The REISSER elephant screw in the heart of Barcelona
The era of Vans shoes began in 1966. They quickly became the preferred shoe of the global skateboarding scene, of which they are still an iconic part today. It is therefore no surprise that Vans was able to work closely with both the authorities and creatives in the skateboarding scene to put on a top-class event in a former industrial hall in the trendy district of Poblenou, Barcelona. From 25th to 28th September 2019, the House of Vans in Barcelona dedicated itself to culture, creativity and skateboarding, and offered the public free access to a wonderfully varied cultural event.
The House of Vans is always being inspired by people and impressions from around the world. It is the home of creativity and a place where skaters' wildest dreams of concrete bowl ramps, rolls, boards, designs, stages and courses can become a reality. The House of Vans is a skate and BMX park with an art gallery, event space and cinema, and holds a range of regularly changing events, all free of charge. There is also a restaurant, where you can watch the action on the halfpipes on large screens. It's not just Barcelona that has a House of Vans — these venues can also be found in Berlin, London and Chicago, to name but a few.
As part of a collaboration with Andreas Schützenberger of IOU Ramps, ten temporary skateboarding ramps were built in the House of Vans for this event. REISSER supplied 15,000 elephant screws for this project. The central hub of IOU ramps is its assembly hall in Passau. There, Andreas Schützenberger works with between five and seven freelance employees to design stationary and mobile systems.
The elephant screw is a stainless steel screw that has been specially adapted to suit the requirements of the skate park builder. The REISSER DRIBO® has been specially modified for use in skate ramps. The drive has been enlarged and the thread length adjusted to suit the cover layer. The screw has aggressive milling ribs, which allow the head to be milled into the wood with ease. The milling ribs also allow flush countersinking. A thread-free section below the head ensures that the screw pulls the skating surface completely flush against the substructure. The asymmetrical thread of the DRIBO® achieves extremely high pull-out forces with a low screw-in torque. What's more, the DRIBO® drilling segment minimises splitting in the wood. This makes it possible to use the screws close to edges and enables an immediate screw start. Schützenberger uses the hardened steel version of the screw for indoor ramps and the high-quality A2 stainless steel version for outdoor ramps.
The following screws were used for the temporary skateboarding ramps at the House of Vans:
- Elephant screw IRR240, dia. 6.0 x 40 and dia. 6.0 x 45, stainless steel, without milling ribs, for screwing on the skating surface.
- Elephant screw IRR241, zinc-plated steel, partial thread and with milling ribs, in dia. 5.0 x 80, 6.0 x 80, 6.0 x 120 for the substructure and dia. 6.0 x 35 and dia. 6,0 x 45 for wooden skating surfaces intended for indoor use.
Schützenberger has found the right partner in REISSER: "I know why I decided on "Made in Germany" brand quality: These screws are fantastic to use and demonstrate excellent performance."
