I am baaaaaaaack……….That place is amazing. Best part is, in one year, they are going to renovate it to make it better. It’s something you all should see. It’s like a Disneyland for street skaters. All we need is Mickey Mouse walking around passing out cotton candy…….
This is a photo of me….actually doing something other than a tailslide……backside 180 switch back smith..DC Plaza…Oh, I will be back…..soooooon.
Body Choppin’, where’d yer body go ki?
well, 80 percent of teenaged skaters prefer street terrain, so enjoy it now. “They found that their statistics matched current national trends indicating that 78 to 80 percent of skateboarders prefer street style design. This is supported by a Board-Trac Survey from 2003.”
Actually, where did the original skateplaza post go? It mentioned concern over slippery surfaces, unwaxed ledges, and the fact that the place wasn’t very full, even on a weekend. Where were 80% of the skaters from those surveys? Im sure it was fun, and from the photo, its obvious that you know how to ride that stuff. Travel is one of the best parts of skating. I will hit the road myself, in order to skate what I want to skate.
Basically, for some people, such as myself, going to where the session is, is what seems to be the most important. My original post, lost track of that. Also, it is in my nature to be an obsessive compulsive bitch when it comes to anything and everything. The original post about the plaza really didn’t do it justice. Truth of the matter is, that place is amazing. Scanning my brain, I can’t think of another word to describe it. Everywhere you turn there is some different way to skate that place. There is no right way. Kettering, Ohio now has something that Philadelphia had, and now lacks……..a central meeting spot. Their own litle piece of heaven. That place where no matter what, there is always gonna be someone there. Handshakes and high-fives. Shared drinks and games of SKATE. I truly miss those times at Love. The plaza reminded me of some of the best memories of my life. Watching the way the people interacted with each other, skateboarders and passerbys included, was something I haven’t seen in a while. People were getting along. The plaza is somewhere where you can sit and eat your lunch, learn a new ledge trick, or just meet up to see where the party’s gonna be at. You know your homies are always gonna be there. And it’s all love. My original post was typical Ki. Bitching and complaining about something I WISH I had, is my usual response. But, not now. Just enjoying the fact that these kids have a safe haven, somewhere hassle free, that’s actually really good is a blessing withthin itself. Now that seems to more important than if the ledges are waxed. GO SHRED!!!!!
Thats a good reply. Nice work. I dig your attitude. I really hope SRSP is everything you guys want it to be, hope it will be because its got nothing that I want. That is as sincere as it gets. Nothing personal intended. I can’t skate railings, I literally don’t know how. Does that make me less of a skater? I don’t want to ollie any more stairs, so should I sell the stuntwood? You guys are capable of feeling loss, its obvious from KI’s post, and thats how I feel about SRSP not including a bowl in the original design. Tell me whatever you want, tell me I could form a committee and get funding and goto meetings, tell me to go skate FDR, tell me to move, tell me you want to fight me, warn me against “replicas”, call me a cynical old school barney, don’t invite me to your parties, whatever. I think that the skaters in Philly are getting conned in a big way by the city government and thats a big part of why I am so upset about this. Of course I’ll skate FDR, and its all that, greatest tranny ever or whatever BS accolades people want to shower it with, I agree, FDR is a Kickass spot, and a sketchy bumpy dump, without peers. FDR is also way closer to my house. But, in a city as large as philly, with roots as far back as cherry hill and as current and proud as FDR, is there really and truly no room or reason for a second bowl? For a second beautiful kidney bowl with tiles and federal stone coping and no kinks? With a real shallow end and a waterfall? I can’t explain how much I want to skate that right now. I’d drive to Nashua NH every night if I could. I drove 1500 miles in 4 days in Colorado to skate as many bowls as I could, it was like I was starving for roundwall. Honestly. Is Philly too small or broke to accomodate one more bowl? I think that the reason the city is so amped on this design is because they are getting the skaters to pay for a facility that will be usable by anyone. A bowl is too specific of an item. Families can’t picnic or lay on blankets in the bowl. The current design could be EASILY converted to a non-skatepark too, to a place where skating is banned (perhaps due to violence, litter, graffiti, drugs, truancy, who knows). No one’s signing a contract that says its got to always be a dedicated haven for skaters are they? Now its gotten to the point where the city itself considers the park’s design to be “…respectful of its neighbors.” and implies that the addition of a bowl would be less than respectful. How does that logic work? How does one Kidney bowl with pearly white coping set off to the side of the park take away from the respectful design of the street plaza? Further, you guys, please, think about the cost youre all being asked to pay. Kettering wasn’t 5 million bucks. Ask the city where that money is going. You could get 4 ketterings for 5 million, maybe 3 in philly where the realestate and labor cost more. Thats it, I can’t wait for the brick quarterpipe. At least I won’t have to dodge cars. People won’t believe it, but I have nothing but respect for the people who worked hard to get the park going. We don’t agree but dischord can exist within the realm of respect. Also, my wish to add a bowl to the park would not require the removal of any of the existing plans.
Dan, find me one ledge to do a tail slide on in philly, just one. More will get built in Philly. By the way, we can still build a new bowl at FDR… why are you hatin so hard? You were so down for so long. Now you act like we hate on trannie… one spot at a time dam it!
“People won’t believe it, but I have nothing but respect for the people who worked hard to get the park going. ” Nugget, I will trade you three ledges for a kidney bowl. Im joking, I think we could all use a higher ollie. Its probably difficult to find a slappy curb here than it is to find a ledge. If I didnt care, or if I wasn’t down why would I even bother? Post a valid reason why a bowl couldn’t possibly get added to the plans without taking away a single attribute already there.
Dan, you can come to my party any time, only im a nerd and I only invite nerds to parties. you can come to my store and party with me and talk about bowls and you can help us find a location to build a bowl, but bitching on this site is boring me. Lets do it, lets have a party and lets build a bowl. I want to. Does anyone else? right now I am skating FDR, VANS, and some waxed curbs with no ends to keep the street alive. If we have a public park like the vision of SRSP we willl have something new, nothing like love, FDR, NYC, Boston, or OHIO. A true public space. as for the city taking over, well with kids pulling knives at skateparks anything is possible. But what the hell does that have to do with a bowl? With only 2 groups (SRSP and SAN) with only about 20 people working… what the hell are we supposto do? We are a small fuckin town and no one wants to work, just bitch. Jon Haveboard is the best dude right now, working on 20 projects and pushing a good vibe. Thanks for this site. Dan we love you come out and play street skater with us and maybe you will remember. Or maybe just come down to minnow and get me back into bowl skating. Stop the hate.
I’ll tip my hat to haveboard every time. I grew up skating street. I still go sugar kicking. The city conned skaters into funding a “truly public space” that can be converted into a non-skating facility at the drop of a hat and like mayor street, no one wants to admit their mistakes. He could lose the pink boxes tomorrow and this whole thing would be over, free of charge. But that would highlight his shortsightedness and damage his career. The addition of a bowl to the designs would not have required any additional work. Regretfully, I had and now have a host of more pressing resposibilities and I can’t be the “Edward” that I’d like to be. Thats a prop to Ed and all the people he works with in SAN. If I were in charge, we’d have Klamath Falls 2 in one second. I know how it goes and its a shame that there has to be this friction. Grindline can’t build street stuff, dreamland is too jocky, I am glad you guys are behind the design for these reasons. I rode carbondale and thought it was average. Its all bowls, my wet dream right, but it wasnt all that Phelps’s KOTR would have you believe. It wore you out fast and had nothing for the street skater. Stupid design. Crested Butte, same, nothing for the street skater, stupid. There is no hate to stop. Trace a bean in one of the green spots on the plans and I will buy you drinks from now on. That or publish a logical and viable reason why a park can’t be all that and more? Why do we have to stop just shy of making everyone as excited about SRSP as you are? Why? I want statements of fact, not questions about my being up or down, hateful or otherwise. Its a tight family here, I realize that. Cheers to the curbs that don’t end.
DO, are you still THAT hung up about the bowl issue?
Absolutely. 100%.
My thoughts have been made clear and public. You can all think what you want to think. I am hung up and frustrated by this, but yet, I know its not the most important thing in the world. My wife is so sick of hearing about it, more than any of you guys are. Just imagine how I feel. I want the most kickass spot thats possible. The city itself admits that the design will please up to 80% of the projected users, so thats like an average grade. Its passing I guess. No replica’s right? Im not calling anyone a name, and I am not trying to start a fight. Don’t think Im a peace creep either, but I don’t intend to vibe people or talk shit.
I personally don’t skate FDR. I would talk shit as usual and say that shit sucks, but truthfully I can’t skate it. As much tranny skill as I claim to actually HAVE, I don’t. I thought I needed bigger wheels, but in actuality, I need bigger balls. Tipping my hat to the guys at FDR is more than appporpriate. Those guys pulled some renegade, dagger shit. Who can’t give that respect?? However, Philly does need a legitimate street spot. Fuck that, a couple. That one thing that sets this city apart from somewhere else. Sure, Philly has alot of hit-up spots, but nothing you could skate all day. I miss that. A public park that happens to have a few extra ledges here and there is pretty cool two. I wish you all could take a look at the plaza for yourselves and see how it works. It vibes so well. It’s not an eyesore to the public. The shit isn’t even fenced in. Free to come and go as you please. Philly needs that. I understand everyone is really passionate about their views. But understand this, we are all here to fight for the same thing, skateboarding. I poke fun and roast anything and everything that has to do with skateboarding. But the botom line of it all is that I will fight for the greater good. A re-built FDR??? I’m for it. A new bridge spot?? I’m for it. Just remember this one most important thing: A spot is only as good as the session on it.
stop building “spots”
bowls are for pot and ramen noodles. whatevers happens, happens, go down to FDR, rent a bobcat, make some shit happen. in the time it took you to goon out over the internet today, you could’ve called five equipment rental places and gotten some shit goin. i’d be psyched to see some afro banks shit or some fucked up tranny to ledge shit goin down, personally. or some sadlands shit, craters and rock gardens, get it done! fuck it! build something and laugh over how long it takes the man to rip the shit out…go san pedro!
you know what? he’s right.
While I don’t have this ardent desire/insistence that the SRSP include something for the barneys among us, I am probably equally as concerned as Dan that Philly’s skaters are getting hoodwinked on this project. $5,000,000 for some ledges, a bank, and a happy little stage area that is somehow going to be this magical land where the same skateboarding that risks the lives of all who may pass by at LOVE suddenly becomes one of Philly’s best places to read the latest Harry Potter story or take Spot for a brisk afternoon stroll. Maybe I would feel better if every sketch of the park that I’ve seen didn’t look like something the kid down the street that could only butt-board drafted. My gut feeling is that they will eventually take this from us—or at least try to—just like everything else. For $5mil, we will be footing the bill for the city’s little urban playground that can be torn out from under us and repurposed for wine and cheese concerts once the bottom falls out from skateboard popularity barrel. Anyway, this will be met with jeers and insistence that I have no respect for what has been done in the SRSP process, and I can assure you that this is quite the opposite. I tip my hat to everyone that has put far more work than have I—which could be all of a collective 36 minutes, maybe—into making this happen. I just wonder though, maybe, if we all should have tried to hold out for just a little more than what we were offered.
PS I wonder if bitchardo is going to tell anyone complaining about a lack of street spots to just go out with some wax, a broom, and some bondo. In the time it took to…nevermind, you get the idea. The goose said this would be good for you too.
Im a fast typer too, and a few more things: Goodnight Mr. Bacon, sleep well. Secondly, my vision for SRSP removes not one bench or other attribute already in the plans. It takes away nothing at all from the current plan. So, all street skaters should calm down about that. I am not complaining about anything, especially not FDR. I am still waiting for even one solid and legit reason why a decent closed off kidney bowl cannot be added to the existing SRSP plans. People ask me questions, like, why don’t I go build something at FDR, they ask me if I am “down” or whatever, but never once has anyone come close to providing even a stretched possibility for why a bowl can’t be added to SRSP. The arguement to go ride FDR is equal to the assumption that once SRSP is built no one will ever street skate anywhere else in the 215 area code, ie, its total bunk. So bitchardo, if you want another little goof bank at FDR, please, take your own advice and go make one. I feel that there are already sufficient numbers of little goofy mounds down there. I want to skate Nashua, New Hampshire’s immaculate yet lavishly gnarly kidney bowl at the SRSP while my wife and kid walk down Kelly Drive. Give me one reason why this is so impossible.
It isn’t impossible, but it could very likely have made the entire concept of the place much harder to be approved. At this point it IS impossible because it is well past that stage of design. Not saying that you should just go skate FDR, but given the progressing of things, we already have a tranny park, and this will be the street park, but”so to speak”. An awesome bowl would be awesome in Philly. I am a street skater, yet love to get busy on some tranny as well, so don’t think I don’t understand your desire to have a bowl. At this point, I feel like its sorta like the old saying, “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”. The project has progress past the point of deciding whether a bowl should be there or not. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Don’t think that it isn’t something for a future project, but at this point, it isn’t a primary focus to get more tranny to skate in philly.
and 31, “stop building spots”? That is one of the dumbest comments I’ve read here.
That sucks about Mr. Bacon. Now that he’s gone, it wouldn’t shock me to see Mayor Street personally run a bulldozer through Love Park himself………When it comes to building a “plaza” in Philly, I am stuck on the concept of, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” People are complaining about not having a fucking bowl in the park, how about just getting the damn place first. Then maybe later down the line they can discuss the possibility of renovation……I like tranny as much as the next guy, but why not build that shit at FDR?? Smokey from Friday said it best, “Take it easy man. YOu gotta crawl before you can walk.”
Judging from Schaaf’s email, ” The type of skateboarding that will be featured at the Schuylkill River Skateboard Park, is, as you note, street skating. This allows the creation of a skateboard park that supports a park setting and that is respectful of its neighbors. Skating elements at SRSP are not massive, but rather of a scale and purpose that one might anticipate in a park – which is what is required along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. In addition to these observations, I would offer that the City of Philadelphia is funding the design of the skateboard park, but is not underwriting the cost of the facility itself. The dollars to actually build the park are being raised by the Franklins Paine Skatepark Fund.” it becomes obvious that the city was motivated to have the park built. He goes on to say that the city is aware that the park does not meet the approval of about 20% of skaters surveyed. Meaning that there isn’t even a miniramp. The city knows and doesnt care. Do you think, does anyone think, that David Schaaf or anyone else in the city hall would let their 10 year old spend the afternoon at FDR? You think they’d opt to picnic at FDR over the azalea garden, ever? But, you better believe that Schaaf and others at City Hall point to FDR faster than JorgeMusic does as our transition solution. The perfect spot, they say. Let them eat cake right? Making skaters pay for SRSP was easy to do, just kick them out of love park. And because SAN didn’t have anyone really interested in pools or vert (Ed was totally outnumbered) it wasn’t hard to get a design that people “agreed” on that passed the city’s approval. Do you think Nick Tague voted on the phillyskatepark design link? What about guys like him that got their asses kicked for trying to work at FDR and who don’t visit skatenerd or websites like that? How would they have ever seen the survey? Did you all post it on Critical Thrash? I should have never quit SAN. I am sorry for that, but I got a degree and I felt like a coattail rider as I did homework and lagged at their meetings while the other guys diddled around with YIP and that Heller or did actual important things for the cause. I do think TIPS is on to something. Schaaf goes so far as to imply that a bowl would be “disrespectful” to the parks neighbors. People are paying 400Grand for rowhomes in that area. They are gonna use that park and they dont skate. Tips points out that these are essentially the same imperiled people who cannot safely coexist with skaters at Love Park today. Sounds fishy to me, sure I want it to be fishy so that I am right, but its smart to be suspicious of a corrupt city hall, especially when 5 million is on the line, which is way out of line price wise with other parks in the USA. The skaters, FP in particular, are funding a city project that everyone and their mother can go use, skater or not, and you are right, its too late for me or anyone else to do any thing about it. Ponce didn’t find the fountain of youth but I hope that you guys who have worked and will work so hard for this will be able to skate this stuff for years to come. Again, nothing against benches or any of you guys. The reasons seem to be that it “would have been harder” and that its “too late”. Thats about it. No ideas why it would have been harder and its only too late because its past Oct. 12. The city sched is carved in stone, always has been right? So, I am going to get my stuff together and try to get over the idea of having a second kickass spot in one of the 10 largest cities in America. For now, Im gonna do housework and get the house ready for the next chapter. Maybe next spring me and bitchardo will build cement tidal wave at one the “future projects” that the city will be only so happy to partake in…* If we do, and I will try, Im gonna build something that makes people really nervous. *Maybe Septa will be free and the wage tax omitted too. All are so likely aren’t they? Its not too late to set aside a minute percentage of those 5 million dollars to totally and competently have FDR refinished and if the benches really do cost 5 million then its not too late for FP, under my watch and direction, to raise 100 grand for just that, with any extra money going to gear for groms. Resurrect the sean miller too. Im not talking about getting some dude from harrisburg to build some new bumps either. Thanks to Haveboard for real, this is the only online place to discuss this thing.
That was my post above, the long winded one. And Ki, why dont you build your bench at FDR? Seriously, that is such a lame retort. I’d like to have seen a bowl at SRSP so that I could take the family there on sunday mornings and chill on a blanket in the azalea garden, tickle my kids toes, drink some coffee with the wife, and knock some grout out of those chunky coping blocks all at the same time. Total bliss. I could also hop off the train at 30th street after work and take a few casual runs every night of the week. Tell me you’d like to see your kid crawl through broken glass and piss puddles at FDR instead. Thousands of bowls have already been designed, and I think that the architectural world can draw a fucking bench pretty inexpensively too, it is 2005. Just get the spot first and then renovate? Yeah. Right. I should have thought of that. Philly is SO progressive, I am sure they’d be more than open to that idea. Sorry, but I am sick of that Build it yourself at FDR crapola.
this is so frustrating! I can’t believe this argument is still happening!
Although, please, continue. I rarely delete stuff or “moderate”.
Imagine, if the plans included an area, like 600-800 square feet, with a stupid circle in it then it there would have never been an issue. You’re sick of it, but man, imagine if I wasn’t the only one vocal enough to say anything? The fact that I am reflects how well the issue has been hidden from the public. You guys got your way and youre frustrated. I’ll trade positions with you. Until then, why should I stop? I have nothing to lose. You could send the love park zombies out for me, they could beat me into a pulp and it still wouldn’t change the fact that the city found a buyer for a 5 million dollar wine and cheese garden. A true public space paid, usable by all, paid for only by skaters. The most expensive park in AMERICA. Its bullshit. Enjoy your victory.
if you want to look at it like we won and you lost, then , go for it. That is HARDLY the case. You think I wouldn’t LOVE a bowl there? Hell yea, you are right, it WOULD be awesome. But, there are so many issues in getting something approved with a giant bowl, like, say for instance, you were there, shredding, and someones kids falls into the bowl. What if it was your kid? It has happened at other parks. Go ahead, read into that post and find a way to twist it around. I know someone will.
SRSP is the beginning. meetings were held to see what the skate community wanted to happen at the site next to the art museum. public meetings were held and the design was built from the input from those meetings. the meetings were made up of whoever wanted to attend, meaning skateboarders and anyone else. with that said, parks and rec wants to see more skate stuff built around the city at rec centers with the same attention to community. now, pay attention, when a meeting happens. attend it and let your voice be heard. the design for SRSP is done. it passed thru fairmount park commission last week. the design is en route to construction document phase. now to address other things. price tag for SRSP – granite and good brick work aint cheap. its a 2.5 acre piece of land that has to be landscaped and built to exact precision for smooth skateboarding. FP has been very open and transparent about the process of SRSP. if anyone came to us with questions and concerns we answered them the best we could. FP worked with gravity games to get $30,000 invested into the park for rennovation. brad hoffman, treasurer of FP, is a resident head at FDR that wants to see more transition around the city. yes thousands of bowls have been designed. a public park built specifically for skateboarding has not. tony, the architect, josh from FP will be speaking about the project at the next meeting of the american institute of architects because the work done at SRSP is completely new and revolutionary in the world of urban planning. doing this kind of work is hard and slow. you want to build something? then get involved. step up. invest yourself. complaining on a blog isnt doing much but adding to the already huge pile of shit talk and hating in skateboarding. i hate arguing on the internet. its like bombing for peace or fucking for virginity.
Falling into bowls kills and injures careless children when said bowls are located in nice parts of town. Note that no children have even fallen from the sean miller memorial. His ghost protects them? And suddenly we care about random people falling accidentally into pits? There isn’t and there won’t be a bowl at SRSP because I and people who might share my views enough to make an issue of it didn’t goto meetings. The SRSP meetings were well publicized. People get frustrated relatively easily. An admission was made that having legit transition at the park would be great. How many companies bid on the FDR rehab? SRSP is 2.5 acres but there isnt room for one more thing, and its too late anyway, the city approved the plans. And there are “so many issues” why fairmont park can only have transitions that are made by amatuers in one location and why they cannot possibly have well poured concrete transitions in another location but the only reasons I hear still are that its too late, its too hard, and that kids will fall into them. I didn’t lose anything, and the benches and bricks at SRSP are being created by technicians, statisticians, and magicians all formerly employed by NASA and/or 3M’s military products division. The architectural world has been flipped by our amazing bench techology.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAA, I DIDNT GET WHAT I WANTED! WAAAAAAAA WAAAAAA WAAAAAAAA
im over this. argueing on the internet is stupid. you want to talk for real then we can set up a meeting of some kind.
a good skateboarder will rip whatever you put in front of him/her period. um…tony trujillo!
I got a lot of criticism and no answers. 400 people told me to build it at FDR. I now think all Philadelphia skateboarding should be centralized at FDR. Street, Flat, Ramp, whatever, all at FDR only. Debating over the web is actually kind of nice, because everyone gets to see what is there, but it is tedious.
And now Im not a good skateboarder either, but at least that statement goes both ways right? If you believe goldchains statement, then we all suck.
You shoot down all reasons as to why there won’t be a bowl. You need to relax and accept that what you want (along with others, myself included) is not happening in THIS project.
no i actually said
“parks and rec wants to see more skate stuff built around the city at rec centers with the same attention to community. now, pay attention, when a meeting happens. attend it and let your voice be heard.”?
we have some other projects in the wings after SRSP. these meetings are open and as was done with SRSP. the design came out of what was discussed at meetings. id love to see a transition park closer into town. its never been ruled out. right now we are focused on SRSP. once we figure out how this funding stuff actually works other parks will flow.
and please cut the conspiracy theory bullshit. anyone familiar with josh and i know how much we have put into this project.
Thats more like it. The conspiracy angle isn’t aimed at FP. HB, I shoot them down because they are really very easy targets. Kids will get hurt. Its too late. The city didnt want one, wouldnt approve it. build it myself. I should have gone to the meeting. ———- You know that stuff, kids get hurt anyway, its never too late, the city didnt want one because it cant be easily used as a “true public space” ie converted into a picnic table, and we don’t know that they wouldnt have appoved it because it wasnt submitted. Sure, I will go build it myself, I am an expert cement worker with unlimited time and money, so why not? My bowl drawing was the first submission to the park idea section, but yeah, I should have gone to the meetings, there your reasons do hold water. I do need to get over it, it being that I’ve skated for almost 20 years and I just bought a house next to the country’s most expensive skatepark and that it wont contain that which I most enjoy riding. Really, I have never suggested that we build bowls at the shit park, at whitehall, or at any of those tiny prefab parks in jersey. its just that this is so massive and could be so amazing and for most of you guys, on or off the internet, it really is a dream come true. Thanks to anyone who actually read or cared to reply seriously to any of my concerns, including KI,HB, Tips, Jim, and Nugget. All others can bite down.
“My WAR!”
Throw a blanket “arguing on the internet” comment over this thread, but it’s a discussion that needs to be aired. It’s also hilarious.——————–new question: $5million will be raised for SRSP, but OLN/Comcast/Gravity Games could only be asked for $30k? I’m still not sure what sort of precious gems and metals are being used to build this thing.
“And now Im not a good skateboarder either, but at least that statement goes both ways right? If you believe goldchains statement, then we all suck.” posted on 10-17-2005 by DO Take it however you wanna take it. I think you lost my meaning. Whatever. I don’t care. We have stuff to skate were I live.
I skate becuase it makes my hair grow faster. Poop
It’s funny. Thought provoking. Agrivating. Frustrating. Rewarding. Devastating. THat’s just the nature of skateboarding. Most of the people out there who said what they want and don’t want at the Skukill(I spelled it wrong), haven’t submitted shit to the supposed design board. I know I haven’t. Shit, I’m easy to please. As long as there is some decent flatground to school you fools in some SKATE, I’m chill. Lazy days my friends. If you want to make something happen, DO IT.
“If you want to make something happen, DO IT.” Right. What do y’all think Im trying to do anyway? Look, you can have the 5 billion dollar ledge garden, that fine. Flip the coin for just one second though, and imagine a 2.5 acre, 5 million dollar park with 10 feet of transition and 3 feet of vert only. Its so exciting that design firms across america are firing and hiring at a record pace. Not even one roll in for you guys. Imagine that all your asking for is one sweet hubba and the people say, no, not possible, too late, city hates that idea, too expensive, go build your hubba in the cuts, I didnt see you at the meetings, 80 percent of skaters prefer oververt domes… etc etc. ————————————————— I have some things to straighten out and when Im done I will get in touch and we will work out a situation where I can get a spot to my liking. I predict something big, maybe dozen feet deep, you know, so you can really get cooking and so only a handfool of guys can deal with it. Maybe I’ll see you guys out sugar kicking someday.
GO TO FDR!!!!! Philly has plenty of transition. They DO lack street spots. Who wants a bowl in the middle of a street spot?? Makes no freaking sense. YOu don’t see a ledge in the middle of FDR. (that would go over real nice) Just relax. Having a bowl at a skate plaza is like putting a square peg in a round hole……….It just doesn’t fit.
Dan, you have to realize that the City worked with us with tons of meetings. It was not like we tried to avoid the bowl. Here are a few answers since you feel you did not get any: 1. The park meets ALL public space requirements. That means that it is public space. That means no gear to be worn on the head arms or legs. 2. The neighborhood wanted to see lots of grass and trees and more grass and benches that suck for skateboarding. 3. The art of design is something that everyone in skateboarding takes for granted. The design of the location holds together a CONCEPT of public space that allows skateboarding. Part of the reason why skateboarding in the city is better then skating in the parking lot in Jersey is because the design of space in the city feels good, it looks good, it smells good, it is good. Men like Ed Bacon understand this. So far skateparks do NOT understand this. I like Ketering but its love in the middle of Ohio. Design with context is a good reason. If you dont believe me read a book. 4. FDR. Yes, it exists. Yes we have freedom to build more and make it better. If your not street skateboarding you do NOT know how hard it is to find a ledge. Period.
I don’t think anyone expected a bowl at the bottom of a handrail. But I’m pretty sure some places have managed to integrate street and pool/transition elements into one park area. If not, then I seriously must be a hell of a lot smarter than I thought.
I do street skate. Thats important. I have no shortage of spots either. And I wouldnt ask / have not asked for one item to be taken away from SRSP, just that one be added. Putting a bowl off in the corner of 2.5 acre park would fit. It could get “squeezed in there” I think. But, I realize that if skaters are stubborn, and they sure are, that the city and residents in Fairmount are even more so. Once the park is converted to a non-skate zone they won’t have to fill in the bowl, conversion will take only one decree and not even one shovel or union worker. Thats partly why they love your idea so much, its WIN/WIN for them. SRSP won’t have a bowl. Fine. Please. Lets get a good smooth bowl poured by professionals somewhere in the city, lets get links to this idea on FP, SAN, and phillyskatepark.com. Tell me who to hassle, I am tenacious, virulent, and determined. I don’t want anything to do with the SRSP. I don’t ever expect to bother with it, so a different location is fine. Ki, you drove to ohio to explore a spot, and between here and there you probably drove by 1000’s of benches and maybe 4 good transitions. IF you get 2 and half acres of paradise then I can ask for a two feet and half feet of vert without any kinks or rubble, OK? I know that we need a street spot, philly is packed with people, and skating is loud and rude if youre not involved. My fight for a good destination bowl, one that people would really want to skate, like nashua, or westminster, CO, or the nude bowl, or whatever is not in any way an attempt to deny you from your SRSP.
Nugget, KI, and haveboard should join tips and I one evening for a street skating situation, by the way. My spots mean nothing to me, I’d be happy to share them.
No way man, you can’t skate my curbs. (joke) I would love to jam with you guys. When? I am going to FDR to skate on Halloween and clean up the day after. Lets chat then if you go. The reality of SRSP being shut down to skateboarding is such bull shit. It is so dam wrong. We found that spot 5 years ago and they could not keep the sex offenders and drugs out of it. The neighborhood welcomes skateboarding at that site. Please do not think for one moment that just because it does not have a bowl that it will get shut down. That is so ignorant, it hurts. I was in so many meetings, met so many people in the city, wore so many ties. God dam it, stop this bullshit rumor. The city has no desire to shut it down, or FDR would have been shut down a long time ago. I dont want to spread rumors, but you who hate street spots and love trannie need to start to keep FDR clean. i guess you missed my comments about good design. SRSP is not a bowl park, that is just the way it is. Get over it and look for more land. Philly is full of cheap land compared to any other east coast city. Its why I still live here. By the way I skate trannie way more then I street skate, for those who though i was just an advocate for street. And this is because at 30 I am the slowest when a group gets chased by cops, im the one who gets busted. Find me a bench height ledge with ends please…
by the way, Dan, we need your help to find the land. just saying “find me a location and tell me what to do” means you want direction and dont really want to do the work. if we need a bowl so bad, then direct this project. SRSP, FPSF, SAN, SkateNerd, Haveboard… these are all just names we came up with. Start a new one, ive got an idea: PSFB, Philly Skaters for Bowls! Chew the fat and spit it out. ;)
f this… im going to FDR. 3-6 today, anyone down? meet me there.
dude, you should go look over some fences. find a real pool. its more fun
so is real street…………………………………………………………I thought SAN/FP/OMG/ROFL already had plans in the works for some bowls at some other spots. You can’t just hand that list off to Dan and let him run with it?
I’ve found a real pool or two. Ask Ed, he knows. I pick up enough peoples trash in front of my own house. South Philly loves to litter, old people, kids, everyone. If FDR goes its for other reasons. WUVN.org washed up vert nerds.net FightAcrophobia.org My favorite is Phillyskatepark.com/bowl Anyway, I sense that there are still a few small confidence issues here. We need to have a real meeting, I have nothing and you guys have all the infrastructure, all the contacts, all the magic. I will email you a list of possible times. I want to do the work, even if you guys essentially just did it all, and even if I have a million other things to do. Im not the only busy person out there. Reread my stuff, I listed a bunch of spots, all located near my home so I can skate there easily.
Why would you “BUILD” a street spot??? Doesn’t that go against WHY/HOW street skating started??? AND “ki dizzle” – wasn’t there a ledge in the middle of FDR for almost 7 years??? Then somone finally got the balls to transition up to it??? The finally built completely over it??? And Nuggent….. I know of this nice curb/ledge down by the art museum that is SWEET for backside tail slides
How about a vert ramp??? We don’t have one of those. The one at FDR is so messed up, it can’t be ridden. And as soon as Vans closes… where will the nearest one be??? Rex-Plex? Oh, wait, that’s closing to. Cheapskates? closed. Vert Planet? Never had any vert. There’s that Jesus skatepark in DE… That’s just a bad ramp though. Are there no more vert ramps in Eastern Pa/ NJ???
Ed, I don’t think you’ve seen the survey that was handed out apparently….78%. That’s a mandate.
Respect the vertical heritage fools. You seek vert with every wallie, wallride, janky highway divider quarterpipe and bank that you ride. Drop in, or fall off. My War begins today.
You know whats strange, I waxed up a bunch of things by the art museum last early last summer. We made horrible bank ramps out of piles of mulch and plywood too.
Y’ALL NIGGAS GOT IT TWISTED HUH?!? fuck yer bowl skate to kill yourself.
for the record, Gonzo asked me to delete his comment there, unfortunately, I’m too lazy.
But while we are at it, with all kinds of projects going on, anyone want to start yesterday about another project. C’mon, I don’t have ENOUGH STUFF TO DO. We need more projects to work on. Fuck finishing what we’ve already started. That’s retarded, cause finishing what we started doesn’t benifit ME! /end sarcasm
I bet you didn’t read 78-80% of what has been written here. Were making progress.
i quit.
DO, I know you arent talking to me, and if you call this “progress”…fuck, we are fucked
talk – action = shit i quit talkin long ago.
What? I was asked to take the matter into my own hands, and have agreed to do so. I am going to use the existing infrastruture because to do otherwise would be to reinvent the wheel. I am going to take care of a few things, get the things I borrowed back to their owners and then I will get together with people and learn how this stuff works. Why are people quitting on me now? Skatepark Fund, where are you? Skateboard Advocacy Network? Whats up? Waiting would be wrong, y’all have cracked the city’s nut and I’d be a fool to let that wound heal before I got started. Really, No one can honestly oppose vert to this degree, it is a part of skateboarding. I realize your groups are understaffed, overworked, so thats fine, you don’t have to do it for me. Don’t quit, thats the wrong move.
Acta Non Verba… I can relate. Is FP a true 501C3?
yo haveboard remeber that image you emailed me about arguing on the internet, and how it’s like the special olympics….we’re witnessing that RIGHT HERE! it’s awesome.
Holy crap!
Go Internet!
Please Direct all comments about this here.
Big Brother said it best, “Arguing on the internet is like winning the special olympics. Even if you win, you’re still retarded.”
Mazur, can you not read, the topic has moved here
i’m down for whatever that is skateable. I’m better on street and have to work on tranny but i still like to do both.
Damn, I never knew my opinion could raise this many eyebrows.
Okay, I see a big problem here. People are missing the point of the whole “skate plaza” deal. The point of having an actual “skate plaza” is to keep up with the times, so-to-speak. There are waaay more kids on the streets these days……STREET SKATING. You drive down the street and you see kids skating left and right. THat causes spots to become scarce so much more quickly. Spots are truly dissappearing at a rapid rate. For Christ’s sakes, this city actually bent a friggin’ pole jam back!!!! That’s why it’s more important to focus more on the street aspect of “the plaza.” Kids DO have the option to go down to FDR and gnar it out, if they’re looking to skate some raw tranny. Shit, in case you haven’t noticed, FDR is as gnar as they come. There’s planty of tranny-quility there. But finding a good ledge where you can learn on, is almost nearly impossible. Philly has really lost that. I’ve been to the plaza in Ohio, and in person, it looks like a REAL public park. It does. People were eating lunch, walking their dogs, and just enjoying a nice day. Sure kids were skating around, but there were no problems. THere was no fence and you didn’t get that skatepark vibe either. There were no ramps around, unless you went to the skatepark down the street. It made sense. It was aestetically pleasing. It looked natural. So much to the point where when people would walk through, or when the cops would rarely roll by, you got the feeling that you might get kicked out. BUt you didn’t. It was overwhelming at first. Maybe I am just speaking for myself, but I just don’t think having a bowl at the Philly plaza is gonna keep that feel. Having a bowl, WILL turn it into a skate park. It’s a street plaza, and unless you’re playing TOny Hawk’s Pro Skater, chances are you haven’t skated a bowl while cruising down the street. Call me crazy, and I mean no disrespect to those who skate bowls, but I have to stand strong on this one. YOu already have the tranny, but I’m looking from some good manny’s. Peace.
I LOVE HOW NO ONE READS! PLEASE STOP COMMENTING HERE AND DIRECT YOUR COMMENT HERE!
you kids skating again.get over it!millions for a ledge…criminal.nims quitting his job,getting a salary and skating all over cali.on frankilinpaines tab..?????i dont see any concrete being poured.bottom line suckas