About a million years ago (10 or so, actually) I did a write up of concrete skateparks in the greater Chicagoland area for a pre-blog print issue of S&A. It was pretty dismal, especially coming from a Northwest perspective. In most cases the design or finish were flawed, often times both. Most spots weren’t built by actual skatepark builders. Some have expansion joints where the transition meets the flat, filled with whatever soft goo they use on sidewalks. Some even have brushed cement. That’s not to say you couldn’t have fun in those parks, because you are skateboarding after all. Since that time, Chicago got an adequate, professional, but not especially exciting park on Wilson, plus a prefab junker on Logan, and think some other satellite parks in the burbs, but again, nothing to write home about. Who knows, (I don’t) maybe there are a other new parks in the area that I don’t know about. Admittedly, I’m going on old information, although I did hit some more suburban spots in 2009. This new skatepark in Villa Park by Portland’s Evergreen Skateparks has a small-ish footprint, so it’s kind of hard to dazzle, but still it’s got to be a step forward for the state of Illinois. Hopefully this will open the door for other build/design projects in the area. Maybe not though, I heard Evergreen ran into some Union problems on the site, with picketing and what not. That’s Chicagoland for you. Big shoulders extend all the way to the burbs. We’re da Machine! Getting back to Evergreen, here’s another slick helicopter-dogcam edit from Robert Mcintosh. Bonus Effigies audio for “We’re da Machine” after the jump.
More pictures and video at Evergreen Skateparks.
“We’re da Machine” by the Effigies.
10 comments
andy
I’m a moron. To clarify, that is NOT my friend Nick. It’s his friend Billy. He sent me this video before I saw it posted here and I just assumed that was him. My bad.
K.C.
I want a quadcopter, Rich Burton!
RH
/The organized dream/
RH
Hah, I was wondering if I’d geeked correct, then I noticed you had posted a video for that one after the jump… and that I’d only got the article wrong. (As the end of my first half century approaches, I find myself playing “who’s this again?” at sessions, about songs that seem familiar enough otherwise… which makes me question if I would’ve remembered who was responsible for that’n, if it had not been for the Chicago context.) (Lack of memories, misty water colored lack of memories…) (Though by committee, we can usually come up with who they are, on, well, our own recordings…)
Rich
The park building, skating, flying and videography are all top-notch. Stoked!
ditchwork
These Heli-shots from Evergreen are killing me. The last one I watched was from the Windell’s park and for a week or so I was seriously considering taking my old ass to adult skate camp. At least this park isn’t on the other side of the country!
Rad-Ham
Great aerial shots! Remote control plane & a Go Pro?
talentlessquitter
RC quadcopter.
andy dennis (orezona)
The skater is my good friend Nick Ferber who I grew up with in Newport, Oregon. We all learned how to skate bowls when Lincoln City was “re-done” and a short time later we built the park in Newport. Nick was one of the volunteers who was down at the park in Newport for pretty much every pour and in general is a super nice guy (along with his brother, Jonah). Props on your first SnA post, Nick!
wes
perspective is great! i love dogs