Tamworth, ON

A Case Study

The Importance of Skatepark User Directed, Designed and Built Skateparks.

Before I begin, I have dug as deep as I'm going to. Some sources have asked to remain anonymous. There is some speculation on my part but I mostly critique the construction and the park as I found it.

Tamworth held the Grand Opening of their Skatepark on September 16th 2023. I visited 10 days later. A friend who skated the opening told me to check it out before the winter.

Locals worked hard, fundraising and applying for grants and funds for over 2 years.

A designer/builder was hired (a great one) but the Town fired him, and a partially new design was created. I'm told the Town refused Geo-Technicial studies and went with a local concrete contractor to finish the project.

Wide shot photos of the park look good enough but something felt 'off' about the project. From the Grand Opening poster, it appeared the park had no flat bar.

Alright, I thought. The ledge on the curb cut obstacle could be used like a flat bar. For some reason, the image in the poster was flipped.

Here's the whole park. I'll break down the highlights & issues obstacle by obstacle.

This Bank with a Barrier Extension is built pretty well.

Here's a similar feature in Ilderton.

The top of the barrier was finished with 1" round finishing trowel. I've seen other barriers finished this way as well as Square Steel, Round Steel and Pool Block. The Steel is the most solid and stands up to impact. There was also this glob of dry concrete on the top.

This Curb Cut is a neat feature I haven't seen much in Ontario. They have also been completed with recycled hydrants in other skateparks. The ledge has no steel edging and the edges are beveled, making grinds very challenging. The surface was littered with dried concrete spray. I spent a bit of time chiseling off excess concrete to make a smooth surface for the locals.

Practically the same feature in Newmarket used as a garden planter.

A great Curb Cut feature in St Hubert, QC.

This round finishing is all over the park. It may be standard for driveways and sidewalks but it is hazardous in a skatepark. These gaps are big enough to catch a wheel and would have been filled with Bondo in the streets. I would not try to learn Nose Manny's here.

It really was everywhere. At the top of banks.

At the bottom of the quarter pipe.

Under the coping on the quarter pipe.

And it was done twice on this wall.

The Pyramid wasn't terrible but had some some issues. The ledge on the front has a section where the concrete is above the metal.

I'm still not sure what the purpose of these 'ramps' are. They are narrow, broom finished and don't reach the flat.

Both sides of the park have stair sets. The one on the QP side is flared. Neither are well set up as skate obstacles. The one on the other side has a bit more run up. A missed opportunity is the with the retaining wall. It could have been a great 'out ledge'.

Most of the coping has very poor reveal (BONK) and the sections that have reveal are hindered by the rounded finish.

This section of QP was covered in rough, dried concrete flecks. My best guess is that while broom finishing the steps, the crew didn't lay down a tarp and concrete came off the bristles and wasn't cleaned up.

There were pieces of dried concrete everywhere.

This 'China Banks Style' feature had the most construction issues.

From the back, it appears the feature required several concrete pours. An experienced company likely would have done it in two pours, building the ledge first and the banked wall around it.

The face and the top were finished with the round trowel.

The ledge was originally finished with the coping in line with the base of the wall. This would have been fine although slightly more challenging. Rather than remove and replace the ledge, an extension was poured in front and the top finished with a thin layer of concrete. This layer has separated and was crumbling.