Some Stuff for a Snowy Day

Some Stuff for a Snowy Day

Left over footy from Road Rage this summer including the sesh and slam at the DIY and some other assorted firsts.

Caledon Village Skatepark & Alton Bike Park Update
Preliminary designs were unveiled on December 1st for the new parks. The Town of Caledon is still taking feedback on the designs. Info and contacts can be found HERE. I think the skatepark could use a flat rail but that's just my opinion. The bike park looks pretty hype. I may have to dig my BMX out of storage or throw some fat wheels and risers on an old board.

Hey Welland!

Hey Welland!

Looks like you're getting a new park!!! Get involved. I'm sure you know how the parks in Port Colbourne, Dunnville and Phelam turned out. Get involved and give your input.

EDIT: There's a meeting on Jan 30th. That's all the info I have. 

Milton Community Park Skatepark

Milton Community Park Skatepark

I'll admit I was not hyped on the design when I first saw it. I thought the flow section was too narrow and features like the 'Taco Grande' and the 'Donut Roll' were unnecessary. They may be neat "artistic" features, but how functional would they be?

 Original concept. Actual park is flipped.

I though (based on the 3D render) that the Donut would look like this.

Checked out the construction on day and everything looked pretty good.

 I'm happy to say I was wrong about the design and this park is great. The park is larger than the design suggests. The flow section is wide and you can pump, launch, flow and build speed. The tech sections were big and perfect. The space donut is fantastic. The bowl has steps and a deathbox and is just right for experienced shredders or kids learning to ride transition from the bottom up.  The middle of the triangular design is concrete so you can skate and transfer everywhere and there's no debris from a grass infield.  Oh, and it’s lit!

From the top on the 'Taco Grande'

The 'Space Donut'

Flow section & Big Stairs.

Flow

Big Set

Small Section & Tech Zone from the Bank to Curb.

Nice, smooth Amoeba Bowl.

Bowl features Pool Coping, Stairs and a Deathbox.

Ontario's Worst Bowls

Ontario's Worst Bowls

Warning: This is a tongue in cheek article.

Included are the reasons these bowls didn't make the 'Ontario's Best Bowls' list. The worst is first and this article is padded for length. Some of these bowl are fun and you should totally go ride them. Just not Dryden.

Dryden, ON

A, then four year old, park in Northern Ontario looked okay from afar but but was far from okay.

Pre-cast concrete was shipped to the site rather than the park being poured in place.

The result was a cracked...

...and broken...

...and shifted park

It was actually too dangerous to skateboard in this bowl.

 The welds had snapped.

 The pre-cast concrete had broken...

 ...there huge gaps with filler that had also disintegrated. 

Orillia, ON

 Orillia has a wonderful location for their skatepark. It was built in 1999, an era when skatepark design was in it's infancy.

 The transition to 'vert' is kinked(concave? oververt?).

The coping (added later?) sits on top on the flat.

Bike tire tracks made in the fresh cement were never fixed. 

(Update - March 2021 The tire tracks have been buffed and filled and the 'coping' has been removed. Local advocates are working on getting a new park)

Icelands - Mississauga, ON

 Not a bad design but this bowl is showing its age. The drain is in the middle of the park but water pools at both ends

The coping has cracked and come apart. 

Some of the concrete has degraded under the coping

The flatbottom in the bowl has sunk leading to a lip right before the transition in some spots. The good news is I sent these and other pictures of issues with Icelands to the Mississauga Parks Division and some repairs were made and others will be addressed as weather allows. ( Update Sept 2021 - The lip in the bowl was shaved down but now it's like a rumble strip)

McLennan Skatepark Bowl (RIP)- Kitchener, ON

 I have no issues with the overall design of this bowl, it's what happened after. The skatepark (the entire park) is built on a former dump hence the the nickname Mt. Trashmore. The skatepark was placed on pileings (some say not enough). Either way, the bowl shifted and now water pooled in areas without drains.

The 'Hot Tub' was never supposed to hold water. (Update. The 'hot-tub' transition was removed so water can drain off this area to the grass.)

UPDATE! This bowl has been permanently closed and was removed by the city.

City of Kitchener Press Release.

CTV News Report

Midland, ON

This small bowl is lumpy and features coping flush with the concrete(no-ping). This was the only poured part of a pre-cast park.

Bad Design

 Both Bowmanville (above) and Pickering (below) were designed by the same company and boasted 3' and 2' "bowls".

 Mt. Forest has a hubba going into its bowl which has tiny no-ping.

Georgetown's original park has features that all lead into the middle. (Update - Plans for a complete demo and new modern skatepark in the works for 2022)

Classic Parks

Some parks have dated features or were never designed as skateparks in the first place. Forgive me if I knock some of your favourites.

Beasley Bowl, Hamilton, ON

A wading pool converted to a skatepark. This one is extremely popular and loved by locals. It's an interesting one to ride.

UPDATE. Beasley has been remodeled while respecting it's heritage. This 'bowl' has been refinished and a nice mini-pipe was added.

2nd Update - The bowl was PROPERLY refinished in summer 2021

Napanee, ON

The Aud - Kitchener, ON.

 Napanee and The Aud both have a mellow kidney shape with no coping. Great for launches but not great bowls.

Town of Durham

Ontario's Best Bowls

Ontario's Best Bowls

I thought I'd throw together a post of Bowls and Pools for those who love transition. Not included are Ontario's Worst Bowls, Vert Ramps(CJ's & Muskoka Woods), Mini-ramps and bowled out corners of skateparks(There are lots of them. Here's That POST). My top 3 are listed first and another 30+ are listed.
This is a living document and more parks will be added as they are completed (and skated).

Updated & Alphabetized (Sept 2024)

Campbellford

My favourite park and one of the best bowls. The roll out has a small Q. The deep end goes to vert and then some. The shallow is a great mini-ramp with a tight pocket end. There is also a love seat and the steep bank extension has marble ledge coping. Full Review.

Marina Park Plaza

Thunder Bay's Marina Park Plaza features one of the first Pool replicas in Ontario. By New Line.

Full Review of Thunder Bay's Parks.

Picton

I have to list Picton, ON in my top 3 as it's possibly the greatest mini-bowl ever. Extentions, spine, roll-in, love seat and more. I've never heard a bad word about this park. It's totally worth the trip. Full Review. 

Top 3 out of the way, Ontario has a great selection of transition if you're willing to travel a little. Some of it is pretty gnarly and some is fairly tame. Hopefully you find something you like below. Click the link to see the rest of the park.  Updated to Sept '24.

Acton

'3' Bowl.  3 Muskatears Skatepark, Acton, ON

Aurora

Aurora Family Leisure Complex. Bowl has some seepage issues but mini-bowl is great. Aurora, ON

UPDATE - After a review found it was not built properly, resulting in the seepage and other issues. Plans for a complete re-build have been put on hold until the park is un-ridable.

AJAX

Audley Rec. Centre, Ajax, ON - Pool extension and a pocket. 

Bancroft, ON - Roller wall, extension and a steep bank. Coping is sticky.

Belleville, ON

Bolton, ON

Bracebridge, ON

Riverside Skatepark, Cambridge, ON - 'Drop of Death' in the last place you would expect it but that adds to the challenge. Spine, transfer visor(?) & steep bank.

Courtice, ON - Triple lobe bowl with hips and an extension.

Elmira

Elmira, ON - Perfect for ripping or just getting your feet wet in the pool. Steep shallow end with a roll-in, stairs and a great deep end with a deathbox. Pool coping all around.

Fort Erie, ON

Georgetown

Mold-Masters Skatepark.

The pool and mini-bowl at the Gellert Community Skatepark can be skated in a line.

Guelph

Silvercreek Skatepark, Guelph, ON - Big bowl connects with an open snake-run that goes the length of the park. 

Hamilton

Valley Skatepark - Hamilton, ON - 970 Paramount Dr

Turner Park - Major fun at this one. Concrete coping in the deep end.

Waterdown Bowl - Big roller, extensions, pocket and a spine. There is now a up ledge by the spine. Alexandria(?) is under construction.

Check out all of Hamilton HERE

Huntsville

Huntsville, ON

Kanata

Richcroft Rec. Complex, Kanata, ON

Kawartha's Boys & Girls Club Skatepark, Lindsay, ON

Kawartha B&G's Club, Lindsay, ON

Keswick-Georgina

Kenora, ON - Extension, smooth concrete and a spine transfer to the rest of the park.

King City, ON  This one's a gnarly one. Deep, Steep and pool coping that barks.

Kirkland Lake

Oldie but goodie!

London

Medway Bowl - Huge bowl with a bit of everything.

Wolseley Barracks Skatepark - Tight & fast peanut with a deathbox.

Check out all of London HERE

Milton

Milton, ON - Milton Community Park. Brand new (fall 2016) deep bowl with pool coping, steps and a death box.

Newcastle - The new park has a mini that flows into the bowl.

Newmarket Outdoor Skatepark

800 Mulock Dr

Niagara Falls, ON - Bowl with a roll out to the rest of the park.

This bowl is a blast with 2 depths, extensions, hips and in/out transfer walls.

North Dumfries Skatepark in Ayr, ON

Norwood, ON

Oakville

Huge bowl at 16 Mile Creek Skatepark is now open! 6, 8 & 10' depths. All Pool Block!

William Rose Bowl - Oakville

Cornwall Rd Skate spot, Oakville - A big flowy moonscape bowl.

Port Dover

Port Dover, ON - An OK peanut. It's mellow and the coping is flush with the concrete but it won't make my list of worst bowls.

Richmond Hill

The bowl at Lake Wilcox Youth Park in Richmond Hill features a mini, extensions, a pump bump and a deep end with pool coping and a 13foot capsule.

More shots HERE

Stouffville

Memorial Skatepark, Stouffville, ON - Smooth with a fly-out to bank and extensions.

Strathroy

It's not great but I wouldn't call it 'worst'

Sarnia, ON

Tecumseh Skatepark - A little better than Strathroy, but there are still issues.

Temaskiming Shores/ New Liskeard

Toronto

Ashbridges Bay - Deep bowl added to the park as a phase 2. Pool coping and embedded ladder. Added the 2nd photo because it's way better, but it's not mine. Contact me for credit or removal.

8th Street - Shallow peanut.

Vanderhoof Bowl - Extensions, cradle, pool coping and an annual contest; Hoedown at the Hoof.

East York Skatepark - Tight and Fast.

Check out all of Toronto's Transition HERE

Check out the rest of Toronto's parks HERE

Uxbridge, ON - Smooth bowl with a steep bank surrounded by quarters. There's also extensions, a deep end and a big roller.

Vaughan

12 Oaks Skatespot, Vaughan, ON - Transition based skate spot.

Waterford

It's got some issues.  Great for scooters and BMX.  Every Skater seems to have an issue with the dimensions and coping.

Waterloo

Waterloo's Action Sports network is growing & Stork Family YMCA has a sick pair of bowls.

Welland, ON

West Lincoln Arena. Smithville, ON

There's a lot of quarter pipes all over Ontario.

Check them out!

Ontario's Mini Ramps - Basically a listing of everything else for transition lovers.