Photo By Caleb Hunt
Leave this place better than how you found it. Those were some words of wisdom when we arrived. Well what more could you ask for, well maybe an empty swimming pool, but the construction for the Half pipe begins. Our resident skaters, Dave Switzer, Kenny Rodgers (not that Kenny Rodgers), and Mike Sampson have started their quest to build the Afghan Skate Park. Well it may not be much of a park, but it's a start. With the amount of wood that they could scrounge up from various folks, the construction began.
Photo by Caleb Hunt
The original plan was to build to quarter pipes and have them on opposite sides of the aircraft hanger. They would be able to move the two quarter pipes together to make the half pipe. This plan was abandon for some reason or another. I don't think they had all the little details thought out before hand in my opinion, and they decided it would just be better to build it whole. So the frame was built and then they took a forklift and moved this big o'l thing onto the frame.
Photo By Caleb Hunt
There was a problem getting half inch plywood to use as the skating surface. The master carpenters had to settle for three quarter inch pieces. In order to get the wood to bend with out splitting, making the wood no good, they cut groves into the plywood on the bottom side to ease the tension when the wood is bent into place on the frame of the quarter pipe.
Photo By Caleb Hunt
Here you can see Dave bending the board into place as Kenny nails the board down. At one point it took three to stand on the plywood to keep it down while Kenny nailed it down. The groves did there thing and the wood didn't split.
Photo By Caleb Hunt
This is about time they decided to take it outside and do a whole half pipe. They picked a nice spot next to the aircraft hanger. There also is jagged concrete on the other side. Prime real estate.
Photo By Caleb Hunt
The frame is complete. How ever there is the ever present problem of, "where is the plywood". Some old wood was found and groves were cut into it like shown before the Afghan Half Pipe seemed finished. However after riding it, everyone's opinion was that better wood needed to be had.
Photo By Caleb Hunt
Dave, in charge of acquisition and procurement came through with the good stuff and the new surface was screwed down. When I asked Dave where he found the wood, "If I tell you I would have to kill you."
Photo By Caleb Hunt
The new surface want down with plenty of time to ride before the sun went down.
"I didn't think it was going to turn out this good" Kenny said after putting the finishing touches on the half pipe and dawning his gear to ride.
Its a smooth quick ride. The pipe stand three feet tall and that it plenty for these, slightly rusty riders. The pipe attracts a crowed daily, even the safety guy who reminds all that the must have, elbow and knee pads on at all times, with a helmet.
