Exclusive images: construction of ramps for X Games 15 under way at Home Depot Center

July 8, 1:05 PMLA Skateboarding ExaminerLuiz Calado

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Panoramic view of the park construction (Photo: Mauricio Natario) Click to enlarge.

Scheduled from July 30th to August 2nd, groundwork for the 15th edition of the Summer X Games began last week at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, CA.

Maurício Natario, a veteran of the construction crew, explains that the assembly of the ramps is definitely hard work: laboring under the sun for 60 hours a week (meaning, no days off), the team has not only to put it all up in the month prior to the event, but also take it apart as soon as the competition is over. And, with the number of workers cut shorter this year, the hustle has become even more rigorous.

The staff behind the fabrication is made up primarily of devoted skateboarders and BMXers that, like Mauricio, have experience with wood work and construction techniques. According to him, a perk of the job – if not the only one – is the chance to test ride the obstacles before everyone else.

For now, the team is focused on the super park that will have added enhancements in comparison to last year’s course. The schematic below shows what parts of the surface are concrete (lower) or Skatelite™ (upper).

Check out more exclusive pictures in this slide show.