Gabriola skatepark

Tucked away in the Gulf Islands inside Huxley Community Park, the Gabriola Island Skatepark is an absolute island gem. Officially opened in May 2022, this million-dollar project was born from years of passionate grassroots campaigning by local volunteer group Keep on Pushin’ Gabriola. Built to replace an old, weathered modular ramp setup, this modern concrete facility serves as a major social and active hub for island youth and visiting skaters looking for a uniquely scenic destination.

The design-build history of this park brings together two of Western Canada’s most respected forces in skatepark architecture. The layout was designed by New Line Skateparks in collaboration with van der Zalm + associates, who carefully adapted the conceptual drawings to mirror the natural, artistic landscape of Gabriola Island. When the construction contract was officially tendered by the Regional District of Nanaimo in 2021, the physical concrete build and hand-shaping were executed by the master craftsmen at Transition Construction. Their career specialty in poured-in-place, cold-climate concrete ensured the transitions were seamlessly hand-troweled and structured to gracefully survive the coastal freeze-thaw cycles.

The layout is an exceptionally creative 718-square-meter hybrid park that perfectly splits its real estate between flow-transition lines and technical street obstacles. The park features a deep transition zone highlighted by an impressive 6-foot-10-inch clamshell, smooth waterfalls, hip blasters, and an 8-foot-6-inch vert wall lined with authentic pool coping for crunchy grinds. The standout architectural tribute is a rolling, over-vert wave feature known as the "Malaspina Gallery," explicitly designed to mimic the island's famous natural sandstone rock formations. Flowing alongside the transition setup is a crisp street run loaded with a starting quarter pipe, a four-stair set with a hubba ledge and rail combo, manual pads, and a custom sandstone-colored rock flat gap.

The Gabriola Island Skatepark is an outdoor, public concrete facility that is completely free to ride. The park operates without dedicated evening sports floodlights, restricting sessions to daylight hours, and is located at Huxley Community Park, 585 North Road, Gabriola Island, British Columbia.

TrucksandFins Tip: This is arguably one of the most uniquely localized designs in British Columbia, especially with the custom sandstone rock detailing. Pack your standard street or park wheels, as the concrete finish is beautifully smooth. Because it is located right on an island, the spot is a fantastic day-trip destination from Nanaimo, with Huxley Park providing visiting families with excellent shaded viewing areas, benches, parking, and accessible public washrooms.

Photos courtesy of TransitionConstruction.