“We’ve got no good spots.” Everyone reading this has likely heard this statement at least once. Whether it’s being used as an argument to remain at the skatepark, or mumbled while watching the latest YouTube brain melter of someone in some far off city. Claiming a lack of spots is a staple in the skate community. But how often is this true? Do some cities truly have no spots?
Well it’s extremely rare that a location truly has “no spots” and from the perspective of a small town skateboarder, even the smaller cities are covered in potential gold. Living in Ottawa, one of Canada’s midsized cities, we are not a Canadian skateboard mecca like our neighbors Toronto and Montreal. But when your original hometown has a population of 6,000, a four stair, two stair, and one manual pad in a grocery store parking lot, the possibilities in a city of one million can seem endless.
Ottawa may not have perfect marble plazas or New York cellar doors, but we’ve got our own unique spots if you can learn to look for them. Unfortunately, most skateboarders grew up already skating the many spots of their city and suburb. Once you’ve been skating the same spots for years, it’s time for the work to begin. So if you feel your city has run out of spots, or just has no good spots at all, here are some tips.
1. Buy a bicycle. Everyone knows public transportation sucks, you know what else sucks? Skating 5 kilometres to a spot. So buy a bike, you can get one for roughly the cost of a half ounce of weed. Now those far off spots that you couldn’t be bothered to go check out are a mere 15 minute cruise away, and your legs won’t be sore from pushing when you get there. All your spots just got a whole lot closer.
2. Learn to skate differently. After years of skating, you’ve probably tuned into what kind of spots you like and don’t like. If you’re the local ledge legend, it’s highly likely you’ve walked by that perfect wallride ten times without noticing. This is true for all styles of skating, if you haven’t learned to skate transition, that crusty jersey barrier isn’t going to be all that appealing to you. Breaking your habits and style can open up a whole new world of spots for you.
3. D.I.Y. This one is probably the toughest. Whether its bondoing a crack or building a whole new spot, it can seem like a lot of work. Although it may be daunting, this task will likely have the most reward. A bag of concrete doesn’t cost all that much, and a jersey barrier isn’t all that hard to find. Twenty minutes with a rub brick and you’ve got a brand new slappy curb, for less than the cost of a 12 of Coor’s Banquet. You may have worked a long shift before your skate sesh, but I bet that working the D.I.Y. shift is going to feel a whole lot more rewarding.
From the outside looking in, the far off urban metropolis always seems to have the spots you wish you had, but the grass is always greener… Sometimes we’ve got to make do with what we’ve got. Go out and find something different or make something new. You may not find that one perfect spot, but I am willing to bet you’ll find something.
