Why I Opened a Patreon (and a GoFundMe) for Trucks and Fins

This isn’t something I ever planned to write. Trucks and Fins started as a passion project: travel, skate, document parks, help skaters find spots, and build the world’s biggest skatepark map.No business plan. No investors. Just a camera, a laptop, and thousands of kilometers on the road.

Fast forward a few years and the map now has 24,600+ skateparks and pumptracks worldwide. I’ve personally visited and documented close to 1,000 parks, and with a small crew of skaters we’ve been filming across the world.

It looks cool on Instagram. But behind the scenes, it’s still very real life. Servers cost money. Maps cost money. Fuel, tolls, food on the road, cameras, storage… it all adds up fast. And until now, most of that has been coming straight out of my own pocket. No brand backing. No investors. Just me trying to keep this thing moving because I truly believe skaters deserve a free, global, independent skatepark resource.

So yeah… at some point you have to be honest and say: this project can’t survive on passion alone.

Why Patreon?

Patreon is for the people who already use the map, watch the videos, follow the trips, and think: “This should exist.” It’s not about paywalls or locking content. The map stays free. The videos stay public. The mission stays the same. Patreon is simply a way for the community to help cover: server and map costs, filming and documentation trips, the time it takes to keep the database updated.

Even 2€ helps when a lot of people do it together. And for those who want to support more, there’s a Crew tier where your support basically helps fund real skatepark visits. On average, about 15€ covers the basic cost of reaching and documenting one park. Fuel, tolls, food, camera batteries — the necessary stuff.

So instead of “supporting a creator”, you’re really helping to keep this project alive and adding more parks on the map.

So… why also a GoFundMe?

Different goal, different problem. Patreon helps with monthly survival and running costs. GoFundMe is about big, one-time problems. Right now, the biggest one is the website itself. Trucks and Fins grew way bigger than what the original tech was built for. The map, filters, speed, mobile experience — all of that needs serious upgrades if this is going to keep growing into what it should be: the Wikipedia of skateparks. That kind of rebuild costs money I simply don’t have right now.

So GoFundMe is for: rebuilding the website, improving the map and search, making the platform more future-proof.

It’s not about lifestyle. It’s about infrastructure. If Patreon keeps the lights on, GoFundMe helps build the next version of the house.

Why not just get sponsors?

Trust me, I’m trying. But until now nothing. Nepias. Nada.

I want this to stay: skater-first, community-driven, independent. And honestly, having community support also helps when talking to sponsors and partners. It shows that this isn’t just “my project”, it’s something people actually care about and use.

No pressure. Just options. If you’ve used the map, found a park, planned a trip, or just enjoy following the journey — thank you. That already means a lot. If you’re in a position to support: Patreon helps month to month, GoFundMe helps fix the bigger structural problems. If not, all good. Share the project, send park info, skate the spots, tell your friends. That’s also support.

I’m not doing this because it’s easy. I’m doing it because I still believe this can become something really special for skaters worldwide. And if the community wants to help build it together, that’s honestly the best way this could grow.

Much love,
Haroun 🛹🌍