Great Falls hopes to mimic Idaho town’s skate-boarding magnetism –

Hailey, Idaho, is a small working-class town 75 miles north of Twin Falls known for being the birthplace of poet Ezra Pound and for having one of the top five skate parks in the nation.

The 12,500-square-foot concrete park has a 14-foot-deep bowl and a full pipe that’s roughly 15 feet in diameter. It draws pros and rabid skaters from across the country.

By KIM SKORNOGOSKI
Tribune Staff Writer

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040321/localnews/121183.html

Folks in Great Falls hope that if it can happen to Hailey, perhaps it can happen here, too.

In Hailey, Dreamland skate park builders were given $300,000 and free reign to design the park.

A committee headed by business owner Andy Andrews scrounged for grants and private donations to build the ultimate park as a tribute to Andrews’ 17-year-old son, who had died.

"We were really focused on doing a world-class park," he said. "The better the skaters, the more they want to come here. We saw a really high level of skaters."

Grindline, which designed Great Falls’ two big bowls, and Hardcore Shotcrete, which designed the new park under construction in Billings, are considered the best in the business.

As it has here, buzz built for the Hailey park before its in fall 2002. Thrasher Magazine, the skater publication based in San Francisco, flew a crew to skate the park before it was done.

Idaho skaters enjoyed the park for a month, before snow made it too slick to use. And over the winter, hype grew to a fever pitch so that hundreds showed up for the grand opening in June.

Soon after, Tony Hawk — the skateboard king famous enough to star in multiple video games — and pro Shawn White drove up to try the park.

Hawk banged his shin doing a trick, then wrapped a T-shirt around it to stop the blood while he continued to skate. Eventually he went to the local hospital to get it cleaned up.

Having Tony Hawk in the park "was the realization of the dream," Andrews said.

The park was turned over to the city, which now markets it heavily, planning numerous skateboarding events.

Ron Theobald, who co-owns Obstacle Boards in Hailey, said the park has been a boon to stores that sell skateboard-related clothing or gear. He and his wife opened their skateboard and snowboard shop the day before the park’s grand opening.

"It’s just a matter of reputation," he said. "Hailey didn’t have any huge tourist attractions. But with the park, we just got a good thing going and they picked a good design."

Skateboarders buy new equipment and frequent the shop to watch videos. And even kids who aren’t skaters buy clothes at his store because they like the look.

"The park is definitely a huge part of making the business happen," Theobald said. "We have people regularly coming from Boise and Salt Lake — and they have their own skate parks."

Skornogoski can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at 791-6574 or (800) 438-6600.

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Park puts city on top of skating world
Great Falls’ Railyard drawing respect from longtime skateboard enthusiasts

By KIM SKORNOGOSKI
Tribune Staff Writer

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040321/localnews/121127.html

Anyone who thinks a nose grind is a skateboarder falling on his face (it’s not) probably doesn’t realize the week-old Great Falls skate park is one of the biggest and best in the country.

"(Skaters will) rank the Great Falls park way up there," said Chris Hildebrand, general manager of Grindline, the company that designed the park’s two large bowls. "It’ll make waves nationally and stand out for a long, long time."

Area fervor has kept the $450,000 Riverside Railyard in Elks Riverside Park crawling with kids in the 10 days since its opening.

Like bees swarming a concrete hive, skaters from across the state formed caravans to come to Great Falls, looking to slide the rails and dip into the deep bowls.

Area businesses are seeing increased sales of skateboard and inline skate equipment. Buzz about the park has reached Oregon, Colorado and California.

City officials hope to build on that interest with special demonstration events. And skate enthusiasts from across the Northwest predict Great Falls could land on a circuit of top parks that draws pros and other expert skaters across a region that spans from Calgary to Salt Lake City.

Even economic development leaders at the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce acknowledge the park’s potential as a hot amenity for active young residents and visitors.

"I’ve been to most of the best skate parks in the nation and this park ranks up with the best," said University Montana junior Dylan Tucker. The 13-year skating veteran and several friends drove to Great Falls last weekend after hearing the park was open. "This will be a destination."

The Railyard’s size — 27,000 square feet — places it among the 20 largest skate parks in the country, though that alone won’t draw skaters from outside Montana.

But its features will, said the designers and skate enthusiasts. The park, packed with dips, curves, spines, fun boxes, rails and 100 transfers to ease between the features, holds appeal for rookies and extreme sports enthusiasts ranging from grade-school age to 30-somethings.

Premiere features include bowls that are 5-, 8- and 9-feet deep with sides that become vertical to the ground, along with the prized "over vertical," where the edge of the bowl curves like a cresting wave.

Great Falls skater Mandi Jenks, 16, said the smooth concrete surface and "oververt" sides help skaters build speed for tricks and jumps.

Rims of the bowls are lined with a combination of metal and concrete, also valued by skaters — metal because it’s fun to slide on and concrete because it resembles swimming pool edges that many old-school skaters learned on.

But what makes the park unique is a full-pipe funnel that connects the two largest bowls with the intermediate 5-foot-deep bowl.

"That’s the crown jewel of the whole project," Hildebrand said. "We’re really happy with that one."

Full-loop intimidation

Few skaters in the country will even try to make that full loop, which is only the second one like it. And the pipe presents additional challenges. With some safety improvements, skaters eventually will be able to go above the loop, gaining speed as they zip into one of the bowls.

Grindline’s name alone will build buzz. The Seattle-based company built a strong following with parks in Oregon and Washington and now across the country.

"Every one of their parks gets better," Dylan Tucker said. "Their experience really shows here."

Hildebrand said Riverside Railyard far outshines the firm’s park in Sumner, Wash., which is ranked third-best in the Northwest by one skater Web site.

"It’s among our best work," he said of the Railyard. "It’s the most skateable thing that we’ve ever built. At first they’ll come to check out our work and then it’ll get it’s own reputation because people will skate the funnel."

The park’s perimeter is designed for street-style skaters who perfected their skills in bank parking lots and sliding down stair rails. A pro inline skater, Tim Altic, designed the street portion and a section of bowls for inexperienced skaters.

"Anybody that comes there is going to love it," Altic said. "I can go at a fast pace all the way around it. It’s not claustrophobic. It’s amazing to have such a large surface to work with there."

Vaughn contractor Phillips Construction did the concrete work for the street and beginner bowls and surrounding landscaping.

Altic aimed for an open feel, taking advantage of the Missouri River view. He pushed to have an area of easy slopes and spines for beginners. With all the features, more than 50 people can skate at the same time without worrying about crashing into each other.

Because the new park features the city’s first bowls, most area enthusiasts are experienced street skaters, but not "vert" or bowl skateboarders. That means they will need to practice on the smaller bowls before braving a dip into the deep pools.

Spanning the state

Without question, the Riverside Railyard is Montana’s best skate park.

The city received a federal grant to build the skate park and renovate West Bank Park. When plans for West Bank Park were scaled back and delayed, the skate park plans were expanded. Another $480,000 was spent to improve parking, landscaping, sidewalks and bathrooms.

Missoula and Bozeman had the first parks in Montana. The YMCA manages Missoula’s, charging a $5 fee to skate the wooden ramps and half pipe. Bozeman’s 5,000-square-foot facility opened four years ago and includes a concrete bowl that’s 5 feet deep.

Though they don’t compare with the country’s best, both parks draw skaters en masse.

"If you build it right, they will come," said Roger Miller, Missoula’s YMCA program director. "We get kids here from all over the United States. They come here either because they’re attracted to the community or they’re here visiting friends."

Before the Riverside Railyard, Great Falls had ramps at Set Free Ministries and on Malmstrom Air Force Base. Malmstrom’s ramp, which closed about eight months ago, was open only to military families.

Livingston, Libby, Helena and Kalispell have since built skate parks. And plans are in the works for parks in Wolf Point and Dillon, both to be designed by Grindline. The two — at approximately 5,000 and 10,000 square feet — will be much smaller than Great Falls’ park.

Billings also has a park in development, responding to both local demand and calls from visiting skaters.

Billings Park and Recreation Director Don Kearney hopes to open the park in mid-April. Designed by the well-known Hardcore Shotcrete company, the 14,250-square-foot concrete park will sink its deepest bowl nearly 8 feet.

The circuit

Those overseeing Montana’s rapidly growing selection of skate parks say the more the merrier — not just for local skaters but also as a draw to make Montana a destination for out-of-state skaters.

"Your park is awesome," said Jay Moore, designer of Bozeman’s skate park and owner of World Boards, a skateboard and snowboard shop in that city. "There’s no question that people will come. This is another reason for a team to come through this area. It’s really exciting to me."

Calgary’s 60,000-square-foot, indoor and outdoor skate park already draws numerous skaters, including those good enough to make money doing it.

Many professional skaters are endorsed by skateboard manufacturers and clothing companies. Wearing their logos, the skaters get paid simply to be seen and to show off their tricks.

Altic said skaters who are headed to or from Calgary may well stop in Great Falls and other Montana skate parks before venturing on to popular parks in Hailey, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Colorado and Oregon.

To get on this highly visible circuit, Great Falls first has to get on the Web.

Several Web sites track and rate skate parks around the world, with skateparks.com and skatespots.com among the most popular.

Skateboarders can view pictures of a park’s various features and get a rundown of dimensions. Some sites also feature reviews.

Pictures of the Riverside Railyard already grace Grindline’s Web site and that of the city of Great Falls. Hildebrand predicted it won’t be long before pictures pop up on other sites.

Great Falls Park and Recreation Director Jerry Sepich said Thrasher Magazine closely follows Grindline’s work and could send a skater here to write a review.

"This park is going to be a magazine cover," predicted skater and UM student Ian Graham.

Building buzz

Skateboarders are a tight-knit community. Once buzz begins to build around a new park, it spreads quickly and far.

"Already there’s a fever among the skaters," Moore said. "Many, many will make road trips to Great Falls. You cannot find places to skateboard, yet there are thousands and thousands of skateboarders looking for a place to go."

Great Falls High grad Dave Goff, who lives in Bozeman, heard buzz about the new park before it opened. He said a group of friends from Kalispell planned a trip here this weekend.

Two weeks ago, while visiting a skate shop in Oregon, Goff heard talk about the Great Falls park.

"It’s only been open since (last) Friday, but word gets out quick," he said. "Showing up in Great Falls, I was in awe. It’s a 10. I don’t have to go to Oregon anymore to have a good place to skate."

Goff has been skating since he was 12. Now 30, he’s already made two trips to skate in Great Falls in the park’s first week.

Ryan Simonetti, who grew up with Goff, now lives in Hollywood, Calif., where he skates for sponsors and in videos with Steve O of MTV’s "Jackass" and "Wild Boyz" fame.

Visiting his family at Christmas, Simonetti checked out Riverside Railyard’s forms and concrete work. He liked what he saw enough to plan a trip next month, hoping some of his friends will join him to skate here.

"I’m super stoked to check it out soon," he said.

Sepich said a Colorado man e-mailed recently that he was planning his family vacation around a trip to Great Falls’ skate park.

Demos and clinics

The city hopes to bring pro skaters to town for demonstrations and clinics this summer.

Sepich is working to get a big-name skater for the grand opening, tentatively planned for June. Starting at the top, he contacted Tony Hawk’s foundation and learned the legendary skateboarder already is booked.

The skate park also will be incorporated into a new July event called River Fest. Sepich hopes to fill a weekend with skating clinics for various skill levels.

"We’re working right now on the possibility of some pretty big promotions for our skate park," Sepich said.

For the skate park to hold competitions, the city would have to buy extra insurance for the event, Sepich said. That eventually will come, he said.

Missoula’s skate park has drawn up to 100 skateboarders for its competitions. The city also has held camps that increased the number of skaters coming to the park.

Good business

Just as skaters from Montana travel to Lethbridge and Calgary to skate, Sepich believes Canadian skaters will come to try the new park in Great Falls.

With skateboarders from across the state already making the trek, this summer the park will be even more crowded.

Whether they stay for the day or for the weekend, skating visitors eat here and buy gas here, and no one’s complaining.

"We’re hoping the skate park will be a big draw," Sepich said. "We’re really excited that it’s getting a lot of use."

With both the Riverside Railyard and the nearby Electric City Water Park, Great Falls has some appealing attractions for young people who may not be enthralled by long-dead explorers and Western art.

And while there has been no formal talk of developing a plan to promote the park as a community attraction, the potential is there, said Rick Evans, president of the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

"We definitely feel it’s going to draw people to Great Falls," said Evans. "It’s going to be a real plus."

While tourists spend an average of about $106 per day in Montana, it may be hard to work up a similar figure for skate park enthusiasts, who are younger and likely to spend less than traditional visitors. Still, Evans suggested the skate park and the city’s nearby water park are great attractions and amenities for younger people.

"It’s just another magnet, another enhancement to the riverfront," Evans said.

Great Falls skateboard-related businesses already have seen a bump.

Located in the Holiday Village Mall, Zumiez sells skateboards and skater fashions.

Assistant Manager Jeff Maze, a skateboarder himself, said the store has ordered additional helmets and safety gear. People are looking for bigger wheels and wider boards, which make doing tricks in the bowls easier and smoother.

While skating the park, he’s seen a lot of new skateboarders — both young and old.

Big Bear Sports Center plans to expand its skateboard section.

Frank Machuga, the assistant manager, said River’s Edge Trail has made inline skating popular. Now with the skatepark, the store wants to build up its selection of skateboarding gear.

"Skateboarding has done nothing but grow," he said. "Now that the kids have a place to do it legally, we can only imagine that it’s going to grow tremendously."

Two Saturdays ago, moms, dads and children filled the store buying safety gear and checking board prices, he said.

The most expensive board the store sells is $80, but Machuga expects the demand will grow for better, more durable boards.

Improving the sport

Along with getting new skaters to take up the sport, the skate park will help current skateboarders improve their skills and learn new ones.

While the park is packed with people, only a few brave the deepest bowl.

Eyeing pictures of the park on the city’s Web page, Moore said it will invigorate existing skaters.

"A lot of skaters won’t be able to ride your park," he said. "It’ll take them a year before they’re able to ride a bowl."

A vert or bowl-style skater, Mandi Jenks dipped into the eight-foot bowl. Her dream trick is "a tail stall with a drop in switch." Translated: coming out of the bowl, she’d rock back onto the tail of her board to cling briefly to the edge of the bowl before tipping forward and rolling back down.

"I like the big bowls," she said. "It’s really smooth. The park is good because it has something for everybody."

Street-style skater Brett Ingram, 16, of Great Falls, said he hopes to develop his vert skills and become a more well-rounded skater.

"They did a good job mixing up the street and the bowls and they have good transitions," he said.

Altic and Grindline designed the park so that as skaters got better, they would have more challenges to tackle.

"Great Falls has a top-of-the-line park. It compares with the best around," Goff said. "If you get bored, you’ve got some serious problems."

Skornogoski can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at 791-6574 or (800) 438-6600.