We recently learned from a reliable source that the new Montreal Plaza under the Jacques Cartier Bridge is officially done being built and ready to be skated!
We are too excited not to share the news! The Montreal plaza is now finished and by now some might even already have tested its smooth granite surface and obstacles.
Although known for being the first real Street Plaza where skaters are welcome, the new Montreal Skate Plaza is a cutting edge skate facility that was created by experienced skateboarders, with skating in mind from beginning to the end. Just by riding on the smooth granite ground, you know that the material was strategically picked by people who know what’s up.
Located under Montreal’s iconic Jacques Cartier bridge on the corner of Maisonneuve and De Lorimier streets. This top-of-the-line skating terrain is absolutely perfect, in all its simplicity. Designed with input from local skaters like experienced park designer Charles Deschamps and street legend David Boots, the plaza promises to be a world-class destination for skateboarders of all skill levels and a safe place where skater of all ages, genres and backgrounds can meet up have fun.
We need to mention that the new Montreal Plaza is dream come true for Montreal's thriving skateboarding community. In fact, it took more than a decade to convince the city that the previous facility wasn’t functional and that skaters needed something like what we have today. A place that looks like a street spot, but where you’ll never get kicked out of and where you can actually progress on street-like obstacles! Thanks to Charles, Dave and everyone involved, time has finally come to enjoy a place that is up to our standards.
We also want to send our respect to Vincent Lemay at Arrondissement Ville-Marie and Luc Gionet at Expertise Sports Design LG architect firm. Without their input and help, none of this would've been possible. Thank you!
On the obstacles side of things, the plaza offers a variety of features and challenges for skaters of all levels. The plaza's centerpiece offers a vast flat ground zone with incredibly smooth Granite. In the middle of this big space, two perfect flat ledges and a hexagonal shaped manual pad. Ledges, manual pads and a lot of good flat are the simplest things, but yet are always what’s missing in regular skateparks. The Montreal Plaza offers all that, bringing us back to our street skating roots and allowing us to keep our flatground and ledge game on point.
On the North side of the park is a nice and wide two blocks that you can use as a ledge or jump down as a gap. This stage like structure can also be used to sit down and enjoy a nice summer afternoon in this vibrant part of town. Also note that the center part of the park is surrounded by long ledges. They are a bit higher and longer, for those who like to hold tricks for a long time.
As the middle part of the park is very simple and purified, the sides and corners of the plaza is where things get interesting. On the East side of the place, you’ll find granite out ledges that look so street that you could be filming tricks for your video part on them. If you like a good out ledge, you’ll be served at the Montreal Plaza. Some go down stairs, some down banks and some over grass. There’s truly an out ledge for everyone over there! With a very approachable height, these are perfect for learning new tricks as well as taking your new tech ledge trick to a new level.
On the South side of the park, you’ll find a perfect 4 stairs that's ideal to finish a line after the benches or simply to practice your gap tricks before taking them to the 2 blocks. Again, accompanied by a nice out ledge.
Last but not least, the South-West corner of the park, where you’ll find one of the most perfect down ledge we’ve ever seen. As for every feature in this park, the ledge isn’t too high and not too steep as well. Perfect for learning new tricks and hold them down this mellow and long piece of granit. On one side of the ledge you’ll find a bank and on the other side, a nice 4 stairs. The option is yours!
