It doesn't say "No Bikes Allowed"
GRANITE SKATE PARK OPENS NOV. 24!!
Don Button
GRANITE SKATE PARK OPENS NOV. 24!!
FREE AND UNSUPERVISED... for now.
Yes, you read it right, the 40,000 sq. ft, Wally Hollyday-designed, Granite Skate Park at Granite Regional Park will finally be opening. After five years of working to get free public concrete skateparks in Sacramento, and months of watching the construction and waiting for the day... the SSA is proud to announce that the it is here. At 10 am, Friday, November 24, 2006, the gates will open wide! There will not be a full-scale "grand opening" event until Spring, so this is what's called a "soft opening". There will be parks and city officials present, and possibly media.
Ironically, none of the additional amenities the city has been waiting to add to the park before opening it (grass, benches, water features, etc.) have actually been installed yet. Even though the concrete has been complete for over four months the park has remained off-limits. Apparently, the city was mostly waiting for the new adjoining dog park to be ready before opening both. All of the skate park extras will reportedly be added over the coming months in preparation for the grand opening. The fence around the park is complete and we are told that a park employee will unlock the gat at sunrise and lock it around sunset every day. The city is also planning to add lights for the Spring opening, which will mean night skating. Yes!
Regarding the issues of supervision, fees and enforcement of helmets and pads, the city has decided to open the park under a 6 month trial period of free, open skating. The Sacramento Skatepark Advocates have worked hard and been very vocal about the local skate community's adament and nearly unanimous desire to not have the park supervised and not be forced to wear equipment. The city received many, many calls and e-mails from skaters and SSA supporters and it worked. The city listenedno organized supervision, no fees, and a sign posting the rules regarding usage, "required" safety equipment and prohibited activities. Now it's up to the skaters to live up to their end of the bargin and help this skate park flourish and suceed.
The skateboarding community has to show the city that we can take "ownership" of this park and help run it well by using it well. The SSA is absolutely sure that the Sacramento skate community is ready and willing to treat this park like the awesome place that it is.
Regarding safety equipment: We have been told that the it is hoped that the park rangers and the police department will be encouraged to NOT write tickets for skating without helmets but instead will encourage skaters to put them on and may have to ask non-helmeted skaters to leave. The SSA is strongly in favor of the law enforcement agencies taking a very lax approach to the helmet and pad laws and it seems, for now, that the city is on our side. But that is no guarantee. For this reason, we recommend you always have a helmet with you whether you choose to wear it or not. All parties involved seem to agree that nobody is going to bother enforcing pads, so that's not really a concern. Because the city is already operating the B Street park (Skate Sacramento) with helmets enforced for underage skaters only and no pad requirements, regardless of state law, it seems pretty clear that that's as far as they'd go at Granite as well.
One last note: because the Nov. 24 opening will be attended by city officials it is likely that they will be asking all skaters (or just underage skaters) to wear helmets during the event. Please come prepared or don't come until later in the day.
Don Button
Sacramento Skatepark Advocates
http://www.sacskatepark.org
sacskateadvocates@sbcglobal.net
Tuesday 07th of November 2006 11:18
GRANITE SKATE PARK OPENS NOV. 24!!
Don Button
GRANITE SKATE PARK OPENS NOV. 24!!
FREE AND UNSUPERVISED... for now.
Yes, you read it right, the 40,000 sq. ft, Wally Hollyday-designed, Granite Skate Park at Granite Regional Park will finally be opening. After five years of working to get free public concrete skateparks in Sacramento, and months of watching the construction and waiting for the day... the SSA is proud to announce that the it is here. At 10 am, Friday, November 24, 2006, the gates will open wide! There will not be a full-scale "grand opening" event until Spring, so this is what's called a "soft opening". There will be parks and city officials present, and possibly media.
Ironically, none of the additional amenities the city has been waiting to add to the park before opening it (grass, benches, water features, etc.) have actually been installed yet. Even though the concrete has been complete for over four months the park has remained off-limits. Apparently, the city was mostly waiting for the new adjoining dog park to be ready before opening both. All of the skate park extras will reportedly be added over the coming months in preparation for the grand opening. The fence around the park is complete and we are told that a park employee will unlock the gat at sunrise and lock it around sunset every day. The city is also planning to add lights for the Spring opening, which will mean night skating. Yes!
Regarding the issues of supervision, fees and enforcement of helmets and pads, the city has decided to open the park under a 6 month trial period of free, open skating. The Sacramento Skatepark Advocates have worked hard and been very vocal about the local skate community's adament and nearly unanimous desire to not have the park supervised and not be forced to wear equipment. The city received many, many calls and e-mails from skaters and SSA supporters and it worked. The city listenedno organized supervision, no fees, and a sign posting the rules regarding usage, "required" safety equipment and prohibited activities. Now it's up to the skaters to live up to their end of the bargin and help this skate park flourish and suceed.
The skateboarding community has to show the city that we can take "ownership" of this park and help run it well by using it well. The SSA is absolutely sure that the Sacramento skate community is ready and willing to treat this park like the awesome place that it is.
Regarding safety equipment: We have been told that the it is hoped that the park rangers and the police department will be encouraged to NOT write tickets for skating without helmets but instead will encourage skaters to put them on and may have to ask non-helmeted skaters to leave. The SSA is strongly in favor of the law enforcement agencies taking a very lax approach to the helmet and pad laws and it seems, for now, that the city is on our side. But that is no guarantee. For this reason, we recommend you always have a helmet with you whether you choose to wear it or not. All parties involved seem to agree that nobody is going to bother enforcing pads, so that's not really a concern. Because the city is already operating the B Street park (Skate Sacramento) with helmets enforced for underage skaters only and no pad requirements, regardless of state law, it seems pretty clear that that's as far as they'd go at Granite as well.
One last note: because the Nov. 24 opening will be attended by city officials it is likely that they will be asking all skaters (or just underage skaters) to wear helmets during the event. Please come prepared or don't come until later in the day.
Don Button
Sacramento Skatepark Advocates
http://www.sacskatepark.org
sacskateadvocates@sbcglobal.net
Tuesday 07th of November 2006 11:18
. haha but when i get back im definately going to head out here w/ a flash and my camera and get some sick shots.