Words by Chad Shooter
Whether you view the opportunity to construct your own skate spot through the utilitarian lens of having more stuff to skate or you see it as an act of social resistance in which you are reclaiming unused urban space, creating a D.I.Y. spot can be worth your time if you approach it with some patience and an open mind. D.I.Y stand for “do it yourself ”, but that is not really how this works. In fact, I have not done it myself because I always have help from other skaters in my local community.
From my perspective, that is one of the best aspects of establishing a D.I.Y. spot, it brings the skate community together. If you want to build a D.I.Y. spot, there are several steps that you might consider. The first of which is the location. This is perhaps the most difficult and important part of the project. You need to find an abandoned building or the old concrete foundation of a building in a somewhat secluded area.
This will likely be in a run down part of town. Once you find the loca- tion that seems right, test the waters by putting a few boxes or flat bars out there and see if that lasts a while. If your gear doesn’t disappear and you enjoy several sessions without get- ting hassled by cops, locals or property owners, then start laying some concrete. I don’t seek permission from property owners cause the answer will almost always be no. It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission in this case. Be aware that people are afraid of getting sued, technically you are trespassing and you cannot sue them if you are there illegally.
It would actually be better for the property owner NOT to give you permission then she or he cannot be held liable if you crack your head open. I actually had permission to build a spot once, but it only lasted a year because some kids tagged an entire side of the building. I painted over all the graffiti a couple of times but it kept reappearing. I don’t understand why kids want to “Shit where they eat.” I think that is the main reason spots get shut down is because every thing gets trashed. Not everyone understands the need to be respectful and relatively low key about the whole thing. I find this lack of awareness to be particularly frustrating because once you invest in a spot you want it to cultivate a good scene.
I caught this guy tagging once and tried to explain to him that he was killing our spot, he did not get it so I told him I didn’t want to see him again till the graffiti was removed. You gotta stand up for your spot if you want to keep it. The best thing to do is leave a spot the way you found it. I recommend doing everything in concrete, wood is too expensive and doesn’t last very long.Do a little research on working with concrete before you go out there and fuck it up. You will need some basic equipment like a wheelbarrow, trowel, shovel, cinder blocks, concrete mix and water. Now it’s time to get a good crew of friends on board and start creating!
