Yes, the impressively revamped Edge Skatepark in Winnipeg, MB is opening Friday, December 9th... but not to the public. A select few have been asked to demo it for local media, but that’s it. According to the park’s Facebook page you’ll have to wait until “likely past Christmas / early January some time.” Vague? Yes. Worth the wait? Most definitely.

The Edge is Canada’s longest running indoor park, and this is its third relocation since it first opened in 1992. Along with enabling them to provide a long-term winter haven for locals, the park’s ties with the YFC organization has led to The Edge being housed in an entirely new, multi-purpose public facility - the Centre For Youth Excellence. And while Surrey, BC’s Chuck Bailey Skatepark has Canada’s first roof-covered outdoor concrete bowl, The Edge will have the country’s first indoor one.

Bowl Tracers (Photo: theedgeskatepark.com)

New Line Skateparks designed/built the bowl and other concrete features that occupy a portion of the 12,000 square foot hybrid park, so I hit up New Line Prez Kyle Dion for a few details:

(Photo: The Edge Skatepark’s FB page)
“This is our third project using Styrofoam," Kyle mentioned. "The first was the Seattle Centre park, then Queensborough. We take giant blocks of Styrofoam, and we use an electrified wire to shape it. We glue the blocks together, put the coping and rebar on, then shoot concrete on top of it.”

(Photo: New Line)
“The overall concrete area of the park - which includes the bowl, a 4-foot bank and hip, an 8-set and two hubbas – is 4,000 square feet.”

(Photo: New Line’s FB page.)
“The bowl has a 5-foot 'mini-ramp section' that goes into a round deep-end that’s about 7-and-a-half, with a third pocket that's about 6 feet with escalating coping.”

If you live in Winnipeg or if you're visiting this winter, you're stoked! Check out The Edge Skatepark’s website and Facebook page for more info.