Thankfully Georgetown (an early VFA park) has been rebuilt. Hopefully Lewiston decides to do the same. 

Recently, I was contacted by Tom in Exeter, ON asking if I had any info on his local. I hadn't been there yet so I directed him to VF&A. They replied that they hadn't been part of that project (they didn't even reply to my email:( ). I took a trip out and saw a ton of similarities between Grand Bend and Exeter.

Exeter

Exeter features a big, mellow clamshell, mid-bank rail, super tight QP & metal corner benches. 

Grand Bend

Grand Bend also features a big, mellow clamshell, 2 mid-bank rails, super tight QP & metal corner benches. 

The next pair of parks are from a trip a few years ago. Rodney and West Lorne are about 10km from each other. It's pretty clear their skatepark designs were drawn with the same pen.

HAD SATAN?

You'd be forgiven for thinking this was two angles of the same park.  Must have had a coupon for orange paint.

OMG. Maybe it was tractor paint? This is my buddy's 1940's era tractor.

In June of 2021, I took 2 friends on a trip to hit some new parks and re-visit Port Dover for only the second time since wrecked my ankle there in 2011. Spoiler Alert - I landed on my head. Anyways, We ended up in Port Stanley, an old park I thought at the time may have been a VF&A park. We had some fun there even though I fell again. Video of the trip and fall is HERE.

The park had some awful construction. This was a 2 inch gap in the angle iron. The rest of the park showed some understanding of layout and flow.

Banks and quarters on both ends for speed with some obstacles in the middle.

OK, Neat. But I didn't think I'd see another park like this again until...

On a trip the next year I wound up in Mount Brydges...

and Glencoe

The Sportsfield Complex is called Project 2000 which leads me to believe all these parks were built around that time. Myself and others have tried to find some, any info but have failed resulting in the triplets being known as the Y2K Mystery Parks.

Last for this park twin for this post is a separated at birth senario...kinda 

Senoma Heights Skatepark is in Vaughan, ON

Mt Pleasant Skatpark is in Vancouver, BC

I haven't skated this park. Photo from 
Skatepark Tour.ca

Now, Did you really think I wouldn't notice?

Any more? LMK in the Comments.

EDIT - I forgot about this one until a Friend mentioned it.

Bolton's big bowl was a Phase 2 addition to the skatepark.

Imagine my surprise when I found Bolton's little sister in Summerside, PEI!

Which reminds me...
While we're in the Maritime's, the now defunct New Minas Bowl is the same as the EY bowl minus the roll-in.

 

Saputiit - Fish Weir Skate Plaza

 Saputiit

Fish Weir Skate Plaza

From Artist Mark Igloliorte

milkiglo

Stoked to share that my work: Saputiit _ Fish Weir Skate Plaza will be installed for the 16th Nuit Blanche, Toronto's free all-night celebration of contemporary art held from sunset Oct 1 to sunrise Oct 2, 2022.

As an Inuk artist, I am thrilled to share a plaza echoing the indigenous Weir design built around community, harmony with the environment and movement.

The Saputiit - 

Fish Weir Skate Plaza will be installed at Yonge & Dundas Square and permitted for skateboarding between the Sept 28 - Oct 7.

Skaterboarders from across Toronto and visiting from afar will have the opportunity to skate an iconic city square. While Skateboard Filmers with augmented reality enabled phones will be able to capture animated ARchar along side of the skaters flip in flip out tricks

I am super grateful for being selected by Artistic Director, Dr. Julie Nagam for Nuit Blanche 2022. I appreciate the essay they co-authored with Janine Marchessault about the possibilities generated from this Nuit: "For one night only, Nuit Blanche bypasses stringent city bylaws for public gatherings to enable novel forms of being together. The event transforms the urban fabric into uncanny landscapes that trade day for night, the private for communal, to privilege the ambulatory, sexual interactions of citizens connected to art, spectacle, and festival energies." - Julie Nagam and Janine Marchessault.

It's a dream come true to design a skateboard plaza. I am pleased to have given Blue Tile Lounge, So Hip & SkateLoft an earlylook at my design. With the City of Toronto, we will be further engaging with the Toronto skateboarding community for programming and events.

More information to come. For now, I am hyped to finally share this project!

Nakummek!

(re-typed due to formatting issues. Apologies for any errors.)

The obstacles are being used at City of Kitchener, ON Winter Indoor Skatepark @ Queensmount Arena. Check out Waterloo-Wellington Skateboard @ WWSB.CA

I had the opportunity to skate this installation with The Later Skaters Gang and man, was it ever fun. The atmosphere of Yonge-Dundas Square with all the crowds and skating an area that's usually a bust was fun. 

Whoops, blurry. Grabbing shots while dodging skaters.

Hybrid(e) Sculptures 2022

 Hybrid(e) Sculptures 2022

From the Artist's IG

pierre_descamps_

Same sculpture, different context.
For the project hybrid, each sculpture is produced three times and will be showed in three different cities.
Malmö, Sweeden - Bordeaux, France and Toronto, Canada.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
The whole project is an idea of @arielstagni @immonymen @leovallsconnected @asso_boardo and @gustaveden who invited me to design three sculptures specifically for their cities. Each shape will play with a different context, a different culture, architecture and different skaters.
Excited to see what will happen there.
So happy and proud to be part of that project, redefining the relation of skateboarding with public spaces, and the relation everyone has with this spaces in general.

The Hybrid(e) Sculptures in Toronto were placed in Barbara Hall Park, Regent Park and Roundhouse Park.  On a drizzly Sunday morning I managed to get downtown to quickly check them out. 

EDIT - Re-installed at Ashbridges Bay Skatepark. 

Quick Hits

Hybrid(1)

Hybrid(2)

Hybrid(3)

West Shore Skate Spot Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

 West Shore Skate Spot Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Sept 21, 2022

Amazing shot by Preston Farrell

Click HERE for more 

Pickering Municipal Elections 2022

 The Pickering Municipal Elections are happening on Oct 24 and advance voting begins on the 17th. More info can be found on the cities website HERE. This is info to help you make your choice. 

I've sent the following letter to the Candidates for Mayor, Regional and City Councillor for Wards 1,2 & 3.

Greetings Candidate
The Pickering Skateboard Park Strategy was approved in 2017 and in the 5 years following Pickering has opened one skate spot, The West Shore Skate Spot which just held a ribbon cutting ceremony.  The need for action sports facilities is great. Pickering is home to ~2500 skatepark users and most still travel to modern skateparks in Ajax, Uxbridge and Toronto. During the public consultations for the West Shore Skate Spot additional requests were made for skateparks in other parts of the city (both core and rural), pumptracks and multi-use skate pads.
Since the creation of the Strategy, both Skateboarding and BMX have grown due to many factors such as the pandemic (both can be individual activities allowing for social distancing) and their inclusion in the Summer Olympic Games. The new spot in West Shore was budgeted at $200k. It’s not often you can create an Olympic training facility for such a small investment.
How will you address the urgent need for additional action sports facilities when elected?
Thanks and I look forward to your reply.
Scott Loyst
Pickering Skateparks Alliance

For additional background on skateparks in Pickering, follow this link

http://scottdreamsofskateparks.blogspot.com/2015/09/blog-post.html?m=1 

Photo by Preston Ferrell 

As I have done other years, here are a summery of the answers I've received:

MAYOR

Kevin Ashe - Agrees we need more facilities. Advocacy works. Mentions Seaton facility and additional spot.

Janice Frampton - States Petticoat Creek is under utilized and could support a BMX park and other amenities.

Bradley Nazar - Increase investment in community infrastructure by directing Casino dividends to a Community Betterment Fund to be used on projects like skateparks. 

REGIONAL COUNCILLOR WARD 1

Maruice Brenner - Will ensure action sport facilities are not an afterthought but incorporated into new parks.

Tom Hayes - Has not yet responded

REGIONAL COUNCILLOR WARD 2

Linda Cook - Has not yet responded

Eileen Higdon - Has not yet responded

Ali Marani - Has not yet responded

Gary Strange - Has not yet responded

REGIONAL COUNCILLOR WARD 3

David Pickles - Has not yet responded

Peter Rodrigues -Has not yet responded

CITY COUNCILLOR WARD 1

James Blair -Has not yet responded

Tony Harold - Many additional facilities needed and will advocate by tabling budget submissions so projects are brought to fruition.

Zeynab Kazi - Will push for an Amberlea area skatepark and shorten project timelines.

Raveena Rajasingham -Has not yet responded

Lisa Robertson - Asked me to call - No Answer, has not replied to message.

Karen Sloan - Concerns for lack of planning in regards to increasing population with no facilities to support them. Appreciates advocacy.

Jeanie Soligo - Impressed by advocacy & disappointed with project length. Feels action sports facilities are necessary and will engage in developing parks

Anthony Michael Yacub - Has not yet responded

CITY COUNCILLOR WARD 2

Dave Currie - Has not yet responded

Frank McGillan - Has not yet responded

Mara Nagy - Wants to improve Pickering’s services to the level of Ajax or Markham. Would like to raise Developer Charges (SL FYI - developers pay these charges to build in Pickering. Many other towns & cities use these charges to build parks and park amenities ie skateparks).

Ayesha Sadar - Would like to see a skatepark in ward 2 & the community should not have to wait another 5 years for the next park.

George David Turner - Agrees that Rec facilities are needed but will prioritize projects with the more urgent needs as voiced by residents.

Nancy Van Rooy - agrees more skateparks are needed. Suggests creating a delegation (done) and a committee (done) and start fundraising. 

CITY COUNCILLOR WARD 3

Shaheen Butt - Did not supply a contact Email. Attempted contact through website.

Ali Naqvi - Has not yet responded

Darshan Sritharan - Has not yet responded

Damian Williams - Platform is to improve the city through Rec programs and Arts. A skatepark in Ward 3 would be beneficial