5 mistakes when designing a skatepark

A Skatepark is not just a platform on which obstacles are randomly placed, but that is how it might appear at first glance. This is the biggest mistake small town skateboarders face when a great initiative doesn't get a decent implementation.

It usually happens like this: There is a rumor about the opening of a Skatepark, the youth is excited, and after the grand opening it becomes clear that the site is not fit to operate, since the project was carried out by people who did not have enough experience in the design and construction of skate parks.

The paradox is that building a good skatepark is much easier than building a bad one, and we'll tell you why. Let's take a look at 5 common mistakes when designing skate parks for outdoor areas.

Does not consider the purpose/direction of the Skatepark

Like any construction, it all starts with the creation of a project and already at this stage it is important to understand the main operational focus of the site.  

The types of skate parks can be divided into two main areas: designed for skateboarding or BMX. 

Giving priority to one of the areas, it is worth considering the number of fans of a particular discipline in your region, since the equipment for a Skatepark for each of these areas has important features of design and functionality. 

However, the best solution would be to create a universal Skatepark in which fans of all extreme wheel sports, such as skateboarding, BMX, MTV, kick scooter and skating (inline
Skating).

The training level of the users (Skatepark visitors) is not considered.

When choosing a set of obstacles, the training level of most skaters should be taken into account for whom a skatepark is designed.

With a competent approach, there will be no problem creating a comfortable, and most importantly, a safe environment for visitors of different ages and professional categories. 

Basically, the city's open skate parks are visited by beginners and more experienced skaters who have not yet reached a high professional level. 

Therefore, in most cases, a skatepark equipped with standard equipment with a dedicated line for beginners meets 99% of the needs.

Design a Skatepark as a small architectural form

A Skatepark is not a playground for children, decorating the landscape with sandboxes, slides and swings, so the principle of placing the equipment on a skating platform is not casual, as is the design of transport lines and interchanges in a metropolis.

Comfort and safety is something to which special attention must be paid, and already at the project stage, the division of zones into different disciplines (skateboarding / BMX) must be taken into account.

Also, do not ignore the requirements for the quality of the asphalt or concrete pavement, as this factor affects not only comfort and aesthetics, but also reduces injuries and, as a result, the quality of the Skatepark as a whole.

In the absence of a hard surface in the form of asphalt or concrete ground, it is possible to select the figures of the Skatepark in such a way that the installation is carried out directly on the ground without any preparation of the base. 

In addition, it is worth considering the option of a wooden skating rink or a concrete skatepark, where most of the figures are monolithic structures indissolubly attached to the
concrete base.

Incorrectly planned budget for Skatepark

A Skatepark is not just a concrete or asphalt area, equipped with slides and jumps. This opinion, unfortunately, is not uncommon, planning the total cost of the project "by eye", most of the budget is allocated to cover the site. The error lies in the fact that the cost of equipment directly for performing tricks is calculated based on the average cost of small architectural forms.

Skatepark equipment is a complex engineering structure, there are no random parameters in its proportions and sizes, especially for multifunctional objects that can be used for different types of tricks and disciplines. 

It is very easy to avoid mistakes when planning the budget at the project stage: before generously pouring concrete on a huge area, check the cost of production and assembly of exactly the equipment that will be used in your Skatepark.

Skatepark not sized correctly

Like other parameters, even at the project development stage, it is necessary to calculate the proportion of the Skatepark area and the number of skaters who can comfortably and safely use the site.

In either extreme, this is a wrong decision and most of the time we are faced with two problems: dense or empty.

Dense: It is the desire to place the maximum number of figures in a small area, mistakenly believing that the more, the better, and the skaters themselves will discover how it should be used.

However, the design of the equipment needs calculations, standards have been verified for years, otherwise driving on the site will not be comfortable, and in addition, there will be very dangerous injuries. 

Even a small number of skaters will create a tense atmosphere and the inability to concentrate on training and, as a result, will not give a desire to visit such a Skatepark.

Empty: It is the flip side of the previous point, the problem looks like this. Several figures are installed on a large site, at a considerable distance from each other, most of the territory is empty. This approach makes the site boring, significantly reduces attendance, since skating in a Skatepark implies a certain dynamic.

The sequence of figures in a good Skatepark is not random, as is the distance between them.

Comfort and safety are the result of significant focus at the project creation stage, the area of ​​the Skatepark, the principle of equipment placement, the coverage of the site, the angle of view of the skaters - all these parameters are calculated strictly in accordance with the specific requirements and experience of the manufacturer's company.