Building A Secret DIY Skatepark 

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8:43 Those "holes" at the base of the box drainage culvert are actually drains to allow built up ground water to seep out from behind the walls, otherwise water pressure would build up during heavy rainfall events and potentially compromise the structure of the wall. You almost never see them flowing though because as you know it's so dry down here that the water just sinks into the water table before it has any chance to accumulate in the topsoils.

The level of work you put into these spots is just insane. I think it gives hope to a lot of budget minded DIY guys. Can’t wait to see the next chapter in this build.

This stirs my inner Hank Hill. Looks like the funnest project. Your lack of preparedness for the rain cracks me up but I suppose that’s just part of the California charm of it all lol.

“Preparation is key” 😂 you left your stuff in a a storm ditch before a storm

Hi vis is the best disguise, literally no one asks questions if your in hi vis 😂

These diy vids really get the guerilla skate spot vibes going. Definitely makes me look at my surroundings with a little more detail. Thanks for the content.

I appreciate the planning that went into this and how you broke it down and didnt rush the build. I think it's important that you showed its better to take the time to address any mistakes or problems that come up along the way. Shout out to Matt for coming through clutch with the skills too!

I grew up,skating in the early 70,s , our dreams were the pictures in the American magazines , our reality was rain and rough concrete spots , as we grew our live for skating grew with us , I still skate now age 60+ we built wood half pipes and never lost the love , great to see this dream still being lived and loved.ML&R from London England L.S. D

I always find it funny because I am sure someone who does construction professionally will probably only shake their head watching these builds, but when you are out there you just gotta make it work somehow.. :D DIY spot like that is a perfect usage for these storm drains. when done correctly, they shouldnt interfere with the original purpose and it is basically negative space either way

Dude.! I came across this project before the storm, and I just saw the spot a few days ago complete and must say that you killed it man! It looks so fun, I literally have been waiting for the water to clear out so that I can skate it!! Thanks again for the sick spot!

Looking good Zack, canna wait to see the revea!!

Been waiting for this one!!

Bob the builder could NEVER!

another high quality video! thanks for your diy service 💪

really enjoying this process

thank you for your service 😎

Coolest part is the rocks filling the quarter. That not only helps reduce cost for you as the builder, it will also clean the spot up and make it already looking nicer just from all the rocks being gathered and hidden under the concrete. Wish I could do this in my local town.

Love this series keep shredding zack

I dont think the little holes are drain holes for long lengths of drain from anywhere, but small holes for minimal drainage of the land behind the walls.

Looking good

Such a cool video! 🛹

The holes in the wall are called weepholes. You will almost never see any water come out of them because it comes little by little, but they prevent water from collecting behind the retaining wall which adds extra weight and pressure on the wall, thus the weepholes prevent it from falling over. The holes are not connecting to any pipes, it is purely for drainage from behind the wall.

If you're not using form nails, try those next time. They're the ones with a double head so they dont sink in all the way and there's always a head to get purchase on to remove

Dude you are hardcore! Really sucks that all the rain came at the worst time! Thank you for taking the time and effort to build a DIY! Keep skating!

It never rains in California But girl, don't they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours

Sooooo sick dude! Glad to see the spot is surviving winter! Cant wait for the next video and hopefully one day get to skate it! What ever happened with the dude that was lurking on you?

Can’t wait for next week

What a score on those tiles!

Very cool

YOU are divine doing GODS WORK right there. For EVERY skater the best way you can add to the worlds skateability is to get a "rub brick" or "brick rub" (any hardware shop ~30bucks) and whenever you feel like it in your travels remove bumps, intrusions, sharp corners on gaps in footpaths, rub out the thing that made you stall.fall/body etc It makes SO much difference getting from A to B smoothly after a long day or if intox Over COVID used oll the free masks and carried a rub brick everywhere in my backpack. Ended up smoothing all the rough patches on all my usual transit routes even on concrete board walks for less budum-budum fatigue. Have found now more and more skaters are using the same routes and spots and expanding them once they find out the simple rub brick secret. They're also great for preparing/finessing spots like the one you made.

You need brown pants hard hat gloves and glasses you're sticking out 😂 my friends need you in KC KS at least think about it 💚

Love the ditch diy videos

hey man , why don't you use the "fabric sheet technique" for the curve of the ramp ?? you would save a lot of weight and materials , since you won't need to fill up the whole thing but just ad a structural reinforcement every meter or so it might also help to dry faster than a thick pour of concrete

I've been watching you since the very beggining of your channel Dowdy. Your videos are so good. Always a great watch.

Reflective vest that states EPA Investigator. Usually you're free to roam around the cabin. Just EPA will do too, just make it BIG to see from afar. Anyone and everyone can be an EPA informant. Look at Cali, they'll informants.

bro i cant wait to see what the spot looks like when its done

love it j

Little tip for "gorilla" project concrete mixing use a tarp put a bag or 2 in the middle have 2 people each grab 2 corners and then add water and then continuously alternate pushing corners towards the middle/the other person and your concrete will mix in a matter of a minute or 2 tops and then it's ready to pour where you need!

Was thinking about this, why not build ramps out of wood or metal and then just transport them there and bolt them down so they don't get stolen? Seems like it would be easier than carrying concrete. Been thinking about doing something similar at a spot just opposite my house, there used to be a skatepark there but they tore it down a few years ago.

Mlk pool coping! Dope I spent many years skating those

WIKKED SKILLS ON DA BLOCKZ YO

This is pretty dope. I wish I still lived in SoCal. Seems like a skaters paradise.

Definition of work smarter not harder

I love DIY spots. There's a cool one under a bridge downtown in my city that skaters just built in a parking lot and the cops don't seem to care. I'm not really good enough to skate on anything at them, but the whole construction and aesthetic is so cool.

Hey, I work with a lot of that stuff if you want it to last a lot longer stagger cinderblocks and put some rebar in there create a stronger base

Please get a wheel barrel bro. Save your back.

Where a orange construction vest next time and put up some cones, best way to lay low is to blend in to the average person

Bro nice build❤

You’re a beast bro

hell yeah

rad!!

I came to say you should learn the tarp mixing method but I see others have already beat me to it Nice job 🍄✌️

If ever in the New Orleans area . Come skate Fireman's Skatepark in Houma,La.

yo thats proper

Dude, you the man. Gorilla skate.

Made that same mistake last week. Was cutting some tarp into a homemade amp cover and cut one of the guide lines, not the cut line. I guess i was just excited to cut something lol

Basically, Essentially, Kinda sorta like totally

nice

Yeah, definitely the weather's fault.. 🤣😂🤣

Top tip is to draw a big X on the part your cutting off

Duuude hell yeah. Life is too short to sit around and see dreams why not make em come true right…. This will b there for the next few generations and also bringing in the secret park again….. made a bowl back in the day in the marshes down in Avalon nj it’s most likely covered with mud by now I’m 33 it was made when I was like 9 lol…. Much love broskies and chicklets do ur thing and make a dream to reality

Wear a high-vis waistcoat and a hard hat , mate. It 'legitimises' virtually everything!

AYE WHO TOOK MY MANS SHOVEL!?!?

Should've brought a drill and mixed that Crete in your Lowe's bucket.

It would be better if you filled up to the forms. Also maybe invest in a radius floats. I’d say a resin float is better then a wood float. Maybe check out the white lighting or the orange thunder those are pretty good you can screed then use those then steel trowel. Crk. You can also have a little tape to cover the tops of the screws so crete don’t get in them.

good fpr my yard thamk you so nice

Creative stat

A high-vis vest and a clipboard would probably keep any civilian from questioning you lol

yall should try cramming the concrete in as tight as possible even the first layer

Are you worried about documenting this and uploading it to RU-vid? I've heard of some people ending up in jail for it (different reasons of course). I do love your content and I wanna see more coming though! Haha

There is a hole on the caulk gun handle that you can cut the tip open with

❤❤❤

Those holes are probably weep holes for the walls. If those holes are not there, then water will retain in the soil behind the wall then the wall will fail.

In Peoria Az during Covid, a friend and other regulars built a park at a hidden spot with their Covid checks. Was under a well traveled but smaller bridge. Home Depot even delivered the supplies down to it 🤣 Ion yours I would have made some kind of lip on sides for water flow so it doesn’t wash out.

Where is this spot at

How about just an area code to start my hunt?? Please and thank you. SD loc

buy a tarp! its so much easy to mix cement with a tarp ,,cleaner at the spot an less hard on the body ,,two people holding two corners can just toss an turn a bag a cement to a perfect mix in four minutes

There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a DIY spot put together and then skated!

Lmfao you're putting the adhesive on both sides, taking you twice as long, as if putting it on one side is any different 😂

the caulking gun should have a hole over the trigger where u put the tip of the caulking tube in it and pull the trigger and it should cut the tip of the caulking for u.

I’d bring the skimboard out make a wicked run

Rad!

looking great!

Can’t wait for the next chapter !

Amazing , thank you .

Trevor Wallace in 20 years

Priceless!!

RAAAAAD

Why would you leave all of your caulk and caulk guns at the site? Backpack?

What happened with the person who came over to talk?

Hell yeah Man.... Way to stick it out, thick or thin rain or shine💪

Loved the interview with Chad Caruso. Sick finding ur chanel. Keep up the work brother

Drain holes are probably blocked off and serve zero functional purpose. You're smart to still avoid them though. 1) Might upset city and incentivise them to ruin all the work you did. 2) You dont want the unlikely event of water coming in and wrecking the ramps from behind.

That's how the pros do it 💥🤙

Need an update brother!

Not staggering the blocks…

If u need to pour any real concrete lmk! 4 real i would help u and i got a small base

Frickin sweet ramp

what slump you think that is lol