It’s been years in the making … and is now just a day away from opening. A drive by Delridge Skatepark very early this morning revealed that the fences are down (except for a section on the south side). We got a quick tour the other day, as crews continued to put finishing touches on areas including the viewing zone to the east (above, with art by youth from the Service Board) and rolled out the sod, getting ready for the 11 am-3 pm grand-opening celebration on Saturday (concurrent with the Delridge Day festival). Click ahead for not just a closer look before the skaters permanently move in, but also, if you don’t skate, a bit of a primer as to what you’re looking at:
For a little behind-the-scenes explanation, we talked with Matt Fluegge, senior project manager and executive for Grindline, the West Seattle-headquartered skatepark designers/builders who have brought the northeastern corner of the Delridge Community Center park to life as a skatepark. We asked him about the names by which the skatepark’s distinct zones are known. First, on the east end:
That’s the “egg bowl,” Matt says, meant for the most-advanced skaters. Next to it is the “flow bowl,” where tricks can be done:
Next to that are the “brick banks” on the southeastern side:
The patterned, painted concrete makes that side the most visually distinct. And that was the trickiest part to build, Matt explains, with the timing intricacies for shaping the concrete and applying the pattern. Then on the west side, the “street course”:
With Grindline having designed and built so many skateparks, we asked Matt about any distinct, unique features Delridge lays claim to. One observation he had: “How it sits in the site.” Specifically, when you are there, notice the trees – especially the ones in the photo above, and this one:
This isn’t just an expanse of concrete – it fits in, and on, the tree-studded section of park where it’s been built, “in the existing topography,” Matt notes. You can see it in the video we shot while crew members were doing some test skating three weeks ago:
(There’s been some unauthorized pre-opening skating too, but now that the fences are down, that’s all in the past!) Even if you don’t skate, take a close look to appreciate the twists, turns, slopes, banks, and curves. According to Matt, building a project like this takes specialized tools and team members with “artistic talent” that he says is held by only a handful of people. Many came to the skatepark industry after working in swimming pool construction, he notes. Looking at its sculpted features, you can appreciate that:
So, let’s say you’re coming on Saturday, but to watch, not to skate – there’ll be a lot to see, including the ribbon-cutting at 1 pm, with lessons and demos before that, and more demos afterward – including Nike Team pro skaters Chet Childress, Matt Beach, and Al Partanen (the schedule’s on the skatepark website). Where do you do that, and not get run over? The viewing area on the east side (top photo), says Matt, and also on the grass to the north and south of the skating area – although, he cautions, you’ll want to keep a few feet back, to avoid flying boards!
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