'25 in 52s

2025 is 52seconds

2025, frankly, I was a bit down at the beginning of the year. Maybe some seasonal depression but as the weather improved and I took a family vacation, I started to feel like my old self. I built less obstacles but wasn't any less busy with new skateparks, advocacy and family. I have a bunch of out-of-town friends I'm eager to link up with this year. There's a ton of park projects I'm following and I'm making stuff happen in Pickering.

Let's go 2025

Let's crush it in 2026!!!

All the new parks are in the Directory.

Some of the best this year were...

Matt Hughes Skatepark - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

North Bay All-wheel Park & Pump Track

Stefan Wenek Skatepark, Ottawa, Ontario. #600

Everything Advocacy.

Skatepark Consultations & Advocacy Mentoring

Here's to you Maciej and Bo!

Earl Bales

Gore Meadows

HALP Queensville

HALP Queesnville

North Bay All-wheel Park & Pump Track

NEW PARKS COMING

Pump Track & Bike Park Listing

Rose Valley Bike Park, Oshawa

The Long Skate Home

Skating 74km from Work to Home

Snow clearing is fun and easy with a good podcast.

Try 'Good Luck With That' or 'How Did This Get Made'

Trimmer Skate Spot

This park was not up to standard so I fixed it myself.

2 Road Trips with my Daughter

Kidnap the Sandy Claws

Contraptions

FUN

Ajax Community Centre Skatepark Concepts

The Town of Ajax and Newline Skateparks presented 3 concepts for the Ajax Community Centre Skatepark.  

It was another cold night, Two from the first meeting showed and two others.

The first meeting had been a larger group of local skaters who stated a preference for more of a street plaza with limited focus on transition.  The online survey had roughly a 50/50 split on street vs tranny.

The location of the skatepark is also going to be closer to the community centre.

This is where I get to vent my frustration.

Designers, cater to the people who show up. Even amongst our small group that showed last night, the desire is for street. Lots of ledges and rails, minimal transition, no need for a bowl.  Online surveys are open to ANYONE!  11yo that lives down the street from the project wants a pole jam.  Great. Add it. A 60yo surfer from South Africa that thinks surfskate ramps are cool.  Fuck all the way off.  Designers need to take a more measured approach on how 'global feedback' gets incorporated into the design.  There were several 'example skatepark' photos that I would prefer over the 3 concepts. Speaking of which, let's check them out.

Concept 1

Concept 1 stuck to the initial crews request for more street. We discussed a simplified bowl more similar to the Gellert mini bowl with some kind of extension feature. 

Concept 2

Much more transition based.  We chatted about the volcano being a waste of space like the boob at Non-dons. I preferred this bowl to the kidney in concept 1.

Concept 3

Thinking a little more outside the box, C3 features a large flow bowl and 'L' shaped street section.  I like the ledge feature.  

The concepts with presented by Bill and there was a lot of discussion. Bill then asked me for an opinion 'as you've been to a lot of skatepark meetings'

Thats probably why I shouldn't say anything.

No one else brought it up so I didn't then but I will here.  Design 1 is practically what NL just presented for Confederation Skatepark in Toronto.  And it's really similar to Gellert, North Bay and some other projects.

Confederation

Ajax CC Skatepark Concept 1

Scan the QR or click HERE for the Survey (til Dec 26, 2025)

Thanks to the people who show up.

 Confederation Skatepark

Toronto, ON

For the last year, Skatepark Champions have been directing this skatepark project.  The SC feedback pushed for transition as well as street features. There's been online surveys and a virtual meeting with the city, SC's and the public. 

The preferred design was presented to the public at an open house at the Scarborough Centennial Recreation Centre. I think they look great and wouldn't change a thing the locals desire.

I did suggest a small deck behind the bank to curb (feature 1) to prevent the grass from being worn out.  This actually led to a great discussion with the designers. He stated they'd explored that idea but due to the slope and drainage it had been left out.  I said I was only thinking of a small deck, 1ft max, and not a continuation of the mini ramp deck.  'We can do that' he said.

Good to see local skaters and fellow advocates out on a cold snowy night.

Future Home of the Confederation Skatepark aka Confed (maybe).

 Ajax Community Skatepark. Meeting 2

Show Up or Shut Up