Precast concrete waterfalls
August 19th, 2008 by Kilwag
This is am image of a SpohnCrete precast waterfall from a Flickr post. It addresses one of the concerns found in the “cons” section of prefab concrete from companies such as Spohn Ranch, who have actually sent me a bunch of imagery and correspondence as a rebuttal to previous criticisms that I need to get to formatting. This is not an endorsement, rather a presentation of information to do with as you please. You can read what they have to say on the waterfall and other features on Flickr.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
They can precast anything they want but they will never match the quality or creativity of a Dreamland park.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
cookie cutter is still cookie cutter. whether metal, wood, concrete or cheese.
I try not to skate cookies.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Cookie cutter parks definatley do suck but not all of us are fortunate enough to have Kona or Washington Street in our back yard. I live in Okinawa, Japan. Ther are 14 skateparks on this island and I’d guess that 10 of them are cookies. A cookie cutter mini ramp is still a mini ramp.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
ITS BETTER THEN NOTHING, I WOULD WAY RATHER HAVE THAT THEN WOOD OR METAL
August 19th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
When I was kid I liked all types of cookies. Now that I’m older I can pick certain cookies that are hand made with care by people who specialize in cookies. Sometimes though I’ll eat a machine made cookie with my coffee, because that’s all that’s around, or I don’t want to appear like a cookie snob in front of people who enjoy mass produced yet still tasty cookies.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
yo aaron! its wes.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Delicious analogy!
Those cookies are supposed to cheaper though. Make sure you’re getting a bargain.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Good point Kilwag. However all the cookies I eat are provided at no expense to me by kind people who have nothing better to do than make cookies for ungrateful bastards. I’m a cookie opportunist as are most of us. The only cookies I pay for are the ones I make in my own kitchen with my favorite ingredients. Of course as soon as the cookies cool all my friends show up and tell what they would of put in their cookies had they made them. At least they bring the milk!
August 19th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Now matter how good the quality gets, all I want to point out is that these guys and all other makers of modulars only copy, never innovate.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I freaking love cookies.
August 19th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
How much for a preformed miniramp? I’ll have one.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
bLAH Says: August 19th, 2008 at 1:47 pm ITS BETTER THEN NOTHING, I WOULD WAY RATHER HAVE THAT THEN WOOD OR METAL
Boooo, nothing would be better, because then you’d still have hope of getting a good park built. What a waste, if these guys really want to help build good parks, they should point communities to companies like Dreamland, Grindline, Team Pain, Artisan, Breaking Ground…and all of the others out there who really do care about what they are building.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
no park = action, we’ve got to do something
bad park = complacency, we’ve done something quit your bitching
good park = happy, challenged skaters
I like the third option the best, but would rather have the first over the second.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
“Now matter how good the quality gets, all I want to point out is that these guys and all other makers of modulars only copy, never innovate.”
Why is that? Does that mean if you build something with pre-made bricks you can never be innovative? Does that mean if you use pre-defined words you can never create an original sentence?
Take a look at http://www.concrete-skateparks.com and see if their park are cookie-cutter.
Take a look at http://www.flickr.com/photos/13260718@N08/sets/72157606869673642/
Saying that pre-cast is by definition cookie-cutter just doesn’t make any sense. What defines cookie-cutter? If Dreamland makes the same hubba or rail in two parks, is that cookie cutter? If we make a mold for a custom piece, then never put the piece in another park, is that cookie-cutter?
And, most importantly, does it matter if a park is cookie-cutter if it skates well? If you could have a cookie-cutter Kona or FDR in your town, would you take it?
It’s easy to hate and say “cookie-cutter”. It’s harder to work with cities to get them to build concrete parks instead of steel-surface ramps. It’s tough to convince cities who have been burned by skater-owned companies to take a chance instead of buying from a huge playground company.
In other words, it’s a little more complex than “cookie-cutter” vs. grindline/dreamland.
Not to mention the top-flight skatepark designers who are interested in incorporating SpohnCrete elements into their parks.
Here’s the deal — we design the park first, then adapt/create the molds needed to realize the vision.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Hays: Do you want to reply to the Action Sport Alliance/Professional Pad Nanny Service thing? We are anxiously awaiting your response?
August 21st, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Spohn WANTS TO PUT PAD NANNIES IN EVERY PARK SO THEY CAN MAKE $$$$$ CHECK IT OUT: http://www.spohnranch.com/services/operations.htm
August 21st, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Pad Nanny Alliance quote: “we join with cities in public-private partnerships to provide complete skate park supervision for maximum fun and safety at reduced liability and cost to the city.” http://www.allianceskateparks.com/services.html
Complete skate park supervision = PAD NANNIES
August 21st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
About the “Pad Nanny” thing.
The Action Park Alliance has never converted a free, unsupervised park into pay, supervised park.
There’s no pad nannies at APA parks. No one is told not to try a trick, or to wait their turn, or any of the things non-trained, non-skater pad nannies do at non-APA parks. Most of our employees are local skaters who want free skating and the employee discount. The average age of our “pad nannies” is 19.
Unless you want to do drugs, drink booze or get in a fight, there’s no difference between an APA park and an unsupervised park.
All the parks the APA supervises were already for-pay, supervised parks before the APA got involved. Without the APA getting involved (and reducing the city’s cost & liability), the parks would have been closed.
I understand your point. For many of us, skateparks are places to go and get crazy. But this gets into the Thrasher ’skate-and-destroy’ aspect of skateboarding. Bloody knuckles, hang-overs and couch-sleeping. Am I right?
While that’s a wonderful world, it’s not what municipal officials want. They don’t want to get sued. They don’t want the mother’s of the town complaining about drug dealers and non-skaters at the skatepark.
It’s a delicate thing for cities, you have to appreciate that. 10 years ago, it wasn’t even a discussion, as there were so few skateparks worth of a supervision operation (i.e. pro shop & concessions).
At the Glendale, AZ parks (Foothills & WARP - both very nice concrete parks) the parks are totally free and unsupervised. The APA just runs a pro-shop next door and does camps, lessons, etc…
We’re about to take over 2 parks in So Cal where you pay a $20 annual fee to cover the city’s waiver program and you can skate all you want. The park will be supervised, but again, the supervision is so non-intrusive as to be almost invisible.
The owners truly only got into it because the saw so many cities building parks with no plan, having inevitable problems, and shutting the park down.
I know there’s this ideal of a ‘council of elders’ who will zenfully lead the park’s users toward a nirvana of mutual respect and bowl carving, but that’s not always the case.
Hays
August 21st, 2008 at 5:28 pm
lies, lies, lies.
August 21st, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Dear Hays,
Go away and stop making that shit.
Regards,
The collective skateboarders on the internets (TM) and in real-life.
August 21st, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Ouch!
WINNER: Bobcat!
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:00 am
“Unless you want to do drugs, drink booze or get in a fight, there’s no difference between an APA park and an unsupervised park”
Wow, so out of touch with the real skate scene. I don’t mind wearing a helmet but if there is no booze, no drugs, and no fighting how am I supposed to impress the 15 year old skate hoes? By skating? Huh, never thought about that…
Appearently punk rock is dead.
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:51 am
“While these photos do not show parks built by Spohn Ranch, our upcoming parks in Brownsville, TX & Casper, WY will have many of the same features, including waterfalls, over-vert, vert extensions and custom surfaces”…..ooooooohh custom surfaces!!! Opportunistic copycat leeches is what you are.
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:26 am
“and couch-sleeping.”
Couch-sleeping?