The Final Five

The Final Five

I started throwing around "The Final Five' in reference to the 5 skateparks needed to hit 300. Having hit #200 in 2013, 100 in 2011 and only started counting in 2006 I thought 300 should be a great park.

296

Greengate Skate Spot, Cambridge, ON

I hit this small spot at the end of August on the way to Guelph.

Full Post Here

297

Silvercreek Skatepark, Guelph, ON

I got to this beautiful new park and got to skate with Kurt of the Dirty Jags.

This park is so popular other nearby communities and switched plans from modular skateparks to PIP after seeing the difference. 

Full Post Here.

298

10th Line & Aquitaine, Mississauga, ON.

A smalled, mostly pre-cast concrete park in the west end. I hit this first thing in the morning after a night shift.

299....sort of.

The Eganville skatepark is on holiday...permanently, I think.

299

Visited the Pembroke Skatepark while up visiting a friend. It is very popular and maybe too small for it's popularity. Hopefully it gets a phase 2.

300

I wanted 300 to have some meaning and be a great park. I chose St. Thomas' new Railcity Skatepark because I liked the design by Newline Skateparks and the early footage is great. Some people on Instagram told me to take a broom and they were right. The park is done and open but it's in the middle of a huge construction project.  I went with my darling wife, Amy, on a cooler day. We had to stop and buy gloves.  

I love how train track was used in the park. 

We had fun. I fell on my butt really hard. The type of butt fall where you feel it in your head. 

Concrete just seems harder when it's cold outside.

301

I hit another park on the way back to the highway, because why not? Why stop at 300?

I'll still hit almost every park possible but I'll make sure the road trip includes a quality park or two.

New Skatepark Info

New Skatepark Info.

Pickering

The latest new on the Pickering skatepark is this; There is a new skatepark strategy included in the new parks master plan. The parks dept. is also recomending council approve a firm (a great one that can't be named yet) to be consults. This should be going ahead this month (Oct 2016) and hopefully I'll have more news by November. For more on the process that got us here --> CLICK.

Toronto

I got out to an open house hosted by Councilor Jim Karygiannis announcing a new skatepark and playground replacement in Fundy Bay Park in Agincourt. Reception was generally positive with the public voicing concerns regarding safety, noise and suggesting other ideas for the park. 

I arrived early and was looking at the examples of other skateparks. I ask a guy from Parks where they got the pictures.

'We got them from the Toronto Skateboarding Committee.'

"Oh, because their mine...And that's me." As I point at one of me jumping a 5 set on my wedding day in my rented tux.

Half of the pictures were mine.

I did speak to Migs and Nick of the Toronto Skateboarding Committee (Check them out HERE) because I'm cool with my photos being used this way. Migs said I have photos of the park before all the graffiti. 

A few days later I was invited to the Toronto Skateboarding Committee general meeting at Toronto City Hall.  The city wide skatepark strategy was presented. They also talked about an additional future park in addition to Fundy Bay and the upgrade of another. The Committee is active in Toronto, advocating for parks, identifying repair needs and working with city hall and other government bodies to promote and enhance skateboarding.

If you want to be involved with the TSC you can sign up on their website --> HERE

Late Breaking News

Emphasis on the Late.

From Toronto Skateboarding Committee

Facebook      Instagram

SKATEPARK MEETING - Thursday Sept 22, 6-9 pm at Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute. 200 Fundy Bay Blvd.
If you live in the Agincourt area in Scarborough your local councillor will be holding a public meeting about the development of a new concrete skatepark. This is an initial public meeting to present the idea to the community. Please attend the meeting if you live in the area and if you know anyone from there please let them know about the meeting.

I'll be there tomorrow ready to answer questions/shut down complaints with the facts. Hope to see you there.

Spott the Loonie VS The Dirty Jags Tour

Spott the Loonie VS The Dirty Jags Tour

I never made this blog with the intention of it being used by anyone I hadn't met. I figured if friends and skaters I met looked at it, that would be cool. I never imagined strangers would ever find it, let alone find it useful. 

In August of 2015 I received a message.

Dirty Jags Tour3 August 2015 at 15:03

The Dirty Jags Tour is a group of skateboarders and bikers who do a week long trip every year and we would like to thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the creation of this skatepark list! It has been extremely helpful in the planning process for the Dirty Jags Tour 2015!

We plan on touring for as many years as we can but I do not think we will ever visit as many as you!
Enjoy the rest of your summer! We will be on the road August 22 - September 4 this year! Check out our twitter, instagram, or facebook.

Thanks Again

Kurt - Dirty Jags Tour organizer

Blown away I replied and stayed in touch via social media. The Dirty Jags (Youtube Here) have been skating and BMXing as friends for years. After a bunch of correspondence we finally met the day after the Skatelife Road Trip (That post is here).  Kurt's buddies had joked that I was some old(er) guy catfishing them and honestly, I kind of thought I might be played. 

We met up on their first day at Port Hope, ON (Review). We had fun and got a doubles shot. I was still in full gnar mode from my road trip and hoped they didn't think I was showing off or skating to impress.

 Derek, Carter, Dan & Kurt; The Dirty Jags...and Some Guy.

They even make their own tour guidebook with skateparks, camping areas and drinking games.

Kurt and I got this after a few attempts. 

I had to go back to real life for a few days but was able to meet up with them again on the last day of the tour in Cannington, ON (Review).  They had made it through the week with minimal injuries and rain.

I don't seem to have any photos or video from that day. When I find some I'll post it.
EDIT; I found some vids of me failing. ENJOY!

A few days ago Kurt and I met up at the new Silvercreek Skatepark in Guelph, ON (Review). We had a great skate with some of the locals and educated masses of kids on proper skatepark etiquette.

Kurt filmed this for me at the end of the day.

Afterwards we were chatting about life and our age difference came up (I won't say the number but I'm older by the same number Tony Hawk is older than me). He finished with "Ya dude, but you still shred!'

Meant a lot to me, man.

As soon as I get The Dirty Jags Tour 2016 Video I'll post it. *Now posted below.*

Big thanks to the guys. Thanks for having me out to shred with you.

Kurt was staying in Guelph for a few days.  Two days later he sent me a video of this BS Feeble down the big set. Awesome skating with you, dude. Next time in Ottawa!

Silvercreek Skatepark, Guelph, ON

Silvercreek Skatepark 

Guelph, ON

Guelph has been waiting for a long time and they finally have a beautiful concrete skatepark from New Line.

 From this pano you can see that 3 of the sections flow together into a long snake run.

 There are plenty of gaps, rails, ledges and hubbas of all sizes.

 Ditch Section.

 Tech street section.

 Big Set.

 Open Bowl.

 Little skater dude with a Dirty Jags sticker. More on that later.

Some of the local kids don't have their park etiquette down and like to hang out in the middle of the action. I managed to avoid destroying a kid and broke his bike pedal off with my shoulder blade instead.

Quick skate through.

I couldn't leave without dropping off the safety rail.

Parking lot off of Edinburgh Rd. S. just south of Wellington St. W.

Park 297

Green Gate Skatespot, Cambridge, ON

Green Gate Skatespot 

Cambridge, ON

A small, simple spot with a flat rail and a ledge over manny pad.

 Simple set-up but there's beauty in simplicity.

 The flat rail is supported in a laser cut slab of steel.

 The skatespot fits nicely into the park.

 The ledge/manny pad is great.

The only thing that would make it better is a concrete surface instead of asphalt.

180 Maple Grove Rd.

Cambridge, ON

Park # 296

Erin, ON

Erin has a medium sized modular skatepark in a fenced off area at the arena. Following noise complaints(which they wouldn't have if the park was poured in place) the town built a sound barrier wall around half the fenced area.

Located at Centre 2000.

14 Boland Dr, Erin ON

Park # 295