The board of Skatemates consists of Daniel Wedemeijer, Hans Dijs and Stan Postmus. Through this site we hope to show just how many people are enthusiastic about a large public skate park in Amsterdam. Skaters, BMX-ers, parents, filmers and photographers, everyone can support our plans through this site and share ideas why Amsterdam needs a professional skatepark!

Check out what some people say about an Urbansportszone in Amsterdam:

Nassim Guammaz,
skateboarder from Rotterdam & European champion
Superrad if Amsterdam were to get a good public skatepark, not only for the local skaters and youth in Amsterdam but also for all tourists. I travel a lot lately and the skaters that I meet are all super interested in Amsterdam and would love to go there! A public skatepark should be attractive place that young and old can use because this will attract more skaters to Amsterdam and will make skating grow. Amsterdam is a very cultural city and skateboarding fits perfectly with this cultural image!

Daniel Wedemeijer, professional BMX rider from Amsterdam
A professional skate park reaches the large group of young people who aren’t interested in team sports and it gives them the opportunities to do something creative and active.

Jeroen Sars, skateboarder & shop owner from Eindhoven
As soon as Amsterdam has a good concrete skatepark I will come to Amsterdam to skate there on a regular basis. I run a skateboard shop in Eindhoven for 16 years and I am sure that many skaters from this area would also go to Amsterdam to skate such a park. In Scandinavia there are many large concrete skateparks for all types of skateboarding and these parks have something to offer for me but also for my children. This is why I travel to Scandinavia at least once a year with my family (5 people) to enjoy all these skateparks. I usually go there for at least 2 weeks and stay in a hotel or on a camping site. The Netherlands has no skatepark that even comes close to these parks that they have built over there. Time for our nation’s capital to follow this good example from Scandinavia!

Mika Edin,
skateprofessional from Sweden
It surprises me that Amsterdam doesn’t have a proper concrete park already since you guys have a really big skate scene! I guess us Swedes are spoiled with good concrete parks everywhere. A skatepark is so much more than just a place where you go skate. It’s a place where you hang out and meet new friends. It’s a place where you can express your creativity, a place where you can host contests and other events. The list of reasons can go on and on… I would love to come visit Amsterdam when you have a good concrete park!

Brad Mc Clain, skateprofessional from America
When I was younger, all of my days were spent skating and hanging out at my local skatepark. At the time, it was just something to do, and a cool place to be. Looking back now, that place changed my life in the most positive way. I’ve met so many good people, and given the chance to see so many great places. All from obsessing over skateboarding. Skateparks give kids an easy way to get involved with something that will change their lives and shape their futures. And they give old dudes a way to still be cool, haha!

Stan Postmus,
skateboarder from Amsterdam
Skating is very popular among our youth and young adults and it has been for more than fifteen years now. Sadly Amsterdam and the Netherlands are still lacking a good infrastructure to safely learn how to skate and develop one’s skating, meanwhile good examples are popping up everywhere in Europe! It’s time for a professional skate park in Amsterdam!

Hans Dijs, skateboarder from Zandvoort
I started skating in ’89 in the south of Holland in a time when skaters had no choice but to make their own spots. I think it is something in the nature of skateboarders to always look for new spots and if there aren’t any good spots create them yourself! Every skater I know has this mindset, just walking in a random city in a random part of the world, you see skaters turning their heads when passing by a stair or a handrail or using a simple piece of plywood and make it something skateable!
A lot has changed since the time when I started, nowadays every town or village has a “skateplace”. Unfortunately most of these “skateplaces” are designed by people with no knowledge of skating whatsoever. Giving us a small place to skate then becomes nothing more then a way to ban skaters from public places. Looking back on when I began, nothing has changed, skaters still go out an seek for the perfect place to skate! You can never change that skaters state of mind but you can take a small look inside of it just by listening to their needs!
I dream these dreams everyday and that’s why I wanted to be a part of the Skatemates project. We can help others to take that small look inside to help make something big possible! We are Amsterdam, AMSTERDAM! It’s time to show the world and give them a look inside a skaters state of mind!!!