Some cool shots in Dave Hupp’s latest photo samples, like this one of Sage in the Pier Park pipe.

Went by Tigard today. I noticed the sign had been changed to read Fall 2007 for completion. So they may be a little behind schedule. I couldn’t see it, looks like they’re pretty far along to me.

Dan Hughes has a bunch of shots of the new Dreamland addition to the Bellingham skatepark. It’s an addition to the old park, so I suggested that Dan do a color overlay to show the old part vs the new. He sent the above image of the old section.

The new stuff is the bowl on the right (top photo) and the ditch on the left (hence all the construction shots of same). The old stuff isn’t that old, it’s just CRAP! Kinked like you wouldn’t believe, dead ends and rough. However, kids in Bellingham Rip like noone’s business.

The new stuff is Dreamland smooth and lots of nice flowing lines.

I like that bowl better than Glenhaven, but not better than Pier.

Reminds me of this but worse if possible, look at that kinked transition!

The saga of Caz’s ramp continues. When assembled, The ramp is 75 feet long and ten and a half feet deep in the deep end. It’s half shallow, half deep with a connecting hip section. You can see pictures and video of the ramp in it’s various states on Antigravity Press, and supposedly on the Plywood Benders site. I never skated this thing but heard about it every now and again. It was a private operation in a barn somewhere, then it was supposed to be some sort of a skate camp type operation that never got off the ground, and lastly it was being assembled in an indoor skatepark in Troutdale Oregon that never opened due to permitting problems. Now it can be yours if you have an extra $10,000 and a really, really large garage. The pictures form the Craig’s List post makes it look like a Noah’s Ark episode of In Search Of. In fact, isn’t that Bigfoot in the upper right hand shot? Let’s hope that thing get’s sold before the rain hits. Thanks to Joe Martin for the tip.

I put in a brief appearance at the Vancouver leg of the Drop-In with Airspeed’s Geth Noble yesterday. A handful of people showed up, and it was a good time. I don’t know if he learned anything useful, but he listened and skated well. I hate to disappoint Danimal, but I only took a few pictures. You can see them all after the jump.

Remember that cool London subterranean skate plaza project we covered a while back? Skate Daily alerts us to the fact that it’s open only to skaters under 18 except for a couple of hours one night a week. Bullshit! I bet the thing was organized and built by skaters over 18. Sign the petition and tell them why having older skaters there would be a good idea.

(Closer to home, the St Charles County skatepark in Near St Louis Missouri also has very restricted access for anyone over the age of 18. – K.Ed)

So a couple of weekends ago Dave Vieira, Pete Panagakos, Jeff Fryer, and myself set out for a little 3 day weekend trip to beautiful Brookings, Oregon. Our plan was to skate, drink some beer, and for me to shoot a machine gun in Eugene.

Check out: Brookings Weekend

PP&R has finalized the public design meeting schedule for the Ed Benedict
Skate Plaza project. Ed Benedict Park Public Open House/Workshop Meetings to review design ideas and provide input into Portland’s first skate plaza.

Early Boyles Elementary School Cafeteria (10822 SE Bush St.; 1 block south of SE Powell Blvd.)

First Meeting is September 13th; Second Meeting is November 15th.

Both meetings are from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

image from animation archive

Rod Wojtanik, one of the most influential voices in Pacific Northwest skateboarding, is packing his bags for a new professional opportunity and leaving behind skatepark development. Rod has been the skatepark guy at Portland Parks and Recreation. He led the skatepark siting and public outreach efforts, organizing and presenting at dozens of meetings with neighborhood associations, city council and more than a few NIMBYs. Rod has helped the skateboarding community navigate the bureaucacy and non-skating public opinion. With three skateparks in the ground, two more contracted and awaiting execution, and 14 more sited and planned for development, Rod has us off to a good start on the 19 skatepark system. Read more at Skaters for Portland Skateparks.

Aside from Vancouver, there was another skatepark opening of sorts in Washington last week. Bellingham Washington got some new Dreamland additions to an existing craptacular skatepark. We’ve shown you some pictures of the progress before thanks to John Aguilar, and he has come through again with a bunch more. They are strictly non-action photos though. There’s also a couple on Sleestak. Dan Hughes from Northwest Skater actually got in a session before the rain, as soon as his pics go live I’ll link them up.