Parks yet unseen.

When I'm not out skating I'm playing Internet Sherlock Holmes trying to discover the next park to skate. I have a backlog of parks out of my area to try and hit on road trips.  By following different skatepark design companies on social media I try to keep up with what is under construction. I also follow park development, bid tenders and council meeting notes.

There are times, however, when a design company does not get to build the park.  Here is how I located one such park.

I was on facebook and saw something familiar here...

Not the Vegan Medic (which is run by a co-worker and served the best falafel I've ever had) but this picture.

Well, not this picture but a shot of this park under construction but from another angle. (This park is being built in Drumheller, Alberta.  The design (by Newline) is influenced by the fossil deposits Drumheller is known for)

The Suggested Page took me to a construction firm.

Murray Reeves: Concrete Finishing

This company has been building some of the best parks in the last few years. I went through their pictures and found they had built a skatespot in Halton Hills for Newline.

There were not any visible road signs in the photos and no address listed. It also was not listed on Newline's website.

This shot gave me the best clues.

The clock tower and some trailers. Halton Hills consists of 2 towns and many small communities but I got lucky checking out Georgetown first. I figured it was a new development based of the houses across the street. I checked out some Google Street View and Google Maps and found the following.

Clock Tower!

Trailers + clock tower = Park. 

And that's how you find a skatepark.

Found. Labour Day, 2015

Jubilee Skate Spot, Georgetown.

New Hobby

I bought a used drum set out of a craigslist shower and re-finished it.

It came out so well I decided to another...with a twist.  

 Old Westbury kit purchased for $40.

Stripped and sanded. Pearl Forum Snare.

 Silver paint grip tape.

 Bushings hi-hat clutch.

 Gripped pedals 

 Old Deck

 Cut

 Shaped

Tapered.

 Lacquered.

 Custom Black Cherry x Chocolate Stain.

 Taped for stripes.

 Sealing in a bug free zone.

 Assembly begins.

 Silver Grip Tape Snare with Bearing Air Vent.

 Switch Bass Decal

 Independent Trucks chop block, Bearing Air Vent, Spitfire Kit, Gripped Bass Drum Hoops & Recycled Deck Badges.

 Skate Wheel Bass Beater.

Rebuilt from Westbury Tom, Floor Tom & Bass. Pearl Forum Snare and Dixon Piccolo Snare. Custom Stain and Stripe finish inspired by Travis Barker's Wrestlemania kit. Pearl hi-hat stand and DW bass pedal. 

Cymbals - Zildjian A New Beat Hi-hats, 8" Sabian Prototype Rocktagon stacked on 10" Pearl Splash, 14" Sabian AAX - 15" Dark Crash, 16" X-plosion Crash, 16" Areo Crash, 17" X-plosion Chinese & 20" Pearl Wild Ride.

Skate Elmira Grand Opening

Skate Elmira Grand Opening 

Even with on and off rain the day was awesome.  The heat helped dry the park quickly between showers.

 The maple leaf. I came up with the concept for a maple leaf quarter pipe and after a bunch of modifications this was the final result. It's acid etched(or something) instead of paint so it's permanent and everyone loves it.

 Stained Glass Army rocked the tent.  Check 'em out here.

 Luke cleaning off the park.

 Mayor Shantz

 Kyle was honored with a custom deck.

"All it takes is a vision, perseverance and a community to turn dreams into reality"

 Kyle skates through the ribbon to open the park.

The clouds were pretty dark and the park was pretty slick when wet but fortunately, it dried quickly.  Ultimate Distribution put on a demo and were awesome.  

 I was having so much fun I didn't get many pictures.  I rode the bowl during the demo and got a boneless transfer over the tombstone and down the roll-in and later carved over the stairs.

When I was leaving some kid said I was awesome. It was a good day.

 It rained all the way home.

Gore Meadows.

Gore Meadows.

Brampton's newest park is ok.

Spott's Favourite Things

This is a totally random blog post about some of the things, skate related, that I like.

1. The Mutt - How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself. 

 Rodney Mullens autobiography is great. Covering the stories you knew (skating on an isolated farm in Florida) to some your didn't (smoking and quitting smoking weed at a very young age).

2. Stalefish - Skateboard Culture from the Rejects Who Made It.

 Featuring short stories from the ledgends. If you know who Alex Olson is but not his father, Steve Olson, get your head out of your ass and read this book.

3. Machotaildrop

Speaking of Steve Olsen...  This weird fantasy is like Willy Wonka meets Wes Anderson meets a sponsor me tape.  With Rick McCrank playing a veteran skater and Steve Olson playing the owner of a cake/skate shop you have to check it out. Try youtube.

4. Jeff Grosso's Love Letters to Skateboarding.

Pro Jeff Grosso takes us on a journey of his wandering mind back to the origins of tricks, classic skateparks and whatever else he feels like.

5. The Berrics - BATB

The Flatground comp to end all flatground comps

6. Girls Skate Network.

I love seeing anyone enjoy skateboarding as much as I do, regardless of skill level, and let me point out; these ladies are skilled.

7. Chicks in Bowls.

My awesome wife does Roller Derby and has migrated to the skateparks with me. I'm hyped to see her and her team mates push themselves in the park as these women do.

8. The Amazing Richie Jackson Skateboard Show.

Richie Jackson hosts a youtube show as unique as his skating.

9. William Spencer.

Just one of many skaters with a distinctive style.

10. Built to Shred

FUEL TV is now uploading episodes!!!

If you can find full episodes, watch them. Weather it's skating ridiculous contraptions or teaching you how to make a book ledge in the Hammered & Screwed segments you'll come away entertained or educated.