Let's help Toronto

 Let's Help Toronto

Elizabeth Simcoe Skate Spot is in the planning stage & the City of Toronto is proposing 3 modular skatepark designs and are taking feedback. (yes, I cut & pasted some stuff from Newcastle)

My advice.

Step 1) Don't go Modular.

Step 2) Don't go Modular.

Step 3) Concrete is the way to go.

Project Info Here - Elizabeth Simcoe Skate Spot

While the concepts are exciting to see, anyone who has been to a lot of skateparks know that the finished product is not always as great as the concept when it comes to modular parks.

A sort of Open Letter To Toronto Staff

Hello Toronto City Staff

I am not opposed to any of the concepts but I am more in favour of a poured in place concrete skatepark. PIP Skateparks are now the industry standard. The Skatepark Project ( formerly The Tony Hawk Foundation) considers modular skateparks as temporary skateparks & does not provide grant money towards them. It is becoming more and more common to replace modular skateparks with PIP concrete as was the case in London and Welland.  With the successes of Stanley Greene & Fundy Bay Skateparks, it's surprising the city go back to outdated products.

I've identified some elements in the concepts that have real world issues.

Number 1. The double length low ledge/manny pad. One of these obstacles was included in the update of Smithfield Park in Etobicoke. 

The gap in middle prevents riders from grinding the whole ledge. Anyone attempting the grind the whole ledge gets thrown as their skateboard comes to an abrupt stop. The metal edge is also soft and not great for attempting grinds.

Additionally, the grinding edge is often installed poorly, leading to the sharp edge of the ledge being exposed, which can take chunks out of a wheel of flesh.

Number 2 - CRC's Snap Obstacle - While it looks cool, it is loud, hard to skate and a waste of space in such a small skate spot. 

The Arthur Skatepark has one of these features. It was missing at the Grand Opening of the park as it was on backorder. When I skated it a year after its installation I found a considerable amount of rust on the supports.  Here is a video of my time skating Snap.

Number 3 - Park transitions involving planters and mulch are a problem.  Whether it's mulch, crushed gravel or soil,  skate spot use and weather with bring these materials into the park where it poses a hazard to riders.

Chinguacousy Skatepark in Brampton had planters when it first opened but as mulch frequently got all over the park the city filled the planters with concrete. The City of Markham also removed a garden surrounding a skate spot after users reported their concerns. Grass or a transition of asphalt, textured concrete or brick is recommended to keep the park clear of debris. 

Number 4. Transition Plates -  The transition between the ramp and supporting surface is a high impact area. Besides creating a lot of noise, the metal ramps often bend. This will result in an unsafe ramp for the skatepark users. Concrete parks blend the transition into the flats for a smooth and quiet ride.

Here you can see how a warped ramp can stop a wheel and throw a rider into the ramp

Kilbride Skatepark in Burlington was less than a year old when I found this damage on the transition of the pre-fab ramp.

Number 5. Water trapping and deterioration - Poured in Place (PIP) concrete parks take drainage into account by sloping the park 1-2 degrees or installing drains. Modular parks frequently are placed on flat surfaces with poor drainage, resulting in pooling on the park.

Water trapped under the ramps deteriorates the concrete underneath.

Pre-Fabricated parks are more succiptable to damage and vandalism.  Here section of ramp siding sits in the parking lot of the old Smithfield Skatepark in Etobicoke.

6 - Run up/Run Out - Skaters for Public Skateparks 'Skatepark Adaptation Model' (SAM) has calculated that 23 meters are required for a user to gain speed, set up for a trick, perform said trick and land safely before stopping.  This spot does not appear to have the required run up or run out to use the park to its full potential, especially since you can't go around the back of the ramps.

7 - Proximity to the path and homes.  The proximity of the large ramps the the edge of the walking path could lead to unintended interactions between skaters and other park users.  Falling in skateboarding is a guarantee and boards may cross the path by accident.

The Urban Grind, a skatepark study by the University of Portland, suggests a distance of 200ft from a PIP concrete is enough to mitigate any noise from the spot.  These pre-fab metal are significantly louder and the closest homes and school appear to be within that range.

Here's an example of a similar sized spot done properly.

Alton Skate Spot.