“Give me a corner of your existing spot and I’ll build a replicated urban environment that I call a ‘Skate Spot.’” --Rob Dyrdek on his Safe Spot Skate Spot project (Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory).
World-famous skateboarding icon Rob Dyrdek has co-created a foundation with DC Shoes that they’re calling the Skate Plaza Foundation, a part of which is dedicated to the Safe Spot Skate Spot project. Dyrdek is teaming up with communities around the US to create areas where urban kids can access legal "street terrain" to skate. Working with cities—firstly Los Angeles—and designers, Dyrdek is creating replicas of authentic, urban-skating terrain in existing community parks and other open areas. In so doing, the skating public—who currently have few legal venues—are given alternatives to ramps, stairs, and rails on private property. Even better, new space isn’t being dedicated to the singular usage of skaters, but instead public spaces are being enhanced with skateable structures that are incorporated into existing terrain and landscaping.
Dyrdek’s first Safe Spot Skate Spot was unveiled Febuary 24th this year at Lafayette Park in Los Angeles’ Westlake neighborhood. LA “is the mecca of skateboarding and there are zero places to skate there!” said Dyrdek. In fact, there are 13 million street skateboarders in the US, many in urban areas without access to legal venues.Watch the Fantasy Factory episode that visit’s the first Safe Spot Skate Spot site pre-development.
Photos courtesy of www.mtv.com/photos, www.skateplaza.com
Other Sources: espn.go.com, skate.dcshoes.com , www.skateplaza.com
Photos courtesy of www.mtv.com/photos, www.skateplaza.com
Other Sources: espn.go.com, skate.dcshoes.com , www.skateplaza.com
