Grindline's Biggest In Boston

Charles River Skatepark signs with Grindline to build skatepark

The Charles River Conservancy has chosen Grindline to build the proposed 40,000 square foot skatepark in East Cambridge under the Leonard P. Zakim Bridge on the Charles River at the new basin. Based in Washington, Grindline has a reputation for world-class skateparks and is well-known in the skater community. They have built parks in more than 30 states and are looking to expand worldwide.

Jamie Cumming, Boston skateboarder and member of the CRC's Skatepark Committee, said, the CRC has "chosen one of the best skatepark builders in the world. It is a company of skateboarders, so the people building the park are skateboarders themselves and have skateboarders' needs at the forefront." Read the entire article.

45 at 45 Tour - Obsession Or Middle Age Madness??

Rich Sayers skated 45 different Northern California skateboard parks in twenty days of skating to celebrate his 45th birthday. This is also a showcase of the many public skate parks we now enjoy. Rich learned how to skate vert at age 40; getting back on a skateboard after not having skated for almost 20 years. There were bumps, sprains, bruises andscrapes -- but the thrill of zooming around on concrete walls, grinding coping and doing handstands to fakies was too alluring to stop!

Visit his site for tour notes, photos and videos.

Editor's note: I've only met Rich a couple of times, but I can tell you, he is one of the most energetic people I have ever met. Way to go Rich.

The Sun Never Sets On This Crew

There are about 20 men here on this midweek night with their equipment, their experience, their memories and, most importantly, their lighting. Too busy for daytime skating, they come out under the cover of darkness, set up the lights, turn on the portable generators and start skateboarding up and down and across the concrete bowls and ramps. While waiting their turns they chat, watch and applaud fellow skaters, and chew on dim sims. Some sip on a beer, some do running repairs on their boards.

Old-school skateboarders, as these veterans between their 30s and mid-50s are known, meet twice a week in skate parks across Melbourne, from Frankston to Northcote to Point Cook. And many parks in between. Read the rest of the article.

Shanghai’s Skate Showdown - From The New York Times

The world’s largest skatepark (as in skateboarding and in-line skating) is in Shanghai, or more precisely in New Jiangwan City, a planned community that includes an enormous park (think Central Park-size) as part of the city’s emerging “greenbelt.” To celebrate my son Edward’s 11th birthday, we spent Saturday October 27th at the 3rd annual Shanghai Showdown, a competition for the best “professional skaters, inline and BMXers from around the world.” For those of you who may not be regulars on this circuit, as none of us are, “BMXers” refers to trick bicycles, on which riders do amazing stunts in the half-pipe.

The complete article is here.