Sure, we may have actually skated more parks on the NW Cannonball Run, but the crew from Old Man Army one-upped us by barging a bike-only park in Chandler Arizona, known as the, uh, Chandler Bike Park. According to the city’s web site, it’s the first bike-only public skatepark uh, bike park. Who knew they even existed? It’s not a dirt track next to a skatepark, like so many facilities are, but a full blown cement skatepark, (Sorry, hard habit to break) bike park. Chandler must have a lot of money burn if they can afford separate facilities on such a grand scale. How does it work for the respective communities? Is everybody happy? The OMA crew got the boot from an officer of the law, whom we are told was less offensive to look at and listen to than you know who. I wonder if the bikers are afforded the same courtesies when getting the boot. Maybe not, since skateboarders barging a BMX park is such a novelty.
All of this has nothing to do with the photo above, which is a gal named Jean (See, I told you they wouldn’t discriminate) in the deep end (13ft?) of the Goodyear park in Arizona, shot during the OMA Cannonball run. Want to see it larger?
16 comments
Jason Ryan
With any luck, this article will make skaters think. Things look a lot different when the shoe is on the other foot, huh?
A Chandler resident, Pat Blackburn, and myself led the charge to get bikes allowed in the Chandler Skatepark. Parks and rec didn’t want bikes in there, so the council decided to build a bike park. From the start of our movement, we had ALWAYS advocated for mixed-use parks, but Chandler wouldn’t allow it. So they built a sick bike park that skaters can’t use.
Ultimately, the ignorance and prejudice of skaters came full circle in the form of the Chandler Bike Park and Flagstaff Bike Park. It was skatepark design companies, uninformed skate parents and skaters that convinced cities that skateboarders COULD NEVER ride with bike riders in the same park, even though they knew from 30 years of riding with bikes in pools, ditches and skateparks that was a goddamn lie!
Yeah, skaters got what they deserved, being prohibited from amazing new bike parks, but that doesn’t make me happy. All the discrimination and bullshit needs to go, and skaters and bike riders need to work together to get concrete parks that are large enough and pletiful enough to fulfill the skate and bmx needs of every community.
Jason Ryan
President
The Bike, Blade and Board Coalition
http://www.psychicflyingmonkey.com/The3BCpage.htm
brianb
Don’t think it is the first bike only park, about a year and a half back skated the Flagstaff, AZ bike only park. It was built by CAlifornia skateparks and is pretty damn fun, just felt odd when we had to hide our boards when a cop drove by. Got to give it to the Flagstaff bike crew though, instead of sitting around bitching about not being able to ride the other parks in Flag they got their shit together and had a better one built.
jean
could be there in mid march. I’ll definitely be there the weekend of June 20th. Is the new stuff done?
corncobcock
thats my old buddy from MD. Ocean Bowl Represent! come skate!
orezona
You sure you didn’t add that last bit later just to make me look silly?
And the Chandler website is full of LIES!
Lies I tells ya!
Kilwag
Yeah, booted was just some words to read so I could post the pic. Read the last paragraph:
“All of this has nothing to do with the photo above, which is a gal named Jean in the deep end of the Goodyear park in Arizona, shot during the OMA Cannonball run”
As far as first BMX only park, that claim comes from the Chandler web site.
timnator
Git Sum Jean
orezona
No I haven’t, but I’ll be on the lookout for them next time I’m in that area.
Randy, here’s a pic of jean skating the BMX park (another one by Tony):
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/OMA16on160190copy.jpg
(sorry about the gratuitous image linking…)
JAKEANDANNOY
Gilbert park was pretty decent, nice tranny/bowl sections separate from the st. section, but had a BIG prob w/bmx’r barging. Most parks in AZ are large enough and spread out so not really an issue.
Orezona you ever skate the ditches in Awatukee? On ranch cir north, between knox and equestrian? North of the church and west of Mountain Point High School? Its got a snake run in back, a hip and banks in front (even a small channel gap) facing the road. Good shit.
orezona
that pic is of Jean at the Goodyear park, not the BMX park.
us at the park:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c102/axisofevilskateboards/ads/OMA16on160185copy.jpg
Here’s Bobby hitting the vert wall where pegs usually are:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c102/axisofevilskateboards/ads/OMA16on160194copy.jpg
(All photographs COPYRIGHT Tony Hernandez Photography 2008)
orezona
not the first bike park at all.
Flagstaff has had a BMX “exclusive” park for over a year. Doug Edwards has skated it!
JAKEANDANNOY
Chandler, AZ was rated 1 of America’s fastest developing rural cities(also 1 of AZ’s oldest cities) like 7 years ago.
They have nothing but land and $$ and always have. Chandler has always had a large bmx population and dirt tracks as well,long before chandler skatepark.
Tho the skaters barging the bike park is fuckin epic, oooh the Ironing is delicious. And oh yeah,Jean rips in that pic,but wtf would they have a pool section complete w/tile for BIKES?just dont make no sense.
Concretin
Calamity Jean rockin’ the new wood!
Tony D.
I tried to put a picture with the last comment… http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q194/fryeglider/OMA16on160194copy.jpg
Tony D.
At least they don’t call it a bike only skatepark. That would be wrong…
It seems they have bike friendly noping…
oldladysk8r
yay jeah, rip it up!!
jean’s my heroe.