POE MILL DIY COMMEMORATIVE
Greenville, South Carolina is home to one of the longest standing DIY skateparks in the country.
In 1897 a major textile operation began at the DIY location. The mill operated for 80 years and closed in 1977.
Many years passed and the mill building became a site for some to reflect on time passed with a sense of pride; for others, often the displaced, to hide away from the elements and sleep beside in the abandoned building beside the squealing rail trains.
On June 28th, 2003, A fire destroyed the mill building, definitively ending any hopes of utilizing the building in the future, ushering in new life to the space, leaving behind only 2 iconic smoke stacks and a foundation on which more history would be built.
In 2020 Test was formed: the very first samples of boards were handed out at Twin. The Test team is comprised of skaters who grew up learning how to skate at Twin.
In 2023, Nearly 20 years of time has passed with people from all walks of life contributing to the development of the site, with a heavy emphasis of this development and caretaking being brought about from the local skateboarding community.
Skateboarders appropriated the ruins, and in doing so made history.
As this mill once spung cotton into fabric, so too does that same energy radiate into the hearts of those who have found the space as a meditative landscape, developing many who want to experience movement, into skaters, and so too, many with creative minds into visual artists, the evidence seen in the Graffiti surrounding the park.
Known by some as Poe Mill Skatepark or by locals who frequent the spot as TWIN, the space is a foundation in which one truly learns how to communicate with an obstacle.
Nothing there is “perfect”, much of it is requires “time invested” to understand the proper approaches and angles.
From the space, many have found their footing to be more stable in a street skating atmosphere.
All DIY spots have a sense of impermanence. Many come and go quickly.
In 2021, the the pandemic lent an excuse to the housing authority to fence in the skatepark.
But of course, these fences were hopped or repeatedly cut through or torn down. With more time passing, news circulated that the land hand been sold to a developer for “affordable housing” and redevelopment.
From that point forward, every session at TWIN feels as though it could be the last one, and with this in mind, we at Test decided to begin work on a commemorative skateboard to showcase this legendary spot.
The photo is taken by Zach Suggs, a man who within the past few years has found a home in skateboarding and its community and started a non-profit: The Greenville Skatepark Foundation.
We found it only fitting to reach out to this friend and artist to lend his photography to this legendary space.
All 100 of these decks are hand signed by Zach Suggs on the top ply.
All 100 of these decks come with a commemorative Test Skateboarding Establishment year sticker.
LIMITED RUN OF 100
Assorted Veneers Stains on Top Plys Vary - Green, Brown, Black, Purple, Blue, Red, Yellow, Gray - CHOSEN AT RANDOM DURING PACKAGING
