Skatepark in a large development - 7 basic mistakes

Skatepark as a marginal component of an investment

Since the skatepark often constitutes a small percentage of the overall investment, it does not receive adequate design and implementation attention. Sometimes it is not designed by specialists, but is "tacked on" to the overall project, without understanding its specifics. This results in facilities that are non-functional, unfriendly to users, and sometimes even dangerous.

Meanwhile, a well-designed concrete or modular skatepark is a facility that requires both expertise and knowledge of the needs of the skateboard, BMX or scooter community.

Use of outdated technologies

Within the framework of large-scale developments, skateparks are often implemented based on old, schematic solutions - incompatible with current trends and standards. This is the result of simplification of the execution process, in which all the attention is focused on the main elements of the investment, and smaller ones - like the skatepark - are treated negligently.

Instead of modern and varied obstacles, there are duplicated layouts from a decade ago, made of low-life materials that wear out quickly or simply do not provide an adequate level of riding.

Formal deficiencies in tenders

One of the most serious problems is the lack of specific requirements for the skatepark in the tender documents. Overly general provisions mean that companies without any experience in building skateparks are allowed to proceed. The result is facilities that deviate from quality and functional standards, and sometimes from formal requirements such as PN-EN 14974.

The most common errors in this regard are:

• lack of requirements for certifications and compliance with safety standards,
• lack of contractor experience criteria,
• omission of precise parameters for obstacles or pavements.

Lack of consultation with users

Unlike investments made, for example, from the civic budget, in which contact with the local community is crucial, large projects rarely take into account the opinions of skatepark users. This is a serious mistake.

A skatepark that is not created in dialogue with people who ride skateboards, rollerblades, scooters or BMX, very often does not meet their needs. This applies to both the level of difficulty and the layout of obstacles. Such a facility is then sometimes simply unused. Or it quickly becomes functionally obsolete.

Consultation with officials in the town of Brzeszcze

Technical acceptance without proper competence

Skateparks have their own technical peculiarities, which are not known to standard building inspectors. Supervision of such facilities should take into account, for example, proper slope angles, curve radii, edge safety and proper drainage. Without this knowledge, it is easy to allow the use of an object that, from the user's point of view, is not only defective, but also dangerous.

The drainage component of a concrete skatepark

Too general technical provisions and lack of specialization of the contractor

It happens that the documentation does not even contain basic information - such as the minimum riding surface, the type of materials or the detailed specification of obstacles. Then the contractor, wanting to fit within the budget, may propose the cheapest possible solutions. And this leads to rapid degradation of the facility, maintenance problems and the need for costly upgrades.

Can it be done better? Yes - and without increasing investment costs

From our experience as a manufacturer and designer of skateparks, it is clear that it only takes a few sensible decisions to significantly improve the quality of such developments:

• Separate out the skatepark as a separate part of the contract - allows you to specify the exact requirements and allow only specialized contractors.
• Setting a condition of experience - for example, min. 3 completed skateparks in the last 5 years.
• Consultation with users - even to a limited extent, can dramatically increase the functionality of the facility.

• Detailed technical provisions - specifying standards, materials, construction solutions and compliance with PN-EN 14974.

  

Construction site of the skatepark in the village of Brzeg

Summary

Skatepark is not a decoration or an accessory - it is a sports facility that requires expertise in design, technology and use. As a company specializing in the implementation of such facilities, we encourage investors and designers to treat this part of the investment with due seriousness.

Good decisions at the bidding and design stage mean not only a better facility - it also means user satisfaction, higher safety and durability for years to come!