How to Make a Back Yard Skate Park
Having a back yard skate park is every skateboarder's dream. Instead of having to fight the crowds at the public skate park or take chances on the street, you can walk out the door and skate in your own back yard. There are different ways to build a back yard skate park, depending on your budget and skill with tools. The easiest and most expensive way is to buy prebuilt ramps. Here you will learn the less expensive method of building the obstacles yourself.
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Things You'll Need
- Ramp plans
- Lumber (2-by-4s or 2-by-6s)
- Plywood or Skatelite
- Power saw
- Tape measure
- Screwdriver or hammer
- Wood screws or nails
- Electric drill
- PVC or metal pipe
Instructions
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Planning Your Skate Park
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Check city regulations or building codes relating to home-built skate parks. Some areas may require building permits or have rules on acceptable noise and hours of operation.
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Plan your back yard skate park's layout before building any of the obstacles. Leave enough room between obstacles to allow for a successful line of tricks. Allow your friends or other skateboarders to review this tentative skate park plan. They may have suggestions or reasons why the plan will not work the way you have designed it.
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Find a good set of plans. Free ramp plans can be found online. The local library or bookstore may also have a book of ramp plans.
Building a Mini-Ramp
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Mark the ramp's transition on two sections of plywood. The curvature must be identical on both pieces of wood so the surface of the ramp will lay flat. Use a power saw to cut along these lines.
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Cut several sections of 2-by-4s to the desired width of your mini-ramp. Use 2-by-6 boards instead if you are making a large ramp.
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Attach the 2-by-4s to your side pieces with wood screws or nails. Place several boards along the bottom of the ramp. Larger ramps may require crossing boards to brace the framework. Attach panels of plywood or Skatelite on top of your 2-by-4 framework.
Building a Grind Rail
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Select a material for your skate park's grind rail. Metal is the most durable but is expensive. PVC pipe is a good choice at a reasonable price.
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Cut several pieces of 2-by-4 in 10-inch lengths. These will be the base for the grind rail's support legs. The number needed will depend on the length of the rail. Cut support legs that are 8 to 10 inches long. Attach the base pieces to the bottom of the support legs using wood screws or nails.
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Drill holes in the PVC or metal rail wherever you will be placing a support piece. Attach the rail to the legs with nails or wood screws that lay flush against the surface. Do not leave any protruding metal that the skateboard may catch on. Sand down the area around the holes to make sure everything is smooth.
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Tips & Warnings
Purchase prebuilt portable ramps if you want a skate park that is ready to skate right away. This also makes it easy to add one piece at a time and continually expand your back yard skate park as you can afford it.
Remember to respect your neighbors by keeping the noise down while skating. Require everyone who uses the skate park to wear helmets and pads to prevent injury. As the property owner, you may be legally liable for any injuries that happen at your skate park.
