The Sketchup Showcase

Tell us about this project and your process.

SketchUp played a key role in helping me design and develop the Street and Park Courses for X Games 17. I used SketchUp for the conceptual design process, structural engineering of the support structure, material estimation, construction documents, branding and to assist with field measurements and support.

Two courses were designed for the world's top skateboard and bmx professionals. The Street Course was designed to mimic the actual street terrain that you will find in most industrial and metropolitan areas. The challenge is to incorporate these elements so there is a flow through the park, allowing riders to flow from one obstacle to the next with the right amount of speed.

The Park Course was designed to look and feel like a typical skatepark you might come across in your neighborhood, and also reflect the style of current park skateboarding. A few key elements were added to bring excitement to the course runs and exemplify the skill level of riding on the course. Some of the features included a curved plexi-glass tunnel and pool pocket with working pool light.

One of the biggest challenges we face with this project is to design a new course that will not only push the athletes to the next level, but also give them a course that will showcase their talents for the 37 million television viewers world-wide. No pressure. Sketchup has allowed me to quickly visualize my ideas and concepts to scale, and communicate my ideas to others through Layout, which I love, and Renditioner Pro for my realistic renderings.