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Vandal Proof04-01-02 | 11
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Vandal Proof

by Heather Duval Lebus

Small cast aluminum or bronze disk-shaped devices are easily installed on brick walls (top left), concrete walls (top, right), planters or benches to immediately deter skateboarders and in-line skaters from using site amenities as launching pads-- thereby preventing thousands of dollars of unsightly damages (above) to cities each year.

Each year, skateboarders cause hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to buildings, parks and public property. "The Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers spends $4,000 to $5,000 annually dealing with damage from skateboarders," explains Scott Marshall, the Sheraton's Chief Engineer. What innocently starts out as a bit of fun for enthusiastic skateboarders-- "launching" off a planter, wall or bench-- usually ends up a headache for city planners and managers. That headache is difficult and costly to remedy-- often so costly that it does not get fixed at all.

"Wheels from skateboarders and in-line skaters cause unsightly damage. Some skateboarders even wax the bench edges before they practice their stunts. After a few hot days, that wax becomes one with the benches and is virtually unremovable. We are happy to be putting an end to this damage once and for all," explains David Heinen, GGLO Architects and Project Manager for University Village.

Heinen's solution comes from an innovative team of Northwest entrepreneurs whose experience comes from managing and operating commercial property portfolios for real estate giants Martin Selig Real Estate and Martin Smith Real Estate Services. The Ravensforge team have designed and created SkateBlock, a one-of-a-kind product that protects property from skateboard damage.

Small but immediately effective, attractive but unassuming, these 3" cast aluminum or bronze disk-shaped devices are easily secured to walls, planters, ledges and benches in plazas and along walkways. Once installed, the disks become 34-hour security for valuable public property; the devices can be manufactured in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors to meet client needs. The blocks reduce costs of security, lighting and insurance rates for property owners; in addition, they help reduce the possibility of personal injury to pedestrians from out-of-control skateboarders by stopping the activity in crowded public areas. The devices also come with a hollow core so that they double as a bike rack, enabling the property owner to decide where to encourage bicycles and where to prohibit them. Once strategically installed, these small metal devices stymie skateboarders and in-line skaters. Just released on the market to Landscape Architects and city planners, LASN predicts these small innovations will "take the rug out from underneath" the skaters, and will provide headache relief to city planners across the nation. lasn
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