The Blog

Sk8 4 Life Benefit

Posted on May 22, 2010

On Saturday May 22, 2010 Rob Dyrdek invited celebrities, athletes, supporters, and their children to attend The Rob Dyrdek Foundation’s 1st Annual Sk8 4 Life Benefit, benefiting his foundation in support of the Variety Boys & Girl’s Club, and the Boys & Girls Club of the LA Harbor. Rob was joined by friends and supporters Pharrell Williams, Victoria Beckham, Travis Barker, The Game, Mel B, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Dana White, Michael Goddard, Tia Carrere, Stephanie Pratt, and Street League Pros, including Chris Cole, Terry Kennedy, Sean Malto, Torey Pudwill, and others to help raise funds to build skate plazas and put skateboards in the hands of kids throughout the nation.

Guests enjoyed an unforgettable day of filming at the world famous Fantasy Factory. The Fantasy Factory, a 25,000 square-foot industrial warehouse and office complex in Downtown Los Angeles is the culmination of everything that is unique about Rob Dyrdek, complete with a fully skateable indoor plaza, a music studio, a rapping receptionist, a foam pit for outlandish stunts, a zip-line, and plenty of space to accommodate guests’ light-hearted antics and chasing down fantasies. The event raised more than $600,000 to help the The Rob Dyrdek foundation to achieve it’s mission. Founded in 2003, the Rob Dyrdek Foundation seeks to create healthy communities by promoting and providing the inherent benefits of skateboarding to all facets of society. The Foundation assists municipalities and non-profits with the design, development, and construction of legal Skate Plazas as well as assists with the creation of community and educational programs that promote and encourage the sport of skateboarding. The benefit featured activities & special performances by Travis Barker, The Cool Kids, Yela Wolf and Rob Dyrdek.

Media:

Access Hollywood
Yahoo! Canada
Yahoo! Espana Movies
AOL.Com Boom Box
NPR.org
MTV.com
Glamourmagazine.co.uk
LA Times
justjaredjr.com
thewrap.com
Glow.com
Treehugger.com
Ctothejl.com
944.com
944.com – photos
Life.com
Rap-up.com
Before It’s News
Zimbio.com

Video:
OCTV
Fuel.tv
Palestra.net

North Hollywood Skate Plaza

Posted on May 18, 2010

The Rob Dyrdek Foundation opened its third Safe Spot Skate Spot in the City of Los Angeles at North Hollywood Park. Rob Dyrdek, 7-Eleven® stores, and Councilmember Tom LaBonge partnered with street skateboarding’s biggest stars to celebrate the grand opening of a state-of-the-art skate plaza at North Hollywood Park on May 18, 2010.

The theme of the skate plaza features Rob Dyrdek’s authentic skateboarding cartoon and Wild Grinders toy line. As a nod to 7-Eleven’s popularity among North Hollywood skateboarders, the 11340 Magnolia Blvd N. Hollywood, CA 90601 store across from the new Skate Plaza was transformed into an urban skate store. The eye-popping design of the store’s exterior featured larger-than-life Wild Grinders graphics that carried into the store, where exclusive Wild Grinders merchandise continues to be sold among 7-Eleven’s other popular product offerings. Dyrdek also designed a Wild Grinders-themed Slurpee cup that was sold exclusively in 7-Eleven stores nationwide in which proceeds of each sale are donated to the Rob Dyrdek Foundation to help pay for more Safe Spot Skate Spots throughout the world.

The Rob Dyrdek Foundation’s Safe Spot Skate Spot at North Hollywood Park was all made possible by a $250,000 donation from 7-Eleven to the foundation and helped Dyrdek realize his vision for this skate park. The 7-Eleven donation funded the design and assisted in construction. Councilmember LaBonge and the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks worked together to secure an additional $200,000 in funds to complete construction and landscaping improvements for the new public facility. The result is a 15,000-square-foot skate park that will undoubtedly be known as one of the nation’s premier public skating venues.

Dyrdek created the idea for the Safe Spot Skate Spot Program, which offers legal, safe havens for skaters from all over the world to skate. This program is funded by the Rob Dyrdek Foundation. This is the third Skate Plaza opened by Dyrdek and his foundation. The first opened at the Lafayette Park, and the second is located at Hollenbeck Park. The Rob Dyrdek Foundation plans to build at least one Safe Spot Skate Spot in each of the fifteen Council Districts within the City of Los Angeles.

Tired of skateboarders being treated as nuisances and even abused by public authorities, Dyrdek has taken it upon himself to change how the world sees the sport. The new skateboarding havens, or Safe Spot Skate Spots, like the one at Hollenbeck, give street skateboarders a safe and legal area to skate in a park’s natural landscape complete with the desired elements such as park benches and rails. At the heart of its mission, the Rob Dyrdek Foundation seeks to promote the sport of skateboarding by assisting municipalities with the design, development and construction of locations that maintain the integrity of terrain occurring naturally in urban environments, and where the sport of skateboarding in its purest form is encouraged rather than discouraged. For more information, contact the Rob Dyrdek Foundation at (323) 825-2831 or email us at info@robdyrdekfoundation.org.

North Hollywood Skate Plaza
415 Saint Louis Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

Date Open: May 18, 2010
Sqft: 15,000
Cost: $ 450,000
City: $ 200,000
RDF: $ 250,000

Hollenbeck Skate Plaza

Posted on December 18, 2009

The Rob Dyrdek Foundation developed its second Safe Spot Skate Spot in the City of Los Angeles at Hollenbeck Park. Rob Dyrdek and Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar joined up with Recreation and Parks officials on Thursday, December 18, 2009 to celebrate the Grand Opening of a $350,000 state-of-the-art skate plaza in Boyle Heights.

The Safe Spot Skate Spot skate plaza at Hollenbeck Park came to life after the Rob Dyrdek Foundation approached Councilmember Huizar’s office with the idea to build what would become a 14,000 square-foot, tri-level skate plaza that is already being called one of the nation’s premier street-skating plazas. Councilmember Huizar matched that amount and more, allocating $221,000 in Quimby funds and working with the Department of Recreation and Parks to identify and secure approximately $54,000 in additional funding to complete the project.

“Rob Dyrdek and I know that kids on the Eastside like to skateboard as much as anybody else and this skate plaza is an incredible gift to the young people of this community,” said Councilmember José Huizar. “I want to thank Rob and our friends at Rec and Parks for working with me on this worthy project. Furthermore, with nearly $1 million in improvements, including additional trees and picnic benches, a completely renovated lake bridge, outdoor exercise equipment and now this fabulous skate plaza, Hollenbeck Park is once again a destination spot for seniors, kids and families.”

Rob Dyrdek conceptualized and brought into reality the Safe Spot Skate Spot Program, which creates safe havens for kids to skate at across the country through the Rob Dyrdek Foundation. The Rob Dyrdek foundation opened its first skate plaza at Lafayette Park in February 2009 and already has two other locations in the works. As with all the of its Safe Spot Skate Spots, the Rob Dyrdek Foundation partnered with California Skate Parks for the incredible construction and the design of the plaza.

“I am absolutely thrilled and proud to open our second Safe Spot Skate Spot in the City of Los Angeles,” said Rob Dyrdek. “As you know, one of our goals at the Rob Dyrdek Foundation is to help create and support legal and safe skate plazas, which we call Safe Spot Skate Spots, for communities throughout the world. Here in Los Angeles, we are working closely with the Department of Recreation and Parks to build Safe Spot Skate Spots in all 15 Council Districts.”

“It truly has been an honor working with Councilmember José Huizar and his office, whose leadership and passion for the community he serves is nothing short of inspiring. Together we believe we have provided the local community with one of the best, if not the best skate plazas in the nation.”

City of L.A.’s Department of Recreation and Parks General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri, attended the opening to speak on behalf of his department and the collaborative effort needed to successfully open the skate plaza at Hollenbeck, as well as future sites.

“What fun to join with Rob Dyrdek, the skate plaza visionary, and Councilman Huizar, to provide this great plaza at Hollenbeck Park,” said General Manager Mukri. “It has the components that skaters love to skate with stair sets, rails and ledges. This is our second Safe Spot Skate Spot project and we’re looking forward to more City of Los Angeles projects.”

Hollenbeck Skate Plaza
415 Saint Louis Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033

Date Open: December 18, 2009
Sq ft.: 14,000
Cost: $350,000
City: $275,000
RDF: $75,000

Videos:

La Fayette Skate Plaza

Posted on February 24, 2009

The Rob Dyrdek Foundation developed its first Safe Spot Skate Spot in Los Angeles at La Fayette Park. The La Fayette Safe Spot, Skate Spot, which opened in February 24, 2009, received international acclaim for it’s design and it’s public private partnership elements. The site continues to be featured in commercials, magazines, videos, and has become one of the most utilized and celebrated skate plaza’s in the world.

Safe Spot, Skate Spot is a program developed by the Rob Dyrdek Foundation to support legal and safe skate spots for communities interested in developing legal skateable terrain for their skateboarders. Based from the skate plaza concept, the Safe Spot, Skate Spot program will provide an alternative option for communities with limited budgets or space restrictions to develop real street skating locations.

The La Fayette Safe Spot, Skate Spot was developed in partnership with California Skate Parks. At just over 10,000 square feet of skateable terrain the spot contains ledges, benches and stairs that flow through the park’s natural landscape. Funding from a generous donation by CKE Restaurants, Inc., parent company of the Carl’s Jr.® hamburger chain, to the Rob Dyrdek/DC Shoes Skate Plaza Foundation secured the development of the La Fayette skate spot.

“I’m excited to see the first Safe Spot Skate Spot come to life,” said Rob Dyrdek, the Foundation’s Founder and Director. “We realized that cities want to help their skateboarders but are often lacking funds or space. This concept provides the perfect solution for both. Skateboarding has always been defined by great spots and I hope that we are on our way to creating the next great, legal spots for skateboarding.”

La Fayette Skate Plaza
310 South La Fayette Park Place
Los Angeles, CA 90057-1604

Date Open: February 24, 2009
Sq ft.: 10,000
Cost: $355,000
City: $180,000
CKE: $175,000

As demonstrated in the attached youtube videos, photos, and media, CKE Restaurants, parent company of Carl’s Jr., has received a tremendous amount of exposure given their sponsorship of the park. Our Safe Spot Skate Spot Program enables corporations and donors to tap in to the tremendous exposure that is generated by the permanent branding of each Safe Spot Skate Spot. To lean more about how to sponsor the creation of a skate plaza or to donate please click here www.robdyrdekfoundation.org.

Kettering Skate Plaza

Posted on June 5, 2005

This first-of-its-kind street-skating plaza, which opened June 5, 2005, is approximately 40,000 square feet and is designed for street skateboarding by incorporating urban terrain elements such as benches, rails and ledges. Unlike most modern day skate parks that consist of stark vertical ramps and half pipes, the skate plaza resembles a public square in a town or city by incorporating landscaping and art to create a multi-use park that is aesthetically pleasing.

Several years ago, the concept for a skate park in Kettering was brought up in a focus group during the Youth Summit, an annual retreat that addresses issues faced by Kettering youth. Staff from the Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department organized a committee of teens to research the needs in regards to a skate park. It became evident that Kettering needed a facility of its own to keep skateboarders from illegally using and damaging public park amenities including benches and stair railings. The Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts staff then began researching possible sites for the facility.“It’s our responsibility to provide recreational activity outlets for all kinds of kids,” said Mary Beth Thaman, Director of Kettering Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts. “The skate plaza-style park will reach kids we don’t reach in traditional programs.”

Once the site was approved, several public meetings were held with youth and park neighbors to address security, skate park design, and amenities along with a timeline for completion. With a little bit of luck and some fatherly advice, Kettering native and professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek met with the City to discuss this unique project.

“At one point I heard Kettering was looking at building something for skate boarders and they were having kids come in and give their input. It just happened to fall about the right time when Rob was in town. Rob and I came over and met with the people at the Kettering Recreation Complex. It really just started with that,” said Gene Dyrdek, Rob’s father.

Rob began working with the city staff and Site Design Group Inc. to design the skate plaza and help secure funding for the project. After several revisions to the design and content of the skate plaza, plans were created that satisfied everyone’s needs.

“The level of support from the city has been huge. Because of the design and the fact that it had never been done before, they had to put a certain level of trust in me. Kettering has bent over backwards to make this happen. The skate plaza is going to be huge for skate boarders as well as the city of Kettering,” said Rob.

Kettering Skate Plaza
Indian Riffle Park
2675 East Stroop Road
Kettering, Ohio 45440

Date Open: June 5, 2005
Sq ft.: 27,564
Cost: $700,000
City: $450,000
DC: $200,000
Align: $50,000