Renovated skate park offers space for every skating style
A few new benches and granite slabs to “grind” on. The refurbished skate park on Kanaaldijk in Eindhoven was officially reopened on Friday 13 June. With support from the Regio Deal, the park was upgraded and this was celebrated with a “best trick contest”.
Maes van Lanschot, Alderman for Sport (municipality of Eindhoven), opened the afternoon: 'Urban sports belong to Eindhoven. They are free, creative and fit with who we are as a city. But we don't want to determine as a municipality what skaters need. That's why we work together with people from the skate community itself.'
Survey among the skateboarding community
These people include Simon Baken and Sjoerd Vissers from Stichting Skateboarding Eindhoven. They form the bridge between the municipality and the skateboarding community. “We first conducted a survey,” says Simon. “It showed that many skaters were not very satisfied with the existing parks in Eindhoven. Together with the municipality, we looked at how we could improve things on a limited budget.”
The result for this skate spot? New obstacles, stelcom plates and two 3D-printed benches finished with granite. “This way, we can grind on them without wearing out our boards straight away. And of course, you can just sit on the benches,” laughs Sjoerd. The users are also enthusiastic. Jesse (15): “All the obstacles are nice and close together. It's a great place to practise, and you can tell that they've listened to what skaters want.” Kayden (13) is also happy: “I skate almost every day and today I'm taking part in a 'best trick contest”. Whoever does the coolest trick wins a prize.'
And there's more to come
The refurbishment of the skate park on Kanaaldijk is part of a broader approach in the city. On Saturday 14 June, the renovated skate park on Kasteellaan was also opened. The floor has been renewed and an extra quarter pipe has been added. In addition, a completely renovated skate park is scheduled to open in the Philips van Lenneppark after the summer. This park is being rebuilt from the ground up. “There will be more space for transitions. For example, there will be a mini ramp (a small version of a halfpipe),” says Sjoerd. “This will ensure that there is a place in Eindhoven for every style of skating. It is precisely this variety that works. It makes the city interesting for more skaters.” All these developments are financed with money from the Regio Deal and are part of the Urban Sport Route.