New ride for skaters

If all has gone according to plan, Coeur d’Alene skateboarders will have a new ride this weekend.

Or at least a revamped ride.

The half-pipe ramp at the Coeur d’Alene Skaters Park, adjacent to Memorial Field, has been rebuilt. City parks officials say they expect the concrete ramp to be open Sunday – maybe earlier, maybe later.

Now, skaters will be able to practice their best Tony Hawk moves.

The original structure, made of wood and steel, was donated to the park, said Steve Anthony, the city Park Department’s recreation director. It used to stand in a local skater’s backyard.

“It served the purpose for 11 or 12 years,” Anthony said.

But because it was exposed to the elements, it required constant upkeep.

“It wasn’t what we wanted,” Anthony said.

Now, thanks to some help from local businesses, the city has what it wanted – a concrete half-pipe.

The estimated cost was $23,000. The city put up $13,000, with the rest being donated by ACI, Interstate Concrete, Gordon Concrete Cutting and Forest Steel.

The project also includes some repairs to the park’s steep four-sided pyramid with a flat top.

“It’s going to be really nice when it’s done,” Anthony said.

A half-pipe looks just like it sounds – a pipe cut in half. Skateboarders ride up and down the sides, practicing various tricks and turns in the air.

The new pipe is bigger than the old one, Anthony said. It measures about 20 feet by 50 feet.

Not only was maintenance a problem, but the old half-pipe had other issues as well.

Jesse Birsette, a 14-year-old skater from Coeur d’Alene, put it best: “It really hurt when you fell.”

OK, that seems obvious, but Anthony agreed. “The steel got really hot, and the kids were burning themselves,” he said.

Park regulars Jonny Paulson, 15, Jake Wilson, 14, and Coleby Maser, 14, also were quick to point out another flaw: water.

Not only did water warp the boards, but it also made the half-pipe very slick. The teens agreed the new concrete surface should be an improvement.

“It won’t hurt as much when you fall,” Wilson said, “and it’s not going to have puddles of water after it rains.”

Birsette, who says he visits the park every other day or so, is a fan of the facility. He has skated at parks in Sandpoint, Priest River, Spirit Lake, Spokane and Post Falls and says he likes Coeur d’Alene’s the best.

Install a few more rails, some stairs – “Stairs would be way fun to skate,” he said – and a drinking fountain, and he’d be really happy.

In the meantime, Birsette is looking forward to testing the new half-pipe.

“I’ll skate it a lot,” he said. “And I’ll probably like it more than the other one.”

Anthony says he expects the half-pipe to be a big addition to the already-busy skaters park.

“It’s packed all the time,” he said. “Once this half-pipe is done, it’ll be busier.”