Everybody is waiting for the triumphant return of Detroit, but not everybody is sticking it out and working to make it happen. After going bankrupt in 2013, Detroit continues to be in flux. The unemployment rate is still double the national average, and the transportation and the financial system all need to be rebuilt from the bottom up.

Derrick Dykas is one of the dudes that is sticking it out and taking matters into his own hands. Raising money and getting signatures at punk shows, he was one of the major forces in getting The Wig, Detroit’s famous DIY skatepark, established. No professional builders. No prefab ramps. Every obstacle in the park was created and molded by the skaters and the community, building between their day jobs.