SKATE TRIPS: SHRIMPTOWN [SOUTH BRANCH SKATEPARK]
“Historic Sykesville, Maryland, with a population of only 4,500, now boast a state-of-the-art concrete skatepark designed and built by Spohn Ranch.
Our work, which included design, steel fabrication, drainage, earthwork and concrete, would not have been possible without the pioneering efforts of a local group of skateboarders who transformed a concrete slab at South Branch Park into a DIY skatepark. Their work caught the eye of County and Town officials who recognized the value of skateparks and subsequently agreed to invest in a professionally-built facility.
After a series of workshops with local skateboarders shaped the skatepark design, we bid farewell to the makeshift obstacles and got to work constructing new terrain. The skatepark features a bowl with elevations ranging from 4-7’, a mini-ramp, street staples like stairs and rails, and some creative elements to maintain continuous flow.
The existing slab was dead flat and suffered from standing water, so we cut channels into the concrete that connected to the bowl’s drainage system and ultimately discharged into a bioretention area at the bottom of the hill. The site was the former home of an apple butter factory, so we’re also paying tribute to local history with an ornamental steel apple at the skatepark’s entrance.”