Turf Skatepark
Turf Skatepark (also known as "Surfin' Turf" or simply "Turf") is a former skatepark located in Greenfield, Wisconsin, less than one mile south of the city of Milwaukee[1]. It was notable for being an indoor/outdoor skateboard faculty that was opened year round, which contained five concrete pools. In fact, the Turf was one of very few skateparks with concrete pools.
History
The Turf was originally built in 1979 and stayed open as "Surfin' Turf" until 1982, when all the pools were covered over and it become a strip club (named Bell E. Buttons). The original owners opened the skatepark again in 1987. This time, the Turf stayed open until 1996. At that point, all of the pools were filled completely with gravel and covered with a concrete slab.
In 2010, former owner Jerry Steuernagel describe the skatepark at its peak: "We had 10,000 members from all over the world. Every kid was a member. That's how I sold it."[2]
Concrete pools
The Turf included five sculptured concrete pools, of which included:
- lip slide gully: 4 foot deep pool, with a gradual 30 foot entry
- footie: 5 foot deep, 23 foot diameter pool with a comma roll-in, the transition was similar to most mini ramps
- triple pool (i.e., the clover): 3 bowls (one 4 foot deep and two 8 foot deep) with concrete coping and ceramic tile
- key hole pool: 10 foot deep, 23 foot diameter with concrete coping and ceramic tile
- half pipe capsule: 11 to 13 foot deep with 1 to 3 foot vertical
Current status
Currently, the city of Milwaukee owns the property and the fate of whether the skatepark will resurface again is unknown.[2][3][4]
References
- ^ City of Greenfield Street Map
- ^ a b Highway construction unearths old skateboard park - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- ^ Turf Skatepark Uncovered - Thrasher Magazine
- ^ Road construction reveals traces of old skate park called "The Turf" - "The Turf" was a mecca of skateboarding in the 1980s - Fox6now.com
External links
- Save the Turf - Official website
- Save the Turf - Facebook group