Hyrum, Utah Skatepark

Design 2021/ Build 2022

Blacksmith Fork Park

Design Team: Bart Smith, Taylor Price, Ryan Smith, Christy Weezer, Dave Smellie, Zach Shepherd

This 30,000 square foot park is the biggest Hunger Skatepark project to date. It definitely grew and evolved in the design to build translation. The park is currently open to the public but is not 100% complete. The city will be adding LIGHTS, SHADE, landscaping and a bathroom before the official grand opening.

The design is sectioned for all around flow, but also has areas that feel like solo session spots. If we section the park from the Blacksmith Fork Canyon side to the valley, the main areas include the amoeba bowl and rock-scape, flow track/bowl with 3.5 foot mini, the street high line with kinked rail, main street flow area, ditch zone, Barcelona inspired multi-feature, and ledge land entry.

The amoeba pool pockets are 8.5′, 6′, and 4′ deep and it’s designed to be fast. It has pool coping and a tile band designed by Hunger’s own Christy Weezer. The band was inspired by the most popular grip tape sold at the local shop Directive, which reflects the embracing of the local dairy and cattle economy- who were major donors of the skatepark. Christy was looking to hone in some ideas for art, and the idea landed hard. Not only do the spots make nice organic and repetitive patterns, but they also can be drawn to resemble skatepark bowls and features. If you know Christy’s work, you know she loves a good double meaning. The mosaics sit within fields a white and black, and blue tile snugs the hips. It is designed on the round to accentuate the way in the bowl is skated.

We don’t know exactly what to call the flow bowl/track area. It’s a Frankenstein of features, mixing a flowy pump track with jump lines, mini ramp bowl zone, and straight walls. It can be ridden as a whole with endless lines, as a mini ramp champ, or the street skaters have found more than a few lines that are about the flip tricks. We do know how it was inspired. The design team wanted an area that appealed to beginners, a space for the young kids just beginning on their Christmas bikes and scooters, and some straight wall to make it sick. The design concept doesn’t compare to the brilliant finished product, and that’s all due to Bart Smith’s ability to hone it all in throughout the build.

The street area has a high line with a kinked rail, A-frame ledge, down rail, and a double elevation return quarter. The main street zone is equipped with all the big hits like a big pyramid hip, hubbas, the Directive volcano, pole jam, up/down curb, down rail, pump bump, kicker, fire hydrant, euros and boxes. Each end has unique multi-leveled quarter features like the throne pool pocket with a custom cow spot stamp.

Another area that evolved in the build is what we originally thought of as the flat-grounds entrance. Within the first week of the build, it morphed into its own section with big transfers lines from the main street section. As you enter the park from the Hyrum City side, you hit a zone of different sized ledges, pads, and banks. Mid way through the entrance lives a Barcelona inspired curved manual pad, big radius rail, with a wally type tall cub front is central, along with a transition to rock feature. From there, the ditch zone has multiple levels and options like bank to ledges and various sized quarters to noodle around.

The final features that need acknowledged are the rocks. The City of Hyrum came through 3 weeks before the build was complete with 2 truckloads of dense granite, perfect for skating and seating. These were our art projects that would have made all our past sculpture professors proud. (Hope you’re reading this Mr. Darriau.) They are located throughout the park making hip lines, ledges, edges to rollers, and in our finest moment- what we call the Prom Photo spot on top of the bowl. Go get your picture taken or take a nap, its a solid spot for either pursuit.

Thank you to the City of Hyrum for being stellar partners. You trusted us and let the creative flourish. Hyrum has set a new standard for small towns and skateparks!