As one long-time camp director said recently, “The camp basics are the same, but the recreational intensity has increased.” Inundated with ESPN’s X Games, Nickelodeon’s Rocket Power and the ubiquitous extreme sports genre, American youth has become infatuated with the most accessible of the loosely-bound extreme sports, skateboarding.
Skateboarding is relatively inexpensive and the rudimentary mechanics are fairly simple. Make no mistake, scooters are a fad; skateboarding is here to stay. Besides, you can’t do tricks on scooters, but a skateboard allows you to get vertical, dude.
A sign of the extreme times is the number of camps that have added, or plan to add, skate parks to their programs. These skate parks are often versatile, allowing BMX trick bikers or inline skaters to ride the steel and concrete waves of ramps, rails and pipes.
Some camps have added a few modular components to bring a skating element to their programming. Others have decided to make skating their number one recreational priority.
Depending on the type of camp you run — from niche-focused computer camps to mammoth multi-program, multi-sport mega-camps — there is an option for everyone.
Once you start looking into it, you’ll find an entire subculture with its own language. You’ll run into terms like spines, pipes, banks, pyramids, grind rails, grind boxes, fun boxes, jump boxes, hips and wedges.
Remarkably, all these flow into a defined course, or part of a course, depending on how far you go with it. Most of the manufacturers listed below offer diagrams and photos of the various components and how they can create custom skate parks — big and small — on their Web sites.
American Ramp Co.
www.americanrampcompany.com
601 McKinley
Joplin, MO 64801
Phone: (877) 726-7778
Fax: (417) 206-6888
sales@americanrampcomany.com
American Ramp sells complete skate parks or individual components, including a bank ramp, bowl, grind box, grindrail, kinked grindrail, half pipe, half pyramid, pyramid, launch ramp, quarter pipe, spine, hip and jump box. The Web site includes sample designs, free services, safety gear, rentals, an order form and more.
Armadillo Recreation
www.armadillorecreation.com
P.O. Box 2146
Mansfield, TX 76063-2146
Phone: (817) 539-0102
Fax: (817) 539-0102
sales@armadillorecreation.com
Armadillo Recreation is the U.S. distributor for Rhino Ramps. It offers a choice of full skate parks and street courses, plus combinations and components. Components include Street Spine, Quarter Pipe, Half Pipe, Flat Bank, Grind Rail, Pyramid and Safety Rails.
Big Daddy Mfg.
www.bigdaddymfg.com
5445 Oceanus Dr., Suite 114
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
steve@bigdaddymfg.com
Phone: (714) 893-5621
Fax: (714) 893-5631
Big Daddy’s products include ramp kits (banks, boxes, ramps, wedges, spines, stairs, rails, quarter pipes, corners, bends, tables and benches), half pipes, combinations, mobile parks and mobile half-pipes. The Web site features information, diagrams, specifications and photos of its products and components, as well as an on-line store and services.
Hot Rails Inc.
51 South Jefferson St.
Orange, NJ 07050
www.hotrails.com/ramps4camps.htm
Phone: (973) 331-3758
Fax: (973) 673-8116
sk8ramps@aol.com
Hot Rails makes skate park components and modular parks, including take-off ramps, boxes, landing ramps, fly boxes, hips, spines, pyramids, quarter pipes and half pipes. There’s a section geared toward camps at www.hotrails.com/ramps4camps.htm. From there, go to Table of Contents for diagrams, ramp care information, a message board, a note to parents and other areas of interest.
Landscape Structures Inc.
www.skatewaveramps.com
www.playlsi.com
PO Box 198
Delano, MN 55328
Phone: (866) sk8-wave
Fax: (763) 972-3185
SkateWave is a division of Landscape Structures, and you can access SkateWave from the Landscape Structures homepage or go directly to www.skatewaveramps.com. Products include various obstacles, furnishings and configurations, plus consulting services. On the Web site, each product line contains diagrams and approximate pricing information. Also included on the site are photos of skate parks using the SkateWave system, links, statistics and safety.
Mojo Rails
www.mojorails.com
2042 W. 1st St. Tempe, AZ 85281
Phone: (480) 829-0412
Fax: (480) 829-3504
Info@mojorails.com
Mojo Rails product line includes practice hurdles, jumps, rails and ramps. Combinations include a Fun Box, Handrail Box, Fly Wedge and Flat Wedge. The Web site includes diagrams of skate parks, street courses and specs.
Mountain Ramp Inc.
www.mountainramp.com
6270 Arapahoe Ave. #3
Boulder, CO 80303
awest@mountainramp.com
877-544-9684
303-544-9683
The Web site includes information about the company’s quarter pipes, wedges, fun boxes, grind boxes, bells, pyramids, spines, half pipes and grind rails. Each product line includes diagrams, photos, specs and a quote. The Web site also includes FAQs and a View Parks link, which shows photos and diagrams of selected installed parks.
Playworld Systems Inc./Huna Designs
www.hunadesigns.com
www.playworldsystems.com
1000 Buffalo Road
Lewisburg, PA 17837-9795
Phone: (570) 522-9800
Fax: (570) 522-3030
Huna Designs is a division of Playworld Systems, and has partnered with Woodward Ramps & Rails as its exclusive manufacturer and distributor. You can access the site directly, or through the Playworld Systems site. Products include wedges, spines, quarter pipes, jumps and grind rails. The site includes FAQs, links, safety and correct skate park flow.
Ramptech Inc.
www.ramptech.com
14855 Persistence Dr.
Woodbridge, VA 22191
Phone: (703) 492-2378
Fax: (703) 492-1023
brian@ramptech.com
The Web site includes blueprints of the company’s ramps and rails, tips and tricks, wedges and spines. SkatePark Creator allows you to put the pieces together on-line to see what your custom skate park might look like (you’ll need Flash). There’s also information on qualifications and specifications. You can also “visit” parks using Ramptech’s products.
Skateparks 2 Playgrounds
www.skateparks2playgrounds.com
612 Western Ave.
Lombard, IL 60148
Phone: (630) 495-9400
Fax: (630) 495-9401
tom@skateparks2playgrounds.com
Skateparks 2 Playgrounds is a modular concrete skate park manufacturer. You provide dimensions and they’ll do a 3D CAD layout of a concrete park. There are photos and diagrams of the various combinations and some suggested layouts on the Web site.
Skateparks International
www.sk8parks.com
13080 Cavanaugh Mile Road
Hudson, CO 80642-7625
Phone: (303) 655-9006
Fax: (303) 659-9326
pam@sk8parks.com
Skateparks International makes all-steel ramps and rails and obstacles and offers a 3D design service. The Web site includes diagrams and specifications of its product line.
Spohn Ranch
www.spohnranch.com
15131 Clark Ave
City of Industry, CA 91745
Phone: (626) 330-5803
Fax: (626) 330-5503
aaron@spohnranch.com
Spohn Ranch’s product line of skate park components are made of a combination of lumber, steel and concrete. It offers construction, design, consulting and insurance services.
SunRamp Solutions Inc.
www.sunramp.com
1428 South Road
Duluth, MN 55811
Phone: (218) 728-5649
Fax: (218) 728-0790
info@sunramp.com
Products include waves, launches, ramps, breakers, spines and quarter pipes, and are made of molded wood supported by an aluminum frame. The Web site includes specs and photos. Call the company for specific pricing information.
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