Skateparks and Winter Sports Areas

1
Skateparks and Winter Sports Areas

• Chapter 19

2
History of Skateboarding

• 1950s surfers created skateboarding in order to
  pass the time when ocean was flat
• 1970s urethane wheel applied to skateboard, the
  skateboard-specific trucks, then precision
  bearings
• 1980s innovated skaters pushed the value of the
  sport even though many skateparks had closed, so
  streetstyle skating was created

3
Liability

• Public or private owners need to carefully plan
  for a safe facility
• Insurance Carriers
• KK Insurance Company
• Joint Powers of Insurance Agency
• City Securities Corporation
• International Special Events and Recreation
  Association

4
Safety

• Signs should be posted to indicate hours of
  operation
• Pads and helmets requirements
• Used at own risk
• Consider level of supervision (free play)
• Free of hazards, inspected regularly

5
General Planning Criteria

• Location evaluate potential sites by
  considering
• Potential usage of area
• Size of site
• Access to public transportation
• Drainage for the site
• Access to public utilities
• Noise pollution
• Nuisance avoidance
• Spectator seating
• Parking
• Emergency access

6
Design Features

• safe spectator areas
• low-maintenance site
• adequate sight lines of the area for supervision
  as well as viewing activities by spectators
• protective netting or barriers to guard against
  serious falls and to impede flying skateboards
• safety lighting
• emergency access
• exposure to environmental elements such as wind,
  rain, lightning, or sun
• shaded areas
• drinking fountains

7
Additional Considerations

• adequate lighting for night activities
• facilities for skateboarding are suitable for
  other disciplines such as in-line skating or
  roller blading (e.g., recreational speed skating,
  in-line hockey, and freestyle or aggressive
  skating) and BMX bikes
• noise and light intrusion on neighbors
• north or south orientation rather than an east or
  west setting

8
Consulting Services

• preparing a demographic survey of the local skate
  community
• assisting in the site selection
• determining designs and construction parameters
  (e.g., wood vs. concrete, size, budget see
  Figure 19.2 for costs associated with the various
  types of parks amenities)
• acting as an intermediary between owners and
  local skaters
• organizing and establishing a pro shop (e.g.,
  contacting vendors, preparing initial orders,
  etc.)
• preparing drawings for public venues
• developing design specifications for either wood
  or concrete skateparks

9
Design Services

• Designed uniquely and/or customized of either
• Concrete
• Steel
• Wood
• Consist of element for all levels, including
  beginners advanced
• Proper transitions, heights, and layouts

10
Costs

• Portable Wood Parks
• As little as 3,000 and up to 100,000
• (average park being 10,000 square feet and
  25,000)
• Steel Frame Parks
• Steel frame with metal or skatelike surfaces,
  permanent parks can be bolted to existing
  concrete
• 10,000 square-foot park starting around 30,000
• Advantages park can be reconfigured,
  weatherproof, and affordable
• Concrete Parks
• As low as 10 per square foot, average 16 and as
  high as 20
• Average 10,000 square foot costs 140,000

11
Designer Services

• Conducting preliminary consulting services
  appropriate to design considerations
• Preparing custom concept designs for wood,
  concrete, or combination of the two
• Developing detailed construction drawings for
  wood skateparks
• Preparing detailed drawings for concrete parks
• Providing budget estimates
• Preparing detailed specifications for wood park
  construction
• Consulting with concrete and steel contractors on
  design elements
• Producing drawings in various formats using the
  latest version of AutoCad

12
Wood Ramps

• All wood should be pressured treated
• 3/4 plywood transition templates, on ends and
  every 4 feet or 6 feet
• 2-inch x 6-inch joists, spaced 8 inches on
  center, 4-foot spans/double joists every 24
  inches
• Two layers of 1/2 plywood subsurface
• 3/8 polyboard, 1/4 Skatelite, or 12-gauge steel
  ramp surface
• 12-guage by 24-inch steel for all ramp bottoms
• 1/4 Polyboard on ramp decks
• Coping, 1 1/2 or 2-inch schedule 40 pipe (2 or 2
  1/2-inch OD)
• Ramp joists fastened with 8 by 3-inch galvanized
  deck screws
• Each layer of plywood is fastened by rust-proof
  decking screws on a 12-inch pattern
• Ramp surfaces and bottoms fastened with 10 by
  3-inch sheet metal screws

13
Concrete Skateparks

• Built from the ground up
• Templates are used to shape the concrete
• Grey coat is recommended for bowls, pools, or
  anything with transition
• Lighting is provided for night skating and
  security when the park is not in use
• Concerns with concrete are cracks and frost as
  well as keeping the entire area clean

14
Winter Sports Areas Sledding Safety

• Avoid hills with trees, stumps, holes, fences,
  and rock walls.
• Never orient a sledding course toward a road,
  parking lot, pond, lake, river, railroad tracks,
  or raven.
• Allow for a sled return zone adjacent to the
  sledding course.
• Have all participants wear helmets and mouth
  guards.
• Provide adult supervision.
• Pad all obstructions with hay bales.
• Use sleds that can be steered rather than snow
  discs.
• Do not allow participants to ride flat. Have the
  participants sit up and face forward.
• All participants should sled feet first, never
  head first.
• Do not allow inflatable tube sleds, they can
  bounce and throw children.
• Do not allow sitting or sliding on plastic sheets
  or other materials that can be pierced by objects
  on the ground.
• Be certain that the sledding area is well lighted
  during the evening hours

15
Safe Sledding Areas

• An entrance to the area
• A wide, moderately sloped hill clear of stumps,
  trees, fences, and holes
• Length should be between 50 to 150 yards
• Runoff should be long and flat to accommodate
  deceleration of the sled
• Sledding course should be clearly marked
• Return alleys for the sledders should be clearly
  identified on either side of the sledding course
• Should be a buffer/safety zone of at least 10
  yards between the sledding course and return
  alleys
• End of the course should not be compromised by
  roads, ponds, lakes, rivers, or parking lots
• All obstructions must be padded by hay or straw
  bales
• Lighting should be provided if the area is to be
  used in the evening hours
• A shelter should be provided at the top and
  bottom of the course for sledders to use during
  resting periods with restrooms nearby
• Should be appropriate signage placed at the
  entrance and shelters outlining the safety
  recommendations for sledders

16
Ski and Snowboard Hills

• Beginners
• Flat-top hill area, 50 square feet per skier, 25
  skiers per class
• Slope about 75 to 100 feet long, drop in grade of
  15 feet, or 41 ratio
• Starting line at top of slope, 100 feet wide
• Run-out at bottom of slope either flat or uphill
• Slope facing east or northeast
• Instructional area free of stones, woods, and
  other impediments
• Protective cover, such as trees or brush, around
  the area

17
Ski and Snowboard Hills

• Advanced
• Top of hill about the same as for beginners
• Slope is most important ratio about 31 and
  length 100 to 150 feet
• Width of hill or slope, minimum of 150 feet
  because of speed and space required for turning
  movements

18
Cross Country Skiing

• Ski touring
• Successful with limited facilities
• Existing trails may be groomed
• Trails may be carved out
• Proper signage needed

19
Coasting and Tobogganing

• Often found in community parks
• Adequate safety features needed
• Sufficient space needed
• Free from hazards
• Municipal risk managers provide input

20
Ice Skating/Ice Hockey Rinks

• Skating season 20-60 day average season to 140
  day season, up to 240 days depending on climatic
  conditions
• Artificial rinks replace natural rinks
• Recreational Ice Hockey configuration
• Full size hockey arena floor is normally 200' x
  85'
• Olympic size hockey floor is 200' x 100'
• Curling sheets are 14' x 146' but are usually
  laid out at 15' x150'
• Refrigeration Load can range from 45 to 300 tons
  for an arena

21
Humidity Problems

• Enters with incoming ventilation are by opening
  doors, using showers, respiration of people
  within building
• Dehumidification systems
• mechanical dehumidifier
• desiccant dehumidifier

22
Types of Floors

• Sand versus Cement
• Sand
• Utilized to reduce initial cost of an ice surface
• Used in year-round facilities
• Reduces flexibility of facility (no off-season
  usage)
• No support for rodeos, tractor pulls, etc.
• Cement
• Cost 50,000 -125,000
• Increases flexibility of facility
• Ensures a precisely level surface to form ice base

23
Calcium Chloride vs. Glycol

• Energy efficiency Calcium Chloride
• Heat transfer coefficient better than glycol
• Smaller, less expensive chillers (carbon steel)
• Heat transfer in floor piping is better
• Stainless steel stems and brine pump shafts
• System needs to be kept full at all times, so no
  air is allowed in to internal components
• Environmentally friendly rust inhibitor
• Glycol
• Used for systems that are occasionally emptied