Arizona started in the summer of 2018, it is located about an hour and a half north of Toronto. The name Arizona comes from the lack of shade and to try and keep the location to word of mouth.
It’s located on a piece of land that has been vacant since 2015 due to a building fire.
Last summer, after a group of us were continuously unsuccessful with building in the city of Toronto, Aaron Gerrett and Natan Hibloom decided to leave the city and find a spot in their hometown. Having seen the vacant land for the last 3 years, Arizona was the first place they looked.
They found a perfect concrete slab accompanied with mountains of cinder block, bricks, stones, dirt, wood, steel rails and all sorts of materials that most people would over look but are perfect ingredients for a DIY. Over the first summer Aaron and Natan built the spot up day in and day out with their own money and the help of old and new friends. The spot started growing organically and a new community was formed.
Fast forward to the present, Arizona has been around for one year with no problems, we have been accepted by the neighbors, the land owners know about us and it has lasted through one winter without any serious damage… That being said, with every DIY spot, it’s hard to know for sure if we will keep the spot or wake up the next day to find it destroyed. One thing that is for sure is that all good DIY spots started with an “unsure” outcome, but it was the people behind it that continue to build up something that could never be torn out and that is what we plan to do at Arizona. Continue to build a positive community, a fun skate spot and something that Toronto and the GTA have been lacking.
The land owners cannot build in this location for over 3 years, until that day you can find us full force building Arizona into a DIY spot that every city should have. IF you do find the spot, respect the neighbours, introduce yourself, keep it clean, please no glass, take your garbage with you, bring a bag of concrete and most importantly have a blast ☺.
Thank you: Aaron Gerrett, Natan Hibloom, Andrew Lane, Tyler Reigert, Michael Veitch, Matt Aitia, Sam Serruya, Shad Pedis, Jesse Jurgens, Zack Morris and the rest of the AZ Crew and anyone who brings a good vibe.
