R.I.P. Shoreview Skate Park

I'll spare you the visuals (I just need to carry around a camera more often) of the new park, but above is a poor video of a well-mannered frequenter Brian. A good kid and good to skate with.

Recently torn down and rebuilt. It used to be somewhat functional and the mini was pretty rockable. Now it is less functional overall. Smaller, compact, spread out, and impractical. Even after the fact that they wasted time and money rebuilding worse ramps, they chose to keep the old uneven paved blacktop. Which is great, anyone who once called this their hometown mini (as I did) knows what it's like to be stranded in the middle of a lake for days after it rains. They just added unsightly patches to spots where old ramps were making the ground even more annoying to deal with. There is little room for development in a skater at this park. Unless you know next to nothing on how to ride, it's not worth touching these cutesy ramps. These new costly ramps do not properly introduce anyone to skateboarding that you couldn't find out in the streets and lots around town.

I was let down by the hype instilled in me by someone (the man with the camera in the video above) who had claimed had some leverage in the planning of the park. He made it sound like the preparations and steps were being taken necessary to improve the park. The outcome does not uphold this notion. I don't even think anyone who constructed this park has ever skated. Anyways, it was my own fault for not being involved with the city's planning. No one was around to stop this bullshit before it took off.

I hope all the young kids stuck in that area, limited to short ventures, find a new skate haven nearby.

I'm saddened, but also fortunate to have made a move up to Duluth recently. Here exists a mini ramp that is almost twice as large. It is also built the TrueRide way as the old Shoreview park was. It is also a worn park, particularly the blacktop and some kickers. No rails, but some boxes and a quarter to drop in from. This'll get me by for now. Especially with the occasional visit to the Superior park every once in a while.

I'll be posting soon enough with art and what I'm doing. I've been rather e-lazy or just plain busy. Maybe I'll get Tim H to upload some Baby Skateboard footage from the old Shoreview.