So “skatercross” is thing now? Apparently there’s some sort of competitive circuit for it, at least that’s what Skateboard Supercross (SBSX) would have you to believe. You’re looking at an “Official SBSX Track” in New York City built by a Swiss mountain bike-centric company called Velosolutions. I’m not sure what they mean by official track, and it seems unclear whether or not this is a public park or not. Looks like it was spearheaded by Brooklyn Bike Park which is some combination of bike shop/rental/park. The Skateboard Supercross video shows skateboards, but the Velosolutions pics and Brooklyn Bike Park association implies this was built with bikes foremost in mind. It looks fun though. I like the illustration on the track. Again with the asphalt though. I guess it’s easier and cheaper to work than concrete. Probably less slippery in inclement weather. Better for bikes too.

I spotted a pump track video online via Michael Brooke’s Facebook feed, but he was tight lipped about it at the time and I forgot ot follow up on it. Progressive Pumptracks makes modular pump tracks from three different materials, wood, steel, and concrete. The wooden ones seem like they would have a short useful lifespan for a skateboard, even though they are covered with a composite surface. I can imagine the repetitive “thunk thunk” sounds at each seem would only get louder and slower after a season in the rain or snow. The concrete version looks pretty fun though, although technically still reconfigurable, in reality it seems like it would be really hard to move without a good forklift, maybe two. It’s a pretty exciting idea until you realize that ARC is the company behind it. Actually, it’s still a pretty cool idea, just hard to swallow considering who makes them. A pump track is not really a “skatepark” but more like a skatespot. It looks super fun, and I love the idea of plopping these down on a disused tennis court. Videos and pics after the jump, plus a bonus video of an asphalt pump track someplace called…

A crew at one site invites other crews from around Europe to a weekend DIY fest. Crews compete, the spot wins. Great soundtrack, great concrete, a sense of humor and a sense of pure awesome fun. Watch this video from Gypsy Skate. – Tip via Tim Kulas

I’ve been contemplating some designs for skate spots in my head lately. One idea that I’ve had for a while consists of parallel tracks of wave like bumps varying in frequency and staggered side by side. Watching this video was both disappointing (because it’s kind of been done) and validating at the same time. It looks pretty great for found terrain, but if it was built for skating I’d lie to see the tracks staggered and directly adjacent. I have to applaud the length of these things though, they certainly didn’t skimp on the concrete. – Thanks to our resident secret bike spy in the house, Mike Estes. Update: Added some actual skate footage too.