Skatepark design and management has come a long way since Laramie was blessed with our beautiful park in 2001. With a minimal financial investment, an updated park will greatly improve attendance and enjoyment of the park as well as making it less management-intensive for our Parks department. Current Issues: Graffiti, Limited Terrain and Usage, Education and Outreach. Graffiti
The "art" in the park not only dissuades potential users from visiting the park but also creates irregularities in the riding surface threatening athletes. Solution: A clean slate followed by a strict and quick management plan for removal. First: Every scrap of paint must be removed from the park, down to the concrete. Second: All new graffiti must be removed promptly (within 24 hrs if possible). This discourages new vandals and sets the tone that quick preventive management is in place. Limited Terrain and Usage:
The best modern skateparks have a wide variety of street and transitional terrain that attract beginner through professional athletes in all types of wheeled sports. Laramie's park currently attracts athletes of a moderate to advanced level and consists almost entirely of one type of terrain (transition/bowl). The terrain also limits the number of riders who can safely use the park at one time. Current park rules exclude many dedicated athletes of other wheeled sports. These athletes, particularly bikers, were initially excluded due to the fear that bike pegs would do damage to the concrete surface in the park. Solutions: Adding more diverse elements to the park and opening the park to all wheeled sports. Because Laramie's park was designed with a wide and underutilized concrete path (deck) around the bowl, we already have space to add elements that will increase not only the variety of terrain for different skill levels but the number of athletes who can safely use the park at one time. Similar parks to ours have found that the damage caused by bike pegs can be mitigated by requiring bikers to use only approved pegs or no pegs at all. These park friendly pegs are made of hard plastic instead of metal or the rider can easily modify metal pegs by adding a piece of PVC piping, This simple rule change will open the park to a whole set of dedicated athletes as new stewards for a park that they currently have to break park rules to ride. Increasing the number of dedicated athletes, young and old, will be the strongest tool in keeping this thriving park a positive place for our community. Education and outreach:
Along with park improvements, the most effective way to foster a healthy skatepark community is to offer beginners a safe and easy way to learn. Action sports in general have a very strong tradition of mentoring. If we can help foster that tradition, the park becomes a much more welcoming place. Many cities host free "learn to skate" clinics at the beginning of summer to help new riders learn basic skills, park etiquette, rules and hopefully create a fresh crop of stewards. These clinics have the added benefit of encouraging older kids to volunteer as mentors, vesting them in the success of the beginners and giving the younger kids a familiar face or two to look for when they return to the park. Timeline:
March:
Create plan for wholesale graffiti removal in the park, as well as a plan for timely removal of any new graffiti thereafter. Create a phased plan for new elements to be added to the park. April:
Implement wholesale graffiti removal. Begin managing new graffiti removal. Begin installing donated elements. Create plan for "learn to skate" event. May:
Continue installing new elements. Continue managing new graffiti removal. Recruit volunteers and sponsors for "learn to skate" event. Change rules to allow other wheeled sports in park. June:
Have "learn to skate" event. Begin raising funds for further park expansion. Continue managing park through the year.
2015:
Plan and implement a summer day camp as well as the second annual free "learn to skate" event. Expand the park to include more beginner level and street elements. Continue to raise funds for advanced level improvements.
2020:
We have turned Laramie's Skatepark into a destination park, attracting many traveling and professional athletes to make a stop here in their travels. We have developed a strong community of well rounded community-minded athletes. About me. My name is Josh Kaffer. I've been skateboarding for 25 years and have been spending spare time advocating for skateparks for the past 3 years. I moved here from Old Town, Maine in August of 2013 after my wife accepted a permanent position at the University. We recently purchased a home on 9th street across from La Bonte Park here in Laramie. We have a 4 year old who loves to ride the park with me and another child due in May. Prior to moving, I headed the Black Bear Skatepark Association, a small non-profit currently fundraising for a new skatepark near the University of Maine. With city permission our group also created many new elements for the Bangor Skatepark. Since coming to Laramie I have met much of our local skateboarding community and have been developing this plan for improvement with their input. I am very confident that if allowed to proceed with this plan. An improved skatepark will positively effect the lives of many young people in our area.
