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Skate ramp surface option 1
Substrate / Synthetic -
Skatelite Pro 1000
Skate ramp surface option 2
Eastern European Ply
Skate ramp surface option 3
Coated (non-slip)
Mild Steel (steel only)
Skate ramp surface option 4
‘Hybrid’ Substrate / Coated
Mild Steel - Acoustic Dampened
The choice of skate ramp riding surface is one of the critical elements that contribute to the success of a Wheeled Sports Facility. All variations have their advantages and disadvantages and no one option covers all the desirable elements from the point of view of user and operator. Evolution Ramps offer four STANDARD riding surface options (excluding client requests):
Synthetic surfaces are by far the most desirable from a users point of view and are widely used throughout the U.K. This is the proprietary system used by Evolution Skateparks and we recommend it in almost every instance.
Though there are many synthetic products on the market, Skatelite Pro, a cured phenol-formaldehyde fibre LPL (low pressure laminate) still remains the product of choice in our opinion, and we have sampled many alternatives.
As the only synthetic product endorsed by many of the world class riders and skaters (Tony Hawk, Matt Hoffman, Dave Mirra to name a few), there are many benefits with this industry ‘adopted’ riding surface, particularly suited to our construction technique (see ‘Ramp Technology Illustrated’), that can be summarised as follows:
Used in conjunction with a 18mm substrate, this surface offers good natural sound and impact absorption characteristics, and finds a compromise between durability and the ‘soft ride’ associated with less durable plywood surfaces.
If you have conducted any research into surfacing, you may be aware of some of the potential ‘issues’ associated with the use of synthetic surfaces in general, namely:
These ‘issues’ are wholly associated with manufacturers’ lack of understanding of the nature of the product, and ‘high maintenance’ is directly related to the quality and method of application.
With the exception of Evolution Ramps, all other manufacturers rely solely on multiple ‘rows’ of mechanical fixings to hold the surface in position.
Given that most synthetic surfaces will expand and contract to a small degree, holding the surface ‘rigid’ in concentrated areas will give rise to ‘bowing’ or ‘distortion’ between ‘rows’, leading to surface ‘slap’ and water ingress that potentially leads to a reduction in the surface lifespan, not to mention a detriment to the user.
Equally, this reliance on surface fixings alone increases the risk of fixing failure due to the expansion load placed upon them.
Having worked with synthetic surfaces for longer than most manufacturers, Evolution surface technology has been further developed in recent years to overcome these ‘issues’.
Our unique bonded and fastened system combines an industrial strength, 100% flexible, and waterproof adhesive with thru-hardened fixings, the benefits of which are outlined below:
Skatelite Pro is available in Tan (Pro1000) or Black (Pro3000)
Colour choice is entirely down to stock levels at the time of enquiry/order and we regret that choice may not be possible.
Those against synthetic surfaces would argue that maintenance is higher than steel/concrete alternatives. We concede that they need to be visually inspected more often, but with a little TLC and the right method of application, there is no strong evidence to suggest that long term maintenance costs are drastically higher, particularly when balanced with the benefits to the user.
Predominantly (though not solely) and widely used for indoor applications, Plywood is highly desirable from a user’s point of view, offering a ‘soft ride’ experience with the following beneficial factors:
Though considered a budget option, it is an ideal choice for indoor parks where weather deterioration is not an influencing factor.
As with all options, durability of our ramps is very important to us and the choice of ply is essential.
Evolution Ramps adopt Eastern European Birch Ply, sourced from Latvia, Estonia, Poland or Russia as part of the ‘Responsible Purchasing Directive’.
‘White’ in appearance, Eastern European Ply, regardless of original source, is renowned for its exceptionally high quality, summarised as follows:
These exclusive characteristics open up the potential of suitability for outdoor applications where the desirable must be balanced with the affordable.
As with our synthetic surfacing option, surface thickness is a heavy duty 24mm, offering high impact resistance and good sound absorption characteristics.
Maintenance, though dependant on level of use, is likely to be significantly more frequent than synthetic or steel alternatives, particularly if used in an outdoor application. However, it is a significantly cheaper alternative and furthermore, is a readily available, non equipment/manufacturer specific product and may be sourced directly, giving the operator more control over maintenance costs/regimes.
NOTE: Given that the combined substrate/surface thickness is the same for both Synthetic and Ply surface options, changing from one to the other within the original framework is possible.
Steel surfacing is growing in popularity from an operator’s point of view, and is becoming more desirable of late, perhaps attributed to the often lower initial purchase cost and perception of zero maintenance.
There is no question that steel surfaces can withstand considerably more abuse and we might recommend their use in facilities where vandalism was highly likely, or where the routine of regular inspections is more than the operator is willing to commit.
As the illustration ‘Ramp Technology’ shows, Evolution Ramps adopt a 4mm ‘steel on steel’ or a ‘hybrid’ system, combining the strength and durability of a 3mm mild steel riding surface (coated with specially formulated non-slip paint) with our ‘standard’ waterproof substrate.
This hybrid system offers an ideal ‘cross-over’ between desirable elements of ‘other’ surfaces, including exceptional noise suppression, with a total surface composition of 24mm, the standard Evolution surface guage.
Benefits can be summarised as follows:
However, we must stress that all surfaces need some degree of maintenance and steel ramps are no exception.
It is vital in our opinion that the steel surface is painted with some form of non-slip coating to avoid the ramps becoming nothing more than a ‘slide’ for the users and it must be maintained.
Non-coated, galvanised or stainless steel surfacing should not be considered, as we believe it represents a real hazard to the user.
An added advantage with the painted system is that a choice of colours is available to suit your requirements e.g. Green, if you wish to make the ramps ‘blend’ into the surroundings, or coloured to match your corporate colours. We would be happy to supply additional paint at the time of initial purchase for ongoing surface maintenance. STANDARD COLOUR WILL BE BLACK.
Aside from the serious issue of ramps becoming slippery, the ‘problems’ are relatively few, though no less worthy of careful consideration.
Be aware that steel surfaces have significantly less ‘give’, which suggests a potentially heavier fall for the user.
Furthermore, there is a strong possibility the steel surface will get hot in the summer months.
On-going maintenance is likely to be re-coating the riding surface, the frequency of which can only be determined by the level of use and abuse that facility receives.