Everybody is waiting for the triumphant return of Detroit, but not everybody is sticking it out and working to make it happen. After going bankrupt in 2013, Detroit continues to be in flux. The unemployment rate is still double the national average, and the transportation and the financial system all need to be rebuilt from the bottom up.
Derrick Dykas is one of the dudes that is sticking it out and taking matters into his own hands. Raising money and getting signatures at punk shows, he was one of the major forces in getting The Wig, Detroit’s famous DIY skatepark, established. No professional builders. No prefab ramps. Every obstacle in the park was created and molded by the skaters and the community, building between their day jobs.
With that in mind, we took a quick flight to the D to continue our Locals series with Levi’s skateboarding and talked Derrick about the Wig and the future community built green skatepark that he is currently working on.
derrick dykas at work / photo: evan hutchings
derrick dykas – front feeble / photo: hutchings
ron allen – hoop ride / photo: hutchings
alex mueller – fs ollie / photo: hutchings
ryan kehrer – smith / photo: hutchings
pat galloway – pivot fakie / photo: hutchings
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December 4, 2015 12:37 pm
They’ve been saying Detroit is coming back for decades now. Hope it can finally get to it’s feet. Good work building the new Green park boyz.
December 4, 2015 5:01 pm
Was there an old green park..?
How far is this park from the one Albino, T-mo, Sean and body and some locals built a while back ?
December 4, 2015 1:43 pm
Tight
December 4, 2015 2:06 pm
Respect
December 4, 2015 6:28 pm
FUCK YEAH!