FROM HUMBLE DRIVEWAYS TO SKATEABLE BACKYARD DREAMS
It's a familiar social media scrolling situation. You're thumbing through your favourite skate accounts when jealousy strikes. There's Shane O'Neill ripping some insanely technical line in his backyard skate park. Oh and here's Leticia Bufoni casually destroying the rail in the middle of her backyard set up. And there's Bob Burnquist skating the mammoth ramps at his legendary Dreamland compound. Green with envy, you think: wouldn't it be awesome to be like these pros and have your own backyard park?
Sure, having some flatland fun on your driveway can be a good way to skate at home, but how amazing would it be to have a fully fledged park in your backyard, something like the ones you drive to and have to share with scooter kids?
Well, here's your chance!
COWABUNGA in Kadanga
A couple of hours north of Brisbane, inland from Noosa Heads and just south of Gympie, you'll find this house for sale in a place called Kadanga. It has a motorcross track, a soundproofed jam room, gym, resort style pool, but more importantly: a skatepark with a bowl!
Photos via https://m.realestate.com.au/property-lifestyle-qld-kandanga-700157262
We all know real estate agents can exaggerate (renovators delight, anyone?) but the photos and video of this backyard beauty show that the realtor's description is pretty spot on here.
It talks of a 'challenging, full concrete skate park with various ramps and transitions, incorporating a large in-ground bowl'.
Made from heavy duty, reinforced concrete and steel coping, it also features drainage and lighting for night skating, and has apparently 'played host to world class local and visiting skaters'.
It’s time to do your chores and save up those pocket money, guys and girls. Just a little over $3.5 million dollars and this house could be yours and you could skate all day every day like the team from Chiggy’s Skateboarding did on a camp tour recently - watch it in the instagram edit below.
Gnarly skate houses are popping up
While not a common sight, it isn't the first house to make the news recently for having a gnarly skate feature.
Just last year, this house sold in the Brisbane suburb of Hamilton with a large concrete pool in one of the living rooms. Yep, indoors, in a living room.
No full-force Queensland summer storm would be able to stop you skating in this unique under cover bowl.
Photos via Place https://m.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-qld-hamilton-133572602
Dream on
Dreaming about living in a mega skate house like the Kadanga and Hamilton properties is fun, because dreams are free. Sadly, these houses are not.
For most of us, the humble backyard mini ramp or a rail for the driveway is as skate friendly as our houses or apartments will ever be. And that's completely fine.
We asked all of you on instagram if you knew of epic backyard skate setups and it’s fair to say that the skateable backyards are here to stay! There are a lot of lucky kids ad handy parents out there!
Concrete parks at home!
You’ve proably heard about ‘The Hideaway?’ This private backyard park is in Queensland skater Hailey Powell’s backyard on the Sunshine Coast.
Another Sunny Coast concrete dream in Kaedyn’s frontyard.
Honestly, I think we’d all love a chilled day at home if we had a bowl like Jaylen from Brisbane in our backyard. How epic is this?
Mini ramps
Chihiro recently got a miniramp for her backyard and has already locked in her front 50-50’s.
How about a mini in your bedroom? Melan from Brisbane can just jump out of bed and straight into his morning tricks!
Another great view from the Coffee cup where Ollie’s mum can watch 7-year-old Ollie skating - and a bit of an ocean view too! Not bad at all.
There are so many trick variations you could learn with these setups, and they'll hold you in good stead for skating the parks and the streets. As we all learn quickly in skateboarding, you're only limited by your imagination.
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