A funbox is a standard element of a
skatepark
A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, wheelchairs, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairse ...
. It generally consists of a
box shape with a flat top and a
ramp on two or more sides. A funbox may also include other elements that allow for more complicated
skateboarding tricks.
[''Skateboarding Skills: The Rider's Guide'']
by Ben Powell (Firefly Books, 2008)
Like other skatepark features, funboxes are used by
skateboarders
Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. ...
,
roller skaters
Roller skating is the act of traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, si ...
using inline skates or quad skates, and
BMX-riders.
Features
Table-top - The main characteristic of a funbox is the standard
table-top; the flat top of the main structural ''box'' component. The table-top can vary in height and surface area.
[
Ramps - To allow access to the table-top, a funbox will generally be surrounded (on two or more sides) by ramps or stairs to allow tricks or transitions on, off or over the table-top.
Other elements - A funbox may also include a number of other elements including ledges, ]rails
Rail or rails may refer to:
Rail transport
*Rail transport and related matters
*Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway
Arts and media Film
* ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini
* ''Rail'' ( ...
, spines, copings, angled ramps, wall sections to allow "wallrides" and improvised street furniture
Street furniture is a collective term for objects and pieces of equipment installed along streets and roads for various purposes. It includes benches, traffic barriers, bollards, post boxes, phone boxes, streetlamps, traffic lights, traf ...
pieces.
A funbox with ramps on opposite sides may allow for the conduct of aerial tricks. As such, funboxes are commonly placed in line with the "outlet" of a larger ramp to allow for a build-up of speed. Typically, a funbox with ramps or transitions on all sides of the table will be placed in the middle of a park.
Construction
Funboxes are generally constructed of concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
(as a permanent element in a skatepark) or wood (as a moveable or customizable element for street skateboarding
Street skateboarding is a skateboarding discipline which focuses on flat-ground tricks, grinds, slides and aerials within urban environments, and public spaces. Street skateboarders meet, skate, and hang out in and around urban areas refer ...
). Some variations include steel frames and both concrete and wood constructions will often include steel copings or rails. Some funboxes will be constructed in sections to allow for further customization.''Ramp Plans: Learn How to Build Vert Street Mini Launch and Bowls (2000 Edition)''
(High Speed Productions, 1999) ''Thrasher''_magazine.html" ;"title="Thrasher (magazine)">''Thrasher'' magazine">Thrasher (magazine)">''Thrasher'' magazine/ref>
The construction must resist dynamic structural load
A structural load or structural action is a force, deformation, or acceleration applied to structural elements. A load causes stress, deformation, and displacement in a structure. Structural analysis, a discipline in engineering, analyzes the ...
resulting from aerial tricks or jumps onto the funbox.
References
{{Skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding equipment