Illegal Skatepark Gets $5 Million

[@cadah420]

I live almost right in the middle between Feral Cat Cove and Creston, love this community. Haven’t been on the board as much lately between the new job and Dad life, but feel lucky to be around so many rad, down folks

[@subieracer005]

As someone who helped with Burnside waaaaaaaay too many years ago.. the new DIY stuff is awesome to see!!!

[@jxrion]

Oregon is paradise. It gets better every year. I’m so grateful my grandparents moved out here in the 80s.

[@LarpingAsALarper]

Wait, you think SE Portland is Paradise? Channels like Vellyray wouldn't exist if it was. I want to know what part of Portland you live in that's Paradise. I have Fent zombies, drug camps, sheds on corners that people sell drugs out of. Portland constantly tries to kill it's homeless population by disturbing camps during dangerous weather. Causing people to freeze to death, or die of heat stroke. Yea, paradise... Maybe if you don't live in Portland.

[@Rigbaby33]

Have you been to portland??

[@chicagowolf1052]

Except for Portland and the surrounding cities. Oh wait, that'd be the entire state. The only good thing about Oregon is its beauty, and unfortunately that's fleeing just as quickly as anything else good in that state

[@jxrion]

⁠​⁠@@chicagowolf1052 In some ways you’re right. But that’s a real poor outlook you have, friend. My condolences.

[@jxrion]

@@Rigbaby33 lol! I never cared for talking down on the city. But I get what you mean. Portland is awesome in many, many ways. If you don’t see it, maybe it’s just not for you.

[@ZackDowdy]

Big love to all the DIY spot builders in Portland! Links are in the description if you'd like to follow their journey and support. Also thank you to Steven Levas (instagram.com/squidfiles/) for the photos in this video and showing me around Portland.

[@caseysmith544]

Original one in my town I have lived in since 2001 was home made but paid for by the city in early 2001 that eventually was so bad near the end people were buying cheap peanyboards with soft wheels wider cruiser trucks on modern trick boards because the ground was bacically gravel. In 2001 near the beginning Somebody and his dad had painted it becuse the metal was slick then the city removed the paint using paint stripper and letting it set so somebody really went crazy on pink florescent marking paint as graffiti, son of painter so the city was forced to paint it over and had to do over top a few layers becuse the city originally used truck bed liner. Then place was scrapped in very late 2010's as a very very small part of a payment for the new upgraded outdoor pool so they got a crappy small Skatealight prefab for the new skatepark removing the swings nearby then some of the last construction in 2022--2023 buried the spot hopefully removing the park beforehand where the skatepark is with no intention of finding a new spot. A new skatepark spot this could easily be done in this park. city could for a skatepark find a spot in a different park about 1 mile/1.6 kilometer's down with the way one part of the other park is being developed from the old bridge across the river as there is now a new bridge and part of this old bridge is an unused road shoot off only 1/3rd is being removed becuse of needing to go to in front of some building for the cities Chamber of Commerce even when nobody uses the road, they turn off for the road leading to the parking lot just before this anyhow.

[@CavemanVanDweller]

Making skateboarding a crime again, way to go? 🤪

[@Enai_is_here]

can you try out some 34mm wheels?? I would watch the vid about it lol

[@CavemanVanDweller]

@@Enai_is_here just dip some bearings in Flex Seal? 🤔

[@Enai_is_here]

@@CavemanVanDweller ? will that make the wheels small??

[@skateboard310]

Dude, you need to check out the "legal" DIYs they built in Detroit! They are seriously amazing. Bishop DIY and Eliza Howell DIY

[@PedanticHunt]

So damn proud to be a Portlander. This city supports skaters like no other, and is seen as a mecca for both street and longboard skaters alike. I'm curious to see if their expanded grant program for skateparks has anything to do with the fact they're tearing out Burnside?

[@ZackDowdy]

Really is one of the best cities for skateboarding

[@tremblence]

The skateparks and climate are nice The politics/leftists are the worst though...... homelessness drug addicts and deranged leftists

[@CavemanVanDweller]

Portland is a 💩⛳

[@MiamiMorslav]

Creston school yard was historically one of the best street spots in the city, we almost always had a congregation there on nice days especially in the 90s. Its just up the hill from the tennis courts.

[@davidpiper4502]

Portland and Portland Parks are building many new skateparks RN. I would contribute it to several things including preparing for the expected outcry while Burnside gets closed for several years (probably) during the bridge rebuild and just getting back on track with plans laid out over a decade ago to build more skateparks, an originally ambitious plan which got which got sidelined a long time ago. But most of all, the pandemic put a fire under the skaters to build their own and the resulting DIYs (like Feral Cat Cove, Creston and The Courts) put a fire under Portland officials to do something about it. Officials were hoping the replacement 5-million skatepark build for Creston would get the DIY's to stop. Silly officials. Long live DIY and keep Portland weird (and a skate mecca).

[@steelokey]

Been enjoying your content a lot lately! Keep going bro!

[@t.dulder1600]

I was working the dish pit across the street from jet black around the time you filmed this! That diy is a little tight to manuver but I ran into this three foot tall grom eating concrete left and right on that half pipe, with a penny board! Kid has a bright future!

[@CavemanVanDweller]

As a vegetable? 🤨

[@Zvox]

my favorite thing about DIY parks is that there's always good street art all over everything. official city parks are usually pretty flat and undecorated.

[@Ungracefulmovement]

brilliant video Zack! Love to see more of the DIYs around the world.

[@sortofskater]

Zack just wanted to say your tail block is perfect one of the best I’ve seen. Love this style of video makes me wanna start my own diy spot. Thanks bro 👊🏻

[@ZackDowdy]

Thank you!

[@cocokane1233]

So refreshing to see good simple skating this guy shreds

[@steelokey]

Where’s the interstate DIY? & how have I not heard of creston DIY? That’s so badass, I am so thankful you made this video. I’ll have new places to check out

[@ZackDowdy]

It's pretty close to Burnside

[@dardenharmon8587]

Not to mention all the parks in the surrounding suburbs too. Really easy to find a spot to skate over here

[@eybx9530]

I had a diy that a bunch of skaters used. Homemade ramps, rails etc and the city shut it down because they didn’t want anyone to sue them 🤦‍♂️ destroyed it all. Rip DIY 🇨🇦 2020-2022

[@guy2334]

love this place n love u dowdy

[@shanemichaelyee]

The roofs are smart being it’s Portland. For 5 million it should be water tight.

[@steelokey]

No fuckin way. I don’t even know what this comment is about but I’m so hyped lmao. Is it about burnside? I just clicked on the video & im Bout to watch it. But I’m so worried for the winter cuz I just got back into skating & got comfortable & I live right across the bridge from portland. Winters are harsh here. The streets are alwaysssss wey

[@Lashes.541]

Yeah, 98% of Oregon parks are not covered! It’s absolutely insane, and we have like maybe two indoor parks in the whole state.

[@mvarnzo5709]

6:52. Effortlessly picks up jersey barrier.

[@Kbone720]

Love Creston local vibe

[@Allyc87]

Thanks for the walk around the spots, followed them on insta for ages but this really shows the size and scales of the places

[@timecapsuleearth]

WONDERFUL VIDEO DUDE. YOU ARE MAKING AWESOME VIDEOS. YOU ALWAYS HAVE AMAZING CONTENT. THANKS 4 DOING THIS ONE MAN.

[@AstroNut79]

Amazing to see another spot from my childhood supported by the community!

[@tylerjones9197]

Got the pleasure to help build some of the bowl at ferral cat cove 🙏 grom lyfe

[@hunter907akmayne]

Good job Alex and friends!!!

[@chaseadams4914]

Been pouring at the cove for 2 years now I hope to keep going with the crew

[@crimnvL]

big W, congrats to them. At some point the ground at these DIY becomes unskateable (when they arent built by experienced builders) so this is dope.

[@joerodriguez1797]

Happy Sunday. Wow. I'm planning on heading there in a bit!!

[@thestinkyweasel6297]

You're the real thing, Zack

[@daviddavid5758]

That coffee place looks awesome. Sadly in Tijuana the only awesome coffee place we have is one dedicated to Pokémon 😅

[@ZackDowdy]

Catch em all! 😅

[@days8973]

skate park with lights is so rad

[@romeisfallingagain]

feral cat cove looks awesome

[@lostboy710]

Sandy Oregon is getting a brand new skate park. They’re actually building it right now! Hopefully this time next year will be done. So if you’re ever up this way, going to Mt. Hood, you should stop on by because the skate park is going to be insane.

[@ZackDowdy]

I would love to get up there!

[@AstroNut79]

Hell yeah. Can’t wait!

[@LukeBurtonn]

Sick video Dowdy! Crazy to see squid too he’s my cousin! 🤘

[@ZackDowdy]

That's awesome, love Squid!

[@LukeBurtonn]

@@ZackDowdy yeah he’s a pretty rad dude 🤙

[@JoeKyser]

Woah that is so rad

[@AndySo2000]

Lived in Seattle for the last 25 years and moved to San Diego recently. San Diego needs more DIY type parks or even one extremely large park like 4 times bigger than Linda Vista. Considering skating started in San Diego I find most parks here to either be out of date or need to be redone. Also the rare good parks in SD are overcrowded. San Diego needs to be more like the PNW as far as parks. But things are more high security and heavily regulated in San Diego. I hate how skate parks are fenced in with operating hours, the PNW doesn't have that. Way better parks in the PNW sorry So Cal! The endless street spots, curbs and great weather make up for it in SD for sure!

[@ponyboycurtisx]

Would have preferred the whole 17 mins highlighting creston in it's current state

[@atles2633]

Little dude in the background blissfully scratchin his back

[@kevinrice7291]

Dude that’s so awesome

[@prestonpowers7376]

15:20 i work around the corner from here.

[@MinnieTHEcat99]

One of the biggest concrete skateparks in the world, 65000 sqft, is about to be demolished to make room for condos... no bs, Black Pearl skatepark in the Cayman Islands

[@ZackDowdy]

Looking this up now, such a bummer. Never had a chance to go.

[@MrLeadghost]

Frank on trowel patrol.

[@henrythomas2547]

And Another Great Video !

[@NevilleBamshu23]

Both places look sick..portland or oregon is one ov the only places i would live in the states..

[@NormanNC]

nothing illegal about it

[@ponyboycurtisx]

Bro why it take you 7 minutes before u even hit creston

[@darkphotographer]

they must let kids build diy skate spots , in most of city have lot of abandon place , as kids wee use to go inside new bild building to steal planks of wood ,and other materials to build jumps and ramp

[@AaronPierce-q9y]

I skate all these spots . Crusty diy skateparks are great. Love it Lets just make sure we add the cover . Portland skateparks are not skateable 3/4 year rain

[@Zephyrian1st]

framerate felt off in the skating sections, kinda wierd to watch.

[@Zephyrian1st]

no the frame rate felt off the whole video, like 27 fps or something might be my end but weird to watch

[@Nollie_Fullcab]

This was another great video. This kind of storytelling might just be your niche

[@Lashes.541]

Ugh wish I was closer to Portland, three hour drive for me. Sad thing about Oregon is outside or Portland, Eugene and Lincoln city on the coast, skaters are hated. We have some good parks even in the small rural city’s, but it takes decades of the city government trying to kill all projects, my city a hour south of Eugene got one built in 2000. After raising all the money the city backed out at the last second, thank god for the cow creek tribe of natives, they owned land in the city limits and gave it to us skaters, but then the city gave the bid to someone who only had experience with sidewalks…. So now we have a park, not designated by someone who even admitted never even stepped on a skateboard, and after 24 years the park is cracked to pieces, coping is ripping away from the quarters, and then the city the last few years has let the homeless camp at the park. Lucky for the few skaters left in a town of 27,000. There is like five still around… about 11 miles down the freeway is a small town with a dreamland build, it’s small but a perfect professional pour.

[@ZackDowdy]

Sidewalk builders making skateparks sounds a nightmare! Sorry to hear that. Good you have that dreamland build no far away, hopefully more in the future!

[@AstroNut79]

The Lincoln City park is epic. Wish I lived closer! lol

[@ponyboycurtisx]

Dude this is my local favorite park in pdx... I am extremely upset they're ruining it into some multimillion dollar likely transition catering boring ass skatepark. Creston tha spot bc it got the only street obstacle type park in pdx... only nice part that it will be covered mostly n it rain like 90% of the year up here smh

[@name-qi2rq]

They are making it larger at least. They are adding transition stuff but there will probably still be at least as much street stuff as there is now

[@HeidiFegles]

Thanks oh Portland instead of punishing skateboarding and raising the crime rate in your town like idiots you kinda redeemed yourself just making a safe park and give people something to do. Somewhere to be and somewhere to rest. Skating is an Olympic sport treat it like one

[@Kahweekah2o2f]

Looks like jworthit glassblowing guy

[@loganm2766]

Thank you Tim Pool

[@RyanGuardalabene-l2x]

Plaid

[@rustyshackelford5758]

I miss Portland. Ever since it turned into a third world country and all of my friends moved out I stopped coming. The food was amazing. Nice little vegan spot called Casa Diablo you should check out

[@Noizedas]

😂

[@CavemanVanDweller]

They should have spent the money PROSECUTING CRIMINAL ALIENS!!! 🤨

[@BeastieFloyd]

It is great they are building new skate parks, sucks it is in Portland!

[@robertchase8504]

Hit up rob!

[@ZackDowdy]

You know it!

[@CavemanVanDweller]

Portland is a 💩⛳

[@foulweather6625]

Not if you skate.

[@CavemanVanDweller]

@@foulweather6625 I skate almost every day and have since nineteen eighty four. Portland is still a shit show. Battleground has a better park than any in Portland.

[@patriley2]

It's lame to demolish the diy to build a new skate park. why not make it somewhere else instead? even right next to the diy...

[@p4trickpants]

Dude I’ve skated it a bunch, it’s rough. A lot of the stuff isn’t skateable just bc you can’t get enough speed bc the ground is fucked. The actual ramps and boxes are fine but the ground sucks. It would cool if they kept a section of it as an homage. I welcome some smooth concrete though haha (edit talking about creston diy)

[@ZackDowdy]

Would be rad to preserve it

[@jxrion]

Eh. There’ll be another diy. If you’ve been around Portland you know.

[@FiveLeefClovr]

portland is a toilet. a skatepark isn’t gonna fix that but good for the skaters for having a better place to skate.