-SOMETHIN ELSE
"EITHER GRIND OR GO TO BED"
Top to bottom: The family that skates together, stays together:
Paul, Dylan and Shane. This place gives new meaning to "better
homes and gardens." Paul crunches a quick frontside grind
before tucking the kids in for bed.
While most kids have to beg Dad for months just to get a PVC
slider box out front. Paul Stapleton, husband and father of two.
transformed his Phoenix backyard into a miniature skatepark so he
and his kids can session together.
"I was tired of getting busted at pools with me and the kids
there" Paul said. "Everyone gets up and runs except me and my
family. The cops look at me like I'm some sort of freak." So
rather than put up another mini-ramp (the yard hosted a few
over the years), Paul organized his pool-skating friends, many of
which build pools for a living, and set to work excavating the
two small bowls, wallrides and snakerun that make up his park.
"The hardest thing was just getting started," says Paul of the pro-
ject which eventually took a week and about $1300. "Once we
broke ground, it went off quick."
Paul's park is carved daily by Shane, 10; Dylan, 4; Paul and a
tight crew of locals. "The wife even skates after she's got a few
beers in her," says Paul jokingly. Future expansion includes a
non-skateable hot tub and elaborate tennis court style lighting to
keep the Stapletons skating all night long-well, at least Paul.
"Either grind or go to bed." Paul calls out to Shane. Who says
skateboarding isn't a family activity?
-Michael Burnett
Ch
134 T
colate
ben
sanchez
310 517 0059