Skatopia
Rutland, Ohio
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Stuck in the craw of the Ohio/West Virginia border, Brewce Martin's Skatopia is 80-plus lawless acres of beer, mud, concrete, plywood and endless opportunities to get good and hurt on a skateboard. It's got a "no rules" atmosphere, not in the bumper sticker or T-shirt sense, but in a very real and scary way that reminds you of the benefits of civil society. Hillbillies, hessians, confused young women and fans of skateboard debauchery flock to Brewce's farm, only to be outdone by Brewce himself, a good-times juggernaut whose only requirement is an appreciative crowd. Skateable features include the "King Dong" ramp, a plywood and sheet metal monster that includes two bowls and a towering extension, the Barn Bowl, which drops 13 feet and is topped with pool coping, a wooden three-quarter pipe and two concrete bowls, one of which is indoors but (dumb luck) built over a natural spring which keeps it constantly flooded. The second bowl, arguably the best ride on the property, incorporates an abandoned school bus in its design and also boasts a cradle, snake section, concrete and steel coping and a cinderblock wallride over a door that only Brewce's son, Hellskull Martin, has successfully navigated. There's a D.I.Y. titty bar under the ramp, a never-ending supply of booze and fireworks, free camping and even one semi-operating toilet. Perhaps not the best park as far as terrain, Skatopia more than makes up for it as an overall experience. Get to Rutland and get ready to get freaked out.
In short: If you like deep bowls and getting shit faced, you could do a lot worse.
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Photos: Courtesy of Burnett