Sixteen skateparks in one day. This shot above is Gabe from Salem at the Aumsville park which was our last stop. I wonder how the guys in Arizona did on theirs? More pics and details to follow. In the meantime, Conahan put up a park shot from each spot via cell phone on Antigrav Remote.
26 comments
JAKEANDANNOY
Your not mistaken.
orezona
The guy who owns the blood ramp is part of OMA if I’m not mistaken!
JAKEANDANNOY
Right, On thanks. Yeah, Ed mentioned that recently, they just sold their condo ahwile ago and transitioned(no pun)into something temporary, and sort of waiting to head back to his side of the fam back east. Him and Kari are good people, It was rad working and skating w/Ed and he’s stood strong through alot. I might cruise through AZ this year, stay w/ a couple friends Will definitely hit up OMA, respect that shit alot. Plus, my homie showed me pics of this B/R ramp out in that desert dubbed the “blood ramp”.
Looks like a good time.
orezona
Only indoor I went to here was the Vans park in the metro mall that closed 3 years ago. Ed is actually closing his shop for good and moving back east.
I’m still ashamed to say I have skated NONE of the new parks except for Toledo that have been built since I left Oregon in ’04. I know I’m missing out big time as my friend Mr. Reinert constantly reminds me every time I talk with him.
If you come back to AZ to visit you should let us know on the Old Man Army forums, Jake.
JAKEANDANNOY
Nah, I havent, in fact I havent been back to Az in over 4 years but I know that they have parks now that are even more killer than Chandler or AJ.
I heard about Tempe (I lived downtown for 5 years and they build a park 1 year after I moved to CA.)
Also seen pics of Pecos & Goodyear. Az is host to alot of the best parks in the nation, hands down.
A friend of mine,Russ who lives in Wydell sed they have another park even further west of Goodyear. I do miss Sundays, gettign drunk and BBQ at encanto until lights out.
You ever go to the “zone” when it was around in tempe? Heh, heh, it was an INDOOR park my homie Ed, from
Drop In skate shop used to run and at one point they let bikes in.
Or the OLD Casa Grande? yeesh.
orezona
Jake, you should check out the NEW skatepark at McDowell Mtn Ranch in NE Snottsdale. Like night and day when comparing it to the Wedge.
But I’d have to disagree with the wedge being AZ’s worst skatepark.
Ever skated the metal ramps in Payson?
JAKEANDANNOY
Scottsdale is AZ’worst park. Vancouver Swift is WA’s.
Scottsdale way too small & slippery, was better when kids just skated the wedge & I dont think I need to elaborate on Swift in vancouver.
Reed at least has decent tranny although it is in Mesa.
orezona
The thing that was funny about our tour of the skateparks around the Phoenix valley was that we went to what are considered the “crappiest” parks within the first few hours.
As it turned out, we spent way more time at Scottsdale’s “Wedge” and Mesa’s Reed park than we anticipated, which aren’t known for their quality or design. In fact, both started out as municipal structures that were never meant for skateboarding, but the cities ended up turning the spots over to the skaters. Granted, the trannies suck bad in some places, the coping is noping or set back too far and other things, but it didn’t stop us from sessioning the hell out of those parks.
I have a new found respect for the “underdog” skateparks.
damienhialation
However, if we’re talking worst skatepark in Oregon, that’d go to Tillamook. It used to have some old wood ramps in an old tennis court that your foot would go through the deck (which was step 1 of aweful), but those got ripped out due to safety. Now they just have 2 rails on the flat (bolted in by the city, so technically still a skatepark).
damienhialation
I’m pretty sure Salem 1 is made out of gum, the kind that people spit out and it gets stuck on the bottom of your shoe and ruins your session.
Kilwag
Pier 1? not even in the same ballpark!
Scappose, if it’s the one I’m thinking of is at least technically rideable.
Salem. Oregon. Phase one. Worst skatepark… EVER! Photos will not be able to convey it, you need to witness in person. If it’s at all possible to lose speed going downhill, you can do it there.
Tom Miller
‘Worst skatepark in the world’ is a conversation practically made for chat rooms. You should formally let ‘er rip, Randy. Photos required.
I’ll go first, modify the rules by limiting my offer to Oregon, then fully break the rules by not including a photo: Scappoose. Or Pier 1. Or Coos Bay. Oops, I broke another rule; I listed three.
Kilwag
Don’t worry, we hit some real doozies, one is possibly the worst skatepark in the world.
I had no idea there were so many parks out there in AZ so close together.
Sorry to hear about the job, I thought it was a done deal.
orezona
no, the job with DAKINE didn’t work out. They went with a local… pfft.
Did get a new and improved gig that has me 2 blocks from the Tempe park. Can’t complain there…
I hope no one mentions the difference in quality of parks between the to runs… Oops, I just did. You guys up there are lucky buggers.
Kilwag
I thought you got a job and were moving back?
orezona
Cool by me Rich. Except I want to be the one from here who gets to go up to the NW!
Rich
Way to go OMA crew! Sounds like a fun day. Maybe we can come down there the next time and do the run with you as part of the Skatepark Cannonball Run Exchange Program. 🙂
orezona
By the way, good job you guys up there on not only getting in more parks than us, but managing to have a dry day to do it! Props.
orezona
yeah, the car I was in hit 14 parks. It rained most of the day before and we rode through a lot of puddles Saturday. Apache Junction was closed and only had a couple wet spots. We even had squeegees and stuff but the ranger there wouldn’t let us in “in case we slipped and fell”…
Union Hills had a contest going when we rolled by so we didn’t feel like waiting around ’til it was over because that was at hour 11 of our day.
Paradise Valley was locked 30 minutes before we showed up.
Hitting the BMX park was awesome. The looks on the kid’s faces was classic. Super nice park too. Might have to go back some time…!
Old Man Army
The group ended up getting split apart. Andy’s group did like 14 out of the 16. But there was another two groups that ended up getting the full 16.
Started at 6am and finished at 9.30pm. On guy(Al) even drank a full 16 beers..while wearing a 5 foot cowboy hat..
Concretin
Closed due to puddles, and one had a contest goin’ on… Orezona’s recap is at the bottom of this forum page: http://forums.oldmanarmy.com/viewtopic.php?t=8585&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=200
Hope they got a pic of the hot park ranger. 🙂
Kilwag
So they didn’t skate at 3 of the parks they went to? Were they closed, or what? I don’t get it.
Concretin
The AZ geezers skated 14 of 17 visited parks… including a bike park…
Gabetheripper
skillz? wait till i try one on yer face, ate? it maybe just yer mom
cskate
Gabe Stoltz Gallery
http://www.oldschoolskateboarding.com/galleries/gabeStoltz/index.html
SkaterPunk
HA! look at that guy on the front page he thinks hes all cool… all hes got is newb skillz! I bet he ate it right after that jump! haha