As you know, I posted a little earlier about my husbands work in bringing a skatepark to our area. So here's the scoop-
My (gorgeous) husband, Nick, has been seriously skateboarding since he was 14 years old. It was an everyday hobby, after school recreation, and a form of transportation. And, my all time favorite, the way I met and fell in love with him. However, that last fact has little to do with this story. (poo)
He and his group of friends would skate everyday, all over town. Until they were eventually kicked out of the downtown square. Other businesses and residents seemed to follow suit. They weren't really welcome anywhere. As an adult now, we, and most of the rest of the group, understand how and why most places would have that reaction. Insurance, possibility of injury, possibility of damage, and the like. Not to mention they looked like a group of no good hooligans. I would know, as I basically stalked the poor boy most of his teen years. (and just a little fyi, the hooligan part is why I adored him so)
Well, after having enough of the shunning and being kicked out, not to mention skateboarding tickets, Nick and a group of his buddies got together and went to the city to ask for a park specifically for them. Long story short, it worked, and the first skatepark was born.
Years later (poo) Nick and I got together. By then the park had been vandalized, worn down, and all together trashed. After we were married we got permission from the city to have a fund raiser to add more material to the park. We set up cans at gas stations and businesses and got enough money for materials to build a new box and rail. (don't know what these are? don't feel bad, just google it!) My daddy (who is,by most means, anti-skateboarding) built the box and rail for Nick. Love can do crazy things, even to father in-laws :) .
Nick and Miss M, who is 2 years old in this pic!
Nick and M on the torn apart pyramid
Nick and M
Nick and M this summer
These new additions lasted a few years, but the box was heavily used and was soon as dilapidated as the rest of the park. Sorry folks, I have no good pictures of the old park in real use. Just a few of fam playing around.But, I can't resist an opportunity to show off some of my favorite people! However you can search it on youtube and find a young man skating it. I was going to link it here, but the music chosen in the video isn't exactly family friendly. So, besides the rail, they were back to square one.
Nick wrote a letter to the city, explaining his feelings toward skateboarding and the park, and asking for their help. This is the article that was written after they responded- http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/highlight/x675816378/Skateboarders-return-to-City-Hall
After that he, and sometimes a friend or 2, attended meetings and such and eventually got something hashed out.
These are a couple of articles that were written about the following meetings. We are still waiting (Nick a lot less patiently) for the parks completion.
Holes cut for the new ramps.
If you check out the articles there is a picture of what the park will look like once it is finished. Until then, the boys will be back on the streets (and still be harassed by police- don't ask). You didn't expect a little construction to halt the favorite past time of my hooligan did you?
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