Skatepond Repair Project - thanks to the Leisure Foundation

Tales of the Skate Pond

photo on the left of Jackson Taylor by Dave Franklin

Tim O'Brien and friends constructed a concrete clover shaped skatebowl in the backyard of their Oakland apartment in the late 1990s. It was slowly modified, improved, and repainted. In early 2005, Tim and his family moved to a new house, and I inherited the greatest backyard ramp ever. Sessions continued, concrete cracked and chipped, and paint peeled...

cameraphone shot of a Pete grind

The skatepond circa 2004

Jacob Thrillman rules the pond.

By spring of 2005, the Skatepond (formerly known as the Kahuna Bowl) was suffering. Small cracks had grown and large chunks of the flatbottom started to come loose. My temporary repairs with duct tape just weren't going to hold together.

To the rescue came the Bay Area Leisure Foundation, which awarded me with a $500 grant to repair, repaint, and reopen the skatepond. More importantly, they publicly awarded me with an oversized novelty check.

The project started in September. Using several types of concrete patch, I slowly, layer by layer, filled in cracks and reshaped the most damaged portions of the bowl. All that fixing work made me hungry, so I bought a grill for the yard.

In the middle of the patching phase of the skatepond project, we had a birthday party in the yard and a mariachi band played in the middle of the bowl. It was pretty cool.

In October, with the patching done, my neighbor (whose apartment overlooks the skatebowl) and I decided on a bright, new color scheme: blue and yellow. The bowl was painted with several layers, inside and out. The yard was trimmed, the cooler was filled with ice, and beverages and food were purchased. Time to party.

On October 15th, the Skatepond officially reopened with a skatejam / barbeque / campfire. Lights were temporarily installed and an old school night session ensued. Grinds were grinded, hammocks were broken, fruit desserts were cooked, and layback slides were slid. What paint wasn't ruined by the previous nights rainfall (next time I'll get higher quality) was shredded off by the agressive manuevers. I love the skatepond so much. If you're in the neighborhood and you hear me skating, stop by for a session.

Thanks going out to the originals Tim and Al, Michelle, Emmett, Kate, Narangkar, Jacob, Brian & Alice, Josh at Leisure Foundation, Beckmania, Nic, everyone who offered to help, and all the friends who make every session so awesome. Skate forever!

Sat Purin, Thrillman, and Jason Deamer continued their domination of the skatepond
well into 2006 with a birthday barbeque skate jam featuring updated lights!

youtube hosts this timelapse video of the pond getting bucketed of its scumwater in February of 2007. Let's skate.

		Tales of the Skate Pond photo on the left of Jackson Taylor by Dave Franklin
Tim O'Brien and friends constructed a concrete clover shaped skatebowl in the backyard of their Oakland apartment in the late 1990s. It was slowly modified, improved, and repainted. In early 2005, Tim and his family moved to a new house, and I inherited the greatest backyard ramp ever. Sessions continued, concrete cracked and chipped, and paint peeled... cameraphone shot of a Pete grind
The skatepond circa 2004		Jacob Thrillman rules the pond.


By spring of 2005, the Skatepond (formerly known as the Kahuna Bowl) was suffering. Small cracks had grown and large chunks of the flatbottom started to come loose. My temporary repairs with duct tape just weren't going to hold together.
To the rescue came the Bay Area Leisure Foundation, which awarded me with a $500 grant to repair, repaint, and reopen the skatepond. More importantly, they publicly awarded me with an oversized novelty check.

The project started in September. Using several types of concrete patch, I slowly, layer by layer, filled in cracks and reshaped the most damaged portions of the bowl. All that fixing work made me hungry, so I bought a grill for the yard.
		In the middle of the patching phase of the skatepond project, we had a birthday party in the yard and a mariachi band played in the middle of the bowl. It was pretty cool.
	In October, with the patching done, my neighbor (whose apartment overlooks the skatebowl) and I decided on a bright, new color scheme: blue and yellow. The bowl was painted with several layers, inside and out. The yard was trimmed, the cooler was filled with ice, and beverages and food were purchased. Time to party.

On October 15th, the Skatepond officially reopened with a skatejam / barbeque / campfire. Lights were temporarily installed and an old school night session ensued. Grinds were grinded, hammocks were broken, fruit desserts were cooked, and layback slides were slid. What paint wasn't ruined by the previous nights rainfall (next time I'll get higher quality) was shredded off by the agressive manuevers. I love the skatepond so much. If you're in the neighborhood and you hear me skating, stop by for a session. Thanks going out to the originals Tim and Al, Michelle, Emmett, Kate, Narangkar, Jacob, Brian & Alice, Josh at Leisure Foundation, Beckmania, Nic, everyone who offered to help, and all the friends who make every session so awesome. Skate forever!

Sat Purin, Thrillman, and Jason Deamer continued their domination of the skatepond well into 2006 with a birthday barbeque skate jam featuring updated lights!
		youtube hosts this timelapse video of the pond getting bucketed of its scumwater in February of 2007. Let's skate.