Let’S All Get Behind Valley Skateboard Park

Hey, did you happen to read that article about the need for a new swimming pool here in the Valley?

It was in the Valley Voice on Saturday, April 8. You did? Well, wasn’t that an excellent piece, indeed.

But I gotta tell you, what really caught my eye was the picture of the kid skateboarding in the old pool. As a former skateboarder - in my teens, here in Spokane - I recall having a bear of a time finding a good, safe place to skate, let alone a place where we were allowed to do it.

I’d guess skateboarders have been dealing with that problem pretty much since The Big Bang.

Skateboarding has been the redheaded stepchild of sports pretty much forever.

So lend me your ears for a moment on the topic of skateboarding legitimacy.

You know, kids have changed over the years, and I don’t say that just ‘cause I’m getting old.

When I was growing up, I skied and played golf and tennis with my dad. While my kids don’t play those particular sports, they sure do love skateboarding. In fact, we have a lot of kids in the Valley who ‘board or inline skate every day here. (We may very well have more skaters here than swimmers.)

These skater/boarders want and need a safe place to practice their sport, too.

While most skateboarders would probably tell you that they do it for fun, there is something deeper to skateboarding, an almost Zen-like approach to it, not unlike surfing.

Did you know that there are pro circuits for skateboarders and inline skaters? Now, granted, it’s not a huge media sport. But if you’re really good, you can actually make a living at it.

The kids know this, and I know that many of ‘em are just as passionate about ‘boarding as any young athlete is about any other sport.

Look at freestyle skiing, or snowboarding. These two formerly non-mainstream pursuits have made the transition from renegade sports to Olympic events in less than one generation.

In any case, being good at skateboarding genuinely requires a tremendous amount of practice, concentration and athletic ability - just like any other “real” sport.

In fact, I can tell you from personal experience that it requires a lot of skill and concentration just to stay on the darn board, let alone to do tricks.

My 14-year-old thinks the Valley really ought to have a skateboard park of its own. As fate would have it, a park is in the works, thanks to the hard work of students at East Valley’s alternative high school and one of their teachers, Peggy Estey.

This group has made awesome strides toward turning their dream into a reality. They’ve crossed some of the biggest hurdles already, having received a donation of two acres of land near the new YMCA at Mirabeau Point. They have gotten help from an architect, who is coordinating the design. With the help of a consultant, they are learning to market the project and do fund-raising.

Peggy said the kids want a park “so they’ve got a place to go and do something they love, and to help keep ‘em out of trouble.” (Their words, folks, not hers!)

How about that?

A project that teaches kids to steer their own destinies, as well as marketing, fund-raising, architecture and general life skills.

Not bad, eh?

The pride felt for such a project - one that’s truly needed and truly local - is very real.

Right now, the kids are contending with fund-raising, big time. The total cost of the project is going to hit six figures, so there’s a lot of work to be done.

These kids have done an awesome job. Now it’s time for the rest of us to stand up and be counted. Any dream as upbeat as this deserves our support.

Call Peggy Estey at the school, 928-7841, to arrange for a taxdeductible donation to the cause.