From sidewalks to skateparks: creativity and perserverance are key to financing a world-class skatepark

Parks & Recreation, June, 2003 by Carol Newman

As the popularity of skateboarding among kids has grown, the perception among adults that skateboarders are "vandalizing misfits" has made a radical shift. Skateboarding has achieved recognition as a legitimate sport with its own set of professional athletes and heroes, and the kids who skate are understood to be athletes in their own right. It's also widely accepted that sidewalks and other public fixtures may not be the best venue for their athleticism. Across the country, communities big and small are responding to the demand for skateparks to serve the needs of youth, and for every skatepark there's a fundraising story to tell. Those stories run the gamut from jetty jars on diner counters to visionary public officials equipped with multi-million dollar city bonds. One common thread links them all: Whether a budget is based largely on sweat equity or completely on government largesse, every skatepark grew out of a passionate commitment to kids.

Free For All

The result of this commitment to kids is the prevailing notion that skateparks should be free community facilities open to all. It would be shocking to think of paying an admission fee for the use of a public basketball court, tennis court, playing field or playground. It's expected that those parks are free, open to all, 365 days a year. Reflecting the importance of this trend, The Tony Hawk Foundation, for example, provides a total of $400,000 in grants for new skatepark facilities each year, but will accept applications only from communities planning to build a flee park. The skatepark of the future isn't to be found in temporary prefab structures or privately owned arcades, but in high-quality, permanent, in-ground structures that are free for all.

While for-profit ventures can seek capital as an investment toward future profits, communities that envision free skatepark facilities must find the necessary resources to cover costs for the site, design, construction and maintenance of their parks. Although public funding is the traditional source of money for public parks, in many cases municipal governments haven't caught up with the demand, and for most cities, tight budgets may preclude new capital improvement projects. Often, communities must rely on the resources and generosity of individuals in the community. The good news is that parks born of that kind of commitment can become the pride of the community and one of its most important contributions to the health and vitality of its population.

The Grassroots of Success

Charlane and Steve Carlson, of Keizer, Ore., had no idea what the future held for them when they stepped up to the plate to help their small town of about 36,000 build a skatepark. To them, it was clear: Rather than punish kids for skating on city sidewalks, give them a place to skate. Seeing a solution to the problem of complaints to the police about the kids was easy. Pulling off the sleight of hand necessary to build a park out of nothing but the certainty that it was needed turned the Carlsons into masters of grassroots organizing. After the Carlsons had placed just a few flyers to drum up interest, their phone began to ring, and for the next 4 1/2 years they practiced the fine art of the possible.

Their first step was to organize the youth in the community by forming a skatepark committee of volunteers who met once a month. With the Carlsons' help, the kids raised the seed money for the park by setting up bake sales and selling T-shirts donated by local businesses. Charlane drew local businesses into the cause and organized a community carnival. The bicycle shop owner donated his services and fixed bicycles. Community groups donated money for activities providing dunk tanks, face painting and food. The popular Portland radio station Z100 showed up to draw in the crowd. And then the real magic started.

The Carlsons, their two non-skating daughters and their young helpers had raised $15,000; the city showed its support with matching funds, thereby bringing the total to $30,000. Charlene started to work and rallied what must have been every craftsman and labor union in the area. On a city-donated site next to the police station and city hall, with an all-volunteer workforce, during spare time, using materials donated by local groups, the Carlsons built a 21,600-square-foot facility designed to accommodate skateboards, inline skates and BMX bikes. It was valued at $365,000. The only cash outlay was the original $30,000 used for discounted concrete and rock.

The Carlsons proved that it's possible to answer the needs of kids with nothing more than passion, grit and the good will of the community. How did they find the motivation? According to Charlene it was simple. "Skating is what the kids love to do," she says. While the reward for their hard work is seeing the kids use the park, the community showed its appreciation by naming the park for them. They also received a Congressional Award from Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) and The Governor's Fitness award for their contribution to the health of the local kids.