Near as I can tell this is a new model for DIY skateparks, or for that matter, skateparks in general. Court 2.0 is a project to replace the DIY spot known as “Courts,” located on the Portland State University campus. Originally the site of derelict tennis courts, it became a permission spot for what was supposed to be a 1 year trial period. Basically, a sanctioned spot to build or bring your own obstacles. That spot was always going to be temporary, and PSU is going to begin construction of an art building on that site. In a lesson learned at Burnside, key to a DIY spot is being a good neighbor. Organizers have managed to secure a 300k grant to develop a new spot nearby, again with the blessing of PSU. This new spot will add a few amenities missing from the old spot, notably a set of skate able ledges somewhat disguised as seating. It’s important to note these obstacles are not concrete, and are therefore reconfigurable, but not in the model of the institutional modular skateparks. This is truly community driven.
I don’t know how they manage this insurance wise. I understand that skateboarding is legally classified as a dangerous activity, but I would think there would be some inherent liability in allowing random unvetted obstacles. Who knows, who cares, as long as it works.
Here’s plans and renders, they don’t seem to match, but you get the idea.
Homemade obstacles are nothing new to concrete skateparks, you see them all the time, even in bowl centric parks you’ll find the odd plastic jersey barrier, leftover rail slide, or bright orange fake 55 gallon drum liberated from a road site. This approach for a sanctioned skatepark is a shift though. Provide a basic space and let the community make what they want. I’m not going to pretend that this is my favorite type of skateboarding or skatepark style. It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely for someone, and most likely the largest share of the skateboarding population.
This is the video to watch. It comes from the folks at Adjacency Bias. It was made when the old spot was still going and the new one was being planned and negotiated.
Coverage of the groundbreaking from mainstream media.
Photos in this post are from Skaters for Portland Skateparks.
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