Ollies, kickflips, grinds, and spins. Whatever the case may be, Sk8 Kamp is ready for your wildest antics. Bring your board, bring your friends. Maybe even pack a helmet in your bin “’cause there weren’t enough ways to get hurt on the playa.”
Originally When Marcus “Playa Wood” Rosenthal drunkenly proposed to Ilya “Ill” Polyakob that they build a skate park at Burning Man, the comrade was hesitant and even believed the idea was seemingly “moronic.” Later on and in a much more sober state of mind, Ilya began to wonder “why not?” The burn has almost everything you could possibly imagine, so how about a skate park for all the board loving enthusiasts out there on Playa?
Crafting a full skate park installation for Burning Man was no easy feat. But Marcus and Ilya have been resourceful burners along the journey, reaching out to their West Coast populace to acquire used half pipes and homemade ramps. Not long after their idea was born the boys got in contact with
Jameson. He jumped on board (hardy har) and hooked the team up with the West Oakland Skate Park. It was there that the pieces would be “stored” per se; rather they are worked on and worked in to the existing build, and in turn get to be used year round by the skate community of West Oakland, CA.Birthed out of San Francisco in 2011, this will be Sk8 Kamp’s second year at the Burn. This time around they will be located at 8:30 & Esplanade, and the crew will be expanding their skate park build to include a slew of new pieces for your handplanting pleasure including a ¾ bowl section, mini mega ramp, and doubling the width of their half pipe. Two new 8′ wall rides will extend off the box truck, replacing last year’s single 4′ section which was burned at the Temple burn in 2011.
Similar to last year, the new pieces will be open for participants to paint. In BM 2011, Jameson provided nearly 500 cans of spray paint to outfit their installation with color and texture. The crew at Sk8 Kamp is hoping for a similar display of creative energy this year. They urge BM participants to drop by the park and leave some beauty on Sk8 Kamp’s plywood.
The Sk8 team recently concluded a run on Kickstarter in which they surpassed their fiscal goal of $2,500 from supportive backers. These funds will be graciously received to cover the installation in a third layer of wood. Masonite hardboard creates a much smoother and less splintery ride for boarders. Whatever funds are leftover from this will be used to offset the cost of transportation of the pieces onto playa.
Missed your chance to hop on the Kickstarter? That’s O.K.! Additionally, the Kamp will hold a final (pre-burn) event in mid-August to raise funds for improved lighting and fixtures. Find more info on the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/141108759306320/.
This year over twenty participants will be living at Sk8 Kamp, providing a full schedule of activities throughout the week. Be sure to check out the Best Trick Contest, or done your most outrageous costume and take part in their Costume Skate event. Skate lessons will be offered as well as a daily time slot specifically for the lady skaters out there: Girls Skate. Make sure to check out the What, Where, When for specific times!
Even if you can’t skate, come for the “tag your shit” booth! Stencils and spray paint will be made available to mark up your favorite playa gear with the new Sk8 Kamp 2012 logo. Pick up a Sk8 Map to share with your friends and locate the best stages, ledges, and skate-friendly art installations on playa.
Forgot your gear or just want to try it out? Not to worry –Sk8 Kamp will be providing boards and pads to use. If you’re feeling especially daring take off your shoes and test out their ‘barefoot boards’. These decks have been lined with astroturf or shag carpeting to give your footies a tingle when you land that 360 tre flip.
On the back end of things is Ben La Rue. Living and working out of New York, Ben serves as the webmaster for Sk8 Park across the states. Check out their official site here: http://sk8kamp.com/. There you can find additional photos and videos from Burning Man 2011. Check it out and keep updated on the latest happenings in Sk8 Kamp.
Sk8 Kamp will be open 24/7. Skater or not, Sk8 Kamp is sure to be a thrill on playa, so mark your maps, friends and make a point to stop in and participate! Remember, it’s 8:30 and Esplanade!
We went by Sk8 camp once, And in the 15 minutes we were there, a guy fell and dislocated or broke his shoulder. So, Devan, you weren’t lying about the best way to risk injury on playa!