FLAGSTAFF

Update-May 13th, 2005

 The grand opening for the Flagstaff BMX park will go down on May 27th, from 9AM to 1PM.  For more info, visit this site that a mountain biker up there put together for the park--www.webweevers.com/bmx/

Update-March 8th, 2005

In Flagstaff news, that crazy basin BMX park I've been talking about is finally open!  You can peep some pics of it and directions to it at http://webweevers.com/bmx/bmxbikepark3.htm

Ryan Letcher, Steven Mueller, and some other crazy mug already jumped the 28 foot over-the-bowl gap.  Which one of you fools is next?

Foolishly, the park does not allow skateboards or inline skates.  So now the cops will be ticketing skaters at the bike park and bike riders at the skateparks.  Yeah, that makes lots of sense.

Update-February 18th, 2005

Flagstaff city staff was propagating the notion of the BMX park opening on the 15th of February, but it turned out not to be true.  I am in touch now with Mindy from Flagstaff Parks and Rec and she is going to let me know when there's a set date.  She said they have to get a few more things ready, and it will be a few weeks. 

I also spoke with her about the usage of the BMX park.  She said it will be bikes only.  I made sure to let her know that the 3BC advocated that the park allow co-mingled use of bikes, skateboards, and inline skates.  Mindy said they couldn't allow skateboards and inline skates in the park because their insurance wouldn't allow it.  Flagstaff is not self insured as most cities are.  Flagstaff gets its insurance through an insurance pool, and the insurance people call the shots on stuff like this.

Update-October 31st, 2005

Flagstaff's BMX park is coming along very well.  All the coping is set, and concrete should start to be poured any day now, if it isn't being poured already.  It should be open within a couple of months.

Update-July 14th, 2005

Ground was not in fact broken on the Flag park on June 1st.  I'm hearing August 1st now, but I haven't confirmed that yet.

Update-May 2nd, 2005

Tuba Mike just told me that Flagstaff will be breaking ground on their concrete bike park on June 1st.  Sweeeeet.

Update-September 25th, 2004

Fabio Ben kicked down with more info and city diagrams on the Flagstaff Bike Park.

When the above document says "detention facility", it doesn't mean underage offenders will be held against their will at the park.  It's referring to a flood control basin.  But it should only be totally flooded about once every 15 years, so no worries.

Above is the overview of the whole park.  Fab says there's a place for dirt jumps in there, too.  The city will dump loads of dirt for the riders to shape.  If the jumps happen to get too tall, the city will cut them down to size.

This is a closeup of just the concrete bike park.  From what Fabio says, there won't be a quarter under 5 feet, and the pools get deeper from right to left.

Construction begins in November and the bike park should open in June 2005.  It will take that long due to winter delays and detention feature construction.  This park is officially called a bike park, but skateboards will be allowed also. 

I'm so stoked about this bike park.  The thing looks like it'll be sick as hell.  It's nice to have some "concrete" evidence (so to speak) that we'll be riding a rad legal bike park in just a few months.

Update-April 20th, 2004

Fabio Ben let me know what's going down in Flagstaff with bikes and public skateparks.  All you parks and rec folk out there that visit this site regularly--read closely: 

The City of Flagstaff should begin construction next fall on their third skatepark. The park is being designed by California Skateparks (an excellent design/build company that certifies all their parks for BMX) who should have a final design by the end of the month. BMX is the main concern in design and construction for what will be a multi-use, unsupervised facility. BIKES WILL BE ALLOWED FOR SURE... skaters were not even invited to the most recent design meetings.  This will mark the first bike-friendly concrete skatepark in a sizeable Arizona city.  Okay P&R folks, you don't have to worry now.  You won't be the first ones to "test the waters".  Flagstaff's parks and rec department had more foresight than you, and they'll lead the way into the future. 

All the riders were invited to draw what they wanted to ride.  Ryan Lecher recommended they build a 15ft spine and Tuba Mike said everything should be eight feet or taller with nothing less than vert.  The design will be out in a couple of weeks, and I'll let you know how it comes out.