A Hamilton skateboard shop has taken home first prize in the international Vans/Spitfire Create and Destroy contest. The challenge: build a concrete skateboard park under stealth in 30 days, then skate on it without being noticed.
Flatspot Skateboard took on the challenge after being nominated by Vans Canada as the Canadian contender in a battle that included participants from the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico and Australia.
Contestants received $1,500 each, their full budget, and were then asked to produce a video documenting their efforts. The entire enterprise, from site selection to construction to delivery of the final video, was limited to 30 days.
“We assembled a team of about 15 guys including skaters, friends, employees and people who ride for the shop,” says Trevor Rowan, who founded Flatspot in Hamilton in 2006.
“When we were planning the job, one of the guys mentioned that he’d stumbled upon a house foundation which had been abandoned for the last 20 years while doing a magazine photo shoot. We decided to use the concrete foundation as the base for our skate park. We just bought as many bags of Quikcrete as we could afford with the budget and we went to town.”
Or, in this case, out of town. The foundations were located near the Bruce Trail in a spot secluded enough to classify as “secret.” Secrecy was important primarily because the contest organizers intended each entry to be a complete surprise — even to the community in which the stealth park would be located.
“Years ago, when I was about 19, I worked in a shipyard building ocean liners, so that was my only construction experience,” says Rowan. “In terms of concrete… nothing.”
Some of the team members had experience in the construction trades, but as framers, not concrete experts. However, the collective experience of the team supplied some of the basics, like making sure that rebar was brought to the site to strengthen the concrete. However, the team had no access to a cement mixer or a handy source of fresh water.
“We just filled up jugs of water,” says Rowan.
“Lots of jugs. Then we hand-mixed the cement and started pouring using plywood to help shape the ramps and curves. We also learned on the job. For example, we realized early on that it was much better to chip away some of the existing concrete before we poured new cement, so that the new mix would adhere better to the old foundation.”
The team built the entire skateboard facility working 10-hour shifts over about five days in July. Team members didn’t even bother developing alibis about where they were going each day. They simply left without explaining themselves, then returned home exhausted.
“Skate your spot before it gets torn down,” the rulebook advises. “They usually all do. Good thing is, you can always make more.”
The Flatspot crew created a video record of the construction project and the eventual skate party, which was submitted to the contest organizers. The theme music chosen for the production was “Let’s Shake” by Hamilton rockers Teenage Head. The winner was chosen through online voting.
Flatspot was awarded a $2,000 prize and received $1,000 to help improve a local skateboard park.
“We’re members of the Hamilton Skateboard Assembly and have been working with the city on local parks for the past 20 years,” says Rowan. “We’re targeting the improvements to Beasley Park, which is a clean and positive place for kids to skate.”
Rowan notes that the owner of the property eventually discovered the stealth skateboard project.
“He was an older gentleman and really cool about it,” says Rowan. “There’s a whole misconception that skateboarders are beer drinkers and hell raisers. We were respectful of the site and cleaned up all of the garbage around the foundation first. He was just happy that we had cleaned it up for him. Probably just as happy as we were to win the contest on behalf of Canada.”
See the winning video at skate.vans.com/spitfire/
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