5th Annual Ghost Ryders Skatepark Competition Is a GO!!
After a 2 year COVID hiatus, The Delburne Skatepark will once again play host to BMXers, scooter riders, and skateboarders from central Alberta schools for an amazing, unique, and fun celebration of action sports.
Hosted by Delburne Centralized School, the competition is for any student currently in grades 7-12. This year because of the 2-year break, there is a special category for alumni. This category is for any past participants in the Delburne comp who graduated in 2020 or 2021 and missed their last chance to compete.
The Delburne skatepark and this competition are both the result of an incredible relationship between the youth of Delburne, their school, and their community. Skateparktour.ca told this story in a 2017 post and video.
Students from ANY school or school district are welcome to come to Delburne and participate in the competition. Because it is a school-based event on a school day, schools will require certain paperwork to be completed. For more information on competing (or sponsoring!) contact @delburne_ghost_ryders on Instagram or email: sbanks at cesd73.ca
At log last the Localz skatepark tour video of the awesome Leduc skatepark is complete! join Leduc Local Joe Weidmanas he shows you all of the best features of this outstanding skatepark, located just south of Edmonton and not far from the Queen Elizabeth 2 highway. Definitely worth the stop if you are driving Highway 2
Skaters 14-17 Years Old Needed for Online Interview Study
A researcher from the University of Guelph wants to learn about skateboarders’ love for skateboarding, even though they have experienced injuries from the occasional slams that come with being a skater.
Specifically, they need:
PASSIONATE skateboarders
Aged 14-17
Have been injured skateboarding
Willing to explain and discuss why skateboarding is important to them in a roughly 30-minute video interview
Volunteerskaters who do the interview will receive a gift card as thanks for sharing their time and insights for the study.
The City is creating preliminary and detailed design plans for skate and bike parks. The City has not yet approved funds for construction. The parks will be built in the future when funds are available. Until then, the project team wants to design parks that will be popular with park users, and have the plans ready to go when funding is approved.
Online Engagement Opportunities
To collect user opinions on designs for the skate and bike parks, the City is hosting online engagement opportunities from December 1 – 14, 2020.
To provide feedback, please attend 1 or both of the online learning sessions then complete the online survey, which is available from December 2-14, 2020.
Skate Park Online learning session December 2, 2020 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Bike Park Online learning session December 3, 2020 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Online survey Available December 2 – 14, 2020
Register to attend the learning session(s) relevant to you on the Parks & Recreation project webpage after which you can provide your opinions in the survey.
The feedback that the City receives will be used along with other factors, to create the final design for bike and skateparks as part of the Glengarry District Park Renewal.
Please share this information with friends and others who would use either park
The very popular Innisfail Skatepark is the subject of the first Localz Skatepark Tour Video of 2020. Innisfail skateboarders Brannen and Christian take you on a tour of this new (Less than a year old), $1 million skatepark in central Alberta, a few minutes south of Red Deer. Watch the video then check out the virtual tour of the Innisfail skatepark, right here on Skateparktour.ca!
Skateparktour.ca is excited to announce a brand new partnership with Canada Skateboard!! We will work together to include ALL Canadian skateparks on Skateparktour.ca! Canada Skateboard and Skateparktour realize how useful a complete skatepark directory will be and are working together to make it happen!
This partnership will be good for everyone who uses Canadian skateparks, not only skateboarders. If you skate, BMX, scooter, inline skate, roller skate, or unicycle you can use Skateparktour.ca to find skateparks, and you can submit skateparks to be added. The more skateparks on the list, the more we all benefit.
Whiterock BC Skatepark
We need EVERYONE who uses skateparks to tell us about skateparks missing from Skateparktour.ca! We want EVERY skatepark, large, small, indoor or outdoor. Use our easy to complete form to submit a skatepark. You can submit as many parks as you can visit, there is no limit!
To help get the wheels rolling about this project, Canada Skateboard is offering prizes for contributions made before August 31st! Every valid skatepark submission gives you a chance to win one of three prizes. You could win a Canada Skateboard coffee book, a Canada Skateboard deck or a Canada Skateboard Hydroflask.
So, let the skatepark blizzard begin! If your skatepark is not already on skateparktour.ca, submit it today!!!
When we belong to a community we show it in what we do and the choices we make. Last weekend I went to Innisfail to shoot video footage for a Localz Skatepark Tour Video. Before the shoot, I was telling some young local BMXers about skateparktour.ca and the video I was there to shoot when one of the group slipped into the bowl to retrieve a broom and pop can dangerously littering the bottom of the bowl. A few minutes later after the conversation, another in their group noticed that a lot of dirt and some leaves had accumulated at the base of a bank. He picked up the broom and swept the slippery and skateboard/scooter wheel stopping debris safely out of the park.
In neither case were the stoked-to-ride young BMX’ers asked, reminded, suggested, or told to clean up the park. These 9 and 10-year-old kids just saw something that needed doing and took care of it. That’s one thing that contributing members of a community do. See something that needs doing that they can do, they do it safely, and they ask no reward for it. Every skatepark needs lots of community members like these guys!
On the weekend we shot video of Christian and Brennan with Stephen B for a Localz video tour of the new Innisfail skatepark! The park cost $1 million and has proven very popular since it opened in October 2019. Look for the Innisfail Skatepark Localz video early in August.
Here is the skatepark that the local skater referred to
I was at a small town skatepark recently, taking virtual tour photos. A local skater, probably 14 or 15 years old came by for a session just as I finished taking photos. I gave him a sticker and told him what my photos were for. I also let him know about Skateparktour.ca because not everyone knows about it yet!
He commented that his town needs a new skatepark because the current one has no bowl. He’s right, the current park in his town is very limited. It has no elevated components to gain speed. It also lacks a variety of features such as stairs, up/down rails, hubbas, gaps banks, or transition features.
I responded that “it was time to start working on getting a new park”, and wished him a good session while I loaded gear in the car. It hit me as I drove away that what I said was not very helpful or motivational. I wished that I had made these 4 points with him:
Most skateparks exist because some people worked hard advocating for it, and persisted for years in some cases
Some skatepark efforts took years of advocacy, fundraising, and planning to get amazing skateparks built. Some examples include:
The Rossland skatepark.
The Rossland Skatepark, Rossland BC. The Rossland Skatepark Association was formed in 1996 to advocate for the skatepark which was recently opened (2017 or2018?). The RSA put in about 24 years of dogged persistence and advocacy to get a skatepark for Rossland, a town of about 4000.
SLP Skatepark, Lethbridge AB The Lethbridge Skateboard Association fought hard through much adversity to get Letbridge’s first modern skatepark built, now they have 2 more!
Lots Of Skateparks exist because of advocacy by young people – Go ahead, become an advocate in your town!
Here are three examples of skateparks built with youth getting the wheels rolling, there are many more
Delburne Skatepark
Legacy Skatepark, Langdon AB Langdon youth got huge support from their local FCSS. They helped the young people organize and approach the Council and the provincial government for funding.
Delburne Skatepark Delburne AB When Delburne skaters spoke up about the need for a skatepark their school got behind them, then the Delburne Village Council, local businesses, and members of the community supported the project as well. Delburne now has a skatepark that is the envy of many much larger towns!
Lacombe Skatepark, Lacombe AB Similar to Langdon, one of the first supporters when youth spoke up was the local FCSS. A skatepark committee made up of youth and adults who supported the skatepark process as passionately as the youth raised they money and got a very fun skatepark built in Lacombe..
Find allies, others who want a new skatepark too, including:
Other youth, including skaters, BMX’ers, scooter riders. Taxpayer money will pay for most of the skatepark cost so everyone will get to use the skatepark and every user group would help make it happen!
A youth-focused organization that may be able to support your cause, for example, the Boys & Girls Club, FCSS, teachers, or your school
Supporters on your local council and local business people
You are not on your own, there are resources you can access!
I made it to Edmonton this past weekend for the opening day of the newly expanded House of Wheels 2.0. This video tells the story of what I saw and was able to video.
HOW 2.0 is located across the parking lot from the old skatepark at 8834 48 Ave. NW. The entrance is toward the north end of the building, and there is a ramp to make it easier to get your bike, wheelchair, or mini-shredder’s stroller up to the park level.
There is now a large gathering area with tables and chairs where parents can hang out, or take a break between sessions on the ramps.
Features
New to HOW 2.0 is a Little Shredders area, with some small features for the real little ones go gain skill and confidence on before riding the main park.
Also new is the pump track and flow jump area. The two areas run parallel to each other with the pump track on the inside, and the flow jumps on the outside. Both have high banked corners to help riders keep their speed up.
The box jump line is not open yet because the staff couldn’t get them ready for opening day. When I arrived Saturday morning, about an hour before opening, workers were cutting wood and screwing them into place on the pump track feature. Some had worked through the night to get the park ready to open.
I will return to House of Wheels in a few weeks to take photos for a new virtual tour, once everything is in place and working properly. Until then, you can get an idea of what to expect from the slideshow and this video (which is also on the HOW page).
Edmonton is so lucky to have House of Wheels! The last two skateparks in the area didn’t survive 2 years and here is HOW expanding and growing! It may not have every feature you want, but House of Wheels offers lots of variety, and they have plans to add even more features over time. If you’re in Edmonton, pick up a pass or punch card and enjoy a session from time to time to ensure the park continues to thrive!
HOW 2.0 is located across the parking lot from the old skatepark at 8834 48 Ave. NW. The entrance is toward the north end of the building, and there is a ramp to make it easier to get your bike, wheelchair, or mini-shredder’s stroller up to the park level.
