Building your own skatepark isn't as difficult as you might think. If you're willing to put in the time and can round up a little cash, you could be rolling down ramps or popping rail slides in just a few hours.
Have a Skatepark Plan
Before you start messing around with hammers and saws, decide what type of skateboarding related thing to build. A simple ramp or a rail can be built in a couple of hours - while a halfpipe could take you a couple of weeks, depending on how much help you have. If you have an organized plan of what you want to build, you'll be able to build that halfpipe or quarterpipe sooner and have fewer hassles.
Get Help Building Your Park
Make sure you talk to your parents. They may not pop ollies or mctwists themselves, but they can help you build your ramp, table or whatever other skating obstacle you decide to make. Parents can help you find the proper tools to use. They may also give you some cash to buy the wood, pipes and other building supplies. They would rather have you skating in the backyard than in the middle of the street, so they should be willing to help out. Get some of the peeps you skate with to help as well. They'll want to use your skatepark when you're done, so ask them to help build it.
Scoring Money for Your Skatepark
- Ask your parents for building supplies instead of clothes for your birthday.
- Pool money together with your friends and build a ramp that everyone gets to use.
- Talk to the shop teachers at school. They may let you build a ramp or halfpipe for a class project - using tools and supplies from the school.
- Form a band and record a hit song that makes millions of dollars. Spend your dough on your own skatepark and pay Tony Hawk for personal lessons.
For a full set of plans for building rails, halfpipes and other ramps, click here.
More Cool Skatepark Links
- www.skatepark.org - Info on getting a skatepark built in your community.
- Skatepark Finder - Find a skatepark near your home.
- www.rampplan.com - Really cheap plans for building a ramp for skateboarding, inline skating or BMXing.