Not completely out of touch with what the Members sang about, but in this case it’s the “Ka-chunk. Ka-chunk” sound of wheels rolling over the metal plates of prefab ramps in suburban Chicago. I skated my former hometown’s Centennial Park Skate Facility in Naperville Illinois. It’s about 4 years old and prefab, so I was expecting the worst. The surface was in surprisingly good shape given the weather extremes in the Chicago area, have I been mislead about the evils of prefab? No, it turns out they are replacing the surface annually, according to one local. So much for saving money by going prefab.
Admittedly, I’m only spending so much time on this park because it happens to be where I’m stuck at for the next few days. It’s completely unremarkable except for the fact that the city seems to be maintaining it well. The locals are completely happy with what they have, and don’t seem to know any better. In fact, the annual Skate Picnic is coming up, which features a doughnut eating contest between skaters and police officers. The event is supposed to foster good will and open communications between police officers and skating teens. I really mean “teens” because I was the oldest guy there by about 20 years. I’m used to showing up at a park and finding at least one guy nearing 30.
This little guy was standing guard near the entrance to the park. He’s got the classic bent wrist basketball swish style hand posture, a board from late ’79, and some kind of contraption on his head.
A closer look reveals that it appears to be a cut off sleeve or sweat pant leg with a string tied around the top. How odd.
Here’s some ledge action as you enter the park.
Here’s a panorama of the main area.
This flat ramp seemd to be the designated “hangout” area, good for lounging and watching your friends practice their flyouts on the opposite side.
This is the miniramp which they have the gall to call a halfpipe. It’s mostly used the same way halfpipes are used in most prefab parks. Which is to say, it’s mostly for practicing kickflip variations off of the four inch drop from the flat to the cement. I was riding it and some kids were standing on the flat. I told them to get off the miniramp, to which they snottily replied “This is a halfpipe!” OK, whatever you want to call it, just get off the damn flat!
I guess those kids are right. If you look at the official layout of the park, it most definitely says halfpipe.
Want some action? How about this rolleblader launching off the spine ramp and over the fence? He did it about six times.
I actually managed to have a little fun here. I worked on a few lines and took a nice slam on the miniramp, excuse me, halfpipe. It’s a nice little one except for the fact that the hubba ledge from the adjacent ramp butts up against the back of the coping. So what you get is an extension that is recessed from the coping just slightly farther back than the width of the coping. I managed to get into an axle stall on the extension, but it will take a far more gnar skater than me to try and drop back in from that. Also, I wouldn’t go out of my way to ride this park if it weren’t litterally five minutes away from my mom’s house.
Later tonight I am checking out the other allegedly concrete park.
14 comments
Kilwag
Thanks for the defense HouseofNeil, but Park Local was right, I wasn’t doing shit there, except for missing backside ollies on the gap. Park Local… This wasn’t meant to be a critique of your scene, although I can see how you could easily take it that way. You should head on over to Skaters for Public Skatepark do a little reading, learn how to reach out and organize yourselves and get a park (or parks) that shows the city of Naperville actually cares about your needs and isn’t just paying you lip service. Even if you don’t want a new park, ask yourself why the downtown park is well maintained and yours isn’t. Your ramps deserve the same quality of care that the other ones do.
conahan
No way Neil, you skate? I though you just surfed EBay. Just kidding. Photos Kilwag.
houseofneil
I skated with kilwag at nbrook on saturday, so you’ll get his opinion soon I imagine. Apart from the one area in the bowl, I think you’ll find that most would agree that the finish at northbrook is just fine. The noping? Agreed, but that doesn’t bother me at all.
TNJeff
neil, you gotta be shittin me. Northbrook has a great layout/design, potential, etc. but the finish job sucks ass in 80% of the park. For example, the deep end of the bowl where they tried to fix it, lots of lumpy patches, cases of noping… My main beef is the Chicago area is a major metropolitan area and has one park done right, and several pieces of shit. I think Kilwag was making a similar point.
conahan
Oh, they’ve encased him in carbonite! He should be very well protected.
houseofneil
Burnham would have been awesome if they’d done the concrete right: i.e. no huge seams and smooth the finish. Also the transitions are janked, but it has the most flow of any chicago park. You can hit everything in 1 run.
damienhialation
A sculpture catalog?.. And this whole time I thought they were dipping real kids in that shit that Han Solo was dipped in. What a friggin disappointment!
Danimal
Burnham is the place to go if you like the bank to wall obstacle, i remember it having at least 3 of them. those statues have the limp wristed skating style reminiscent of Lamar from Revenge of the Nerds!
conahan
Wilson Skatepark? Oh I hope not.
conahan
Looks a lot like one they have at Milton-Freewater, OR. I think that one has a backwards ball-cap and not a do-rag but I might be wrong. There must be a catalogue somewhere with different sculptures for parks departments to use in their parks.
Kilwag
I’ve been to Burnham before (sp?) Errgh! I’ve been to Wilson before, It’s OK. Nice finish from what I remember but everything seemed like it was the same height and transition. Looking forward to seeing Northbrook and comparing the two. Not going to have time to check out whiting or anything else really, with all the family obligations I have while I’m out here.
houseofneil
TNJeff, you are wrong. Northbrook craps all over WIlson in both concrete quality and the attitude of the locals. I’m really wondering how the local contractors fucked it up in your eyes? Did they make the concrete too smooth? The transitions too nice? Too much flow?
Man, some folks will complain about ANYTHING.
I’ve skated every concrete park in Chicagoland and Northbrook is the best, hands down. Unless major attitude and hassle is your bag, then go to wilson.
SB
I don’t know what’s worse those skatelite ramps or the hollow concrete parks that they stuff the “concrete ramps” full of foam. Take your pick, they’re littered throughout the suburbs. I’ve never made it down to Naperville to peep that park but it looks like all the other ones.
I’ll complain but keep skating them as they’re accessible and not too crowded. Wilson on a weekend afternoon is packed, why? Like TNJeff said it’s one of the best in the Chicago are.
TNJeff
take a trip up to Northbrook to see a SITE park the local contractors totally f*@ked up. Wilson Ave in Chicago is your best bet.