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Hillyard skate park an instant hit
The Spokesman-Review Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Colin Mulvany
Staff writer
"It's just perfect,'' says Katy Graham, 18, as she skates
a bowl Tuesday in the new skateboard course at Harmon Park.
Rails, ledges and boxes are smoothed and ready to go.
It's time for airwalks, nose grinds and maybe a "kickflip
mctwist" or two.
Spokane's new skateboard course at Harmon Park in Hillyard is
already drawing dozens of young people every day.
"It's awesome," said Chris Mullen, who lives only 10
blocks from the new $260,000 facility adjacent to Market Street
at Decatur Avenue.
"Finally, we've got something here in town that's worth
skating at," he said Tuesday.
A graduate of Lewis and Clark High School, Mullen was a regular
at the city's older skateboard park beneath the Interstate 90
viaduct.
That downtown park is a concrete lot with some added ramps and
features. This new park is a sculpted layout of humps, platforms,
ramps and bowls.
The most difficult feature is an upward-curving wall that arches
into a slight overhang, or "oververt," a skating term
for "over vertical."
Skateboarders gathered on a raised concrete p
latform atop the wall, but most skated down gentle side ramps
into the main bowls rather than take on the "oververt."
The park gets some of its cachet from the Tony Hawk Foundation,
which donated $1,000 to help build the facility. Hawk is a celebrity
skater.
"They did a really good job on this," Mullen said.
Tony Madunich, assistant manager of parks operations, said he's
seen as many as 200 users on weekends.
"They are having a ball with it," he said. "If
anything, it's already unfortunately overcrowded."
Grindline, a Seattle company that specializes in skateboard parks,
designed the facility with input from local skateboarders.
Grindline was the only bidder on installation, and finished the
project within its $228,000 construction budget. Completion was
delayed last fall because of an early freeze.
Work finished when weather eased in December. Once construction
fencing came down, skateboarders began removing snow and ice.
They brought their own shovels and wheelbarrows from home and
got the facility fully cleared of accumulated snow about a month
ago.
Paul Mitchell, a businessman and activist in Hillyard, said the
park has attracted two new skate shops to the neighborhood.
The neighborhood is also making available bicycle pegs that won't
damage concrete in the park, he said. Those now attached to some
bikes scar the concrete when riders are doing tricks.
"It's one of the most exciting projects I've been involved
with in the neighborhood," he said.
On Tuesday, about two dozen young people, mostly boys, were working
on their tricks with just a few slams -- or falls -- among them.
Another dozen bike riders were there.
Matt Smith, a bike rider from Rogers High School, said there's
been tension between skateboarders and bike riders, but the kids
on bikes won't be forced from the park.
"Our parents pay the taxes, too," he said.
The facility was built largely with funds from a voter-approved
park bond in 1999. Parks officials initially had trouble finding
a location for the proposed facility, but Hillyard leaders embraced
the skateboard park because of a need for youth activities in
northeast Spokane.
Madunich said community development money from the neighborhood
helped fund construction and some additional neighborhood money
may be used to expand the concrete apron around the course, and
to install concrete benches.
Dirt and rocks left behind by construction need to be smoothed
and grass planted at the edges of the site. A drinking fountain
and lighting are also planned.
Formal dedication is planned for April 17 at 11 a.m.
Skate hours are from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. from November through
March. During daylight savings time, the skate facility will be
open from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Some of the kids at the park were clearly thrilled by the humps
and turns it offers.
"Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh," exclaimed 12-year-old Sierra
Miller as she cruised on a bike through a portion of the park.
Later, she said, "I think it's exciting. It gives you a
rush of energy."
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