The quality goes… errrr, uh…
I found this video linked from MiamiSkaters.com. Miami skaters just avoided a near disaster with an RFP for a new skatepark that was being railroaded in. There was a mandatory prefab clause and a semi-secret last minute proposal deadline that ruled out all but Spohn Ranch and American Ramp Company. Skateparks bids get rigged all the time. It’s no shocker, although usually it’s one company that’s put in all the groundwork where no momentum previously existed instead of whispering in the right politicians ears. I don’t claim to know what went on behind the scenes in Miami, but here’s a video showing the level of quality in one ARC built skatepark that’s just six years old.
Perhaps the manufacturer has some responsibility but the owner, I presume a city agency, should have done a much better job monitoring the condition and performing periodic maintenance.
It is proven time and time again that cities have a budget for a skatepark. A ONE TIME budget. They think they spend it, and they’re done. The mfgs have proven time and time again that they will take that money, say oh yea, maintenance is on you, and walk away.
If prefab wants to EVER be legit, then they need to up their bids to INCLUDE 5 year(minimum) maintenance plans. They need to be up front about the requirement and costs of maintaining steel and wood ramps.
But they won’t. Why? Because then suddenly, prefab is just as expensive as concrete, and more work over time. And that ain’t profitable for them.
I do agree that the users ought to be taking care of their chit (simply putting trash where it goes and dogging the douchebags who don’t would go a long long way).
The problem is, ARC includes a ’15 year warranty’ on their ramps to help sell them, but the warranty is so limited that it isn’t worth shit.
When skaters come to the table with money they raised on their own they stand a better chance of influencing how public dollars are used to build parks. “Want our money for this? It’s got to be concrete.”
Prefab sucks, true, but the city needs to take care of that shit. There is this great invention called paint that would keep that rust down to a minimum. We had a steel vert ramp in Baltimore that sat 30′ from the salt water that didn’t rust at all due to a good layer of paint. The City is who should be called out in this video, not ARC. The city they bought the ramps, didn’t take care of them and are the ones who need to correct the problem before someone gets really F#%d up on that rusty-ass-shit.
Still, who the fuck likes riding on sheet metal. It’s the jankiest skate surface possible.
oh no the stairs are rusted! granted, this ‘product’ sucks to begin with but GreenIssue raises a good point except that it should be the fucking kids that maintain the park with the paint and clean up – i’ll bet those ungrateful bastards would litter and lead the overall neglect of something made out of kryptonite.
You raise an interesting point, which is overshadowed by the fact that your avatar makes it look like you are wearing a beard of bees.
A beard of bees. How come nobody wears those anymore?
Have to say it:-I always thought that avatar was an old vacation shot of Phil Margera… 😉
You’re supposed to ollie over the stairs, duh.
They should build it out of Gold. Gold does not rust.
Thanks for posting this. From what I understand, the general contractor is the one releasing the problematic RFPs, not the city. Luckily, after bringing the issue to their attention, city officials have stepped in and sent out a revised RFP which allows for any type of construction, not just prefab. We are also raising additional funds that will be set aside that can be added to the budget if the company selected is a reputable poured in place company.
http://www.miamiskaters.com/uncategorized/time-to-get-to-work/
http://www.warrantyweek.com/archive/ww20040224.html
Nice find
These Pre-Fab stories always get me so pissed off.
http://skatersforqualityskateparks.blogspot.com/