High Point Skatepark offers a much need place for the community to play and practice on wheels
I am not exactly sure when — it looks like May 29 is the grand opening — but sometime this spring, perhaps by the time you are reading this, High Point Skatepark in State College will be opening to the community. Although I am not a skateboarder, or scooter or BMX rider, I could not be more excited.
You see, a very long time ago, back in the glorious 1980s — I am dating myself here — I considered myself to be a skateboarder, albeit not a very good one. My friend’s dad had built a little quarter-pipe ramp in the driveway of their house, and over and over again, we would ride our way up it trying to do tricks.
I was around nine years old at the time, and being somewhat clumsy then — and still am — I usually struggled to make my way up the ramp. For months, I tried to understand the footwork needed to make my board do an ollie or a kickflip, never too much success.
No, I was never much good on a skateboard, but it was no matter. For multiple summers, in our little city block, most of the neighborhood kids would spend the days hanging out at my friend’s quarter-pipe with music blaring from a boombox and having an all-around good time.
I’ll tell you what, it sure felt good the first time I was able to land an ollie and make my way up and down that ramp. It helped me learn to build a little perseverance and patience as I learned a new, hard thing.
The most important thing was that we were outside together, having fun. It was a nice thing that my friend’s dad built that ramp and allowed us all to use it. And, bless his mom, who used to put up with us kids hanging out there all summer long.
Sure, some days we would play sports, and some days we would swim at the community pool, but we were often found skateboarding up at my friend’s house, and I am sure we were a handful.
But we were just kids being kids, having fun outside.
Of course, this was in the 1980s, when it was common to find kids outside together, often unsupervised. I don’t want to turn this into a generational thing, but we all know that kids and adults today — me included — spend way too much time on screens, scrolling the day away.
That is why I love living in this area, because there are so many options to break away from the screen to get outside for outdoor adventure. As is well written in the column, trail running and hiking are my favorite ways to get outside for exercise. Being a part of that community has been one of the best parts of my life, and I hope to continue as long as my body lets me.
After all, adventure is what makes life worth living, and there are many ways to do it. The same thrill I get from climbing a high mountain peak, some people get from riding their bike for 100 miles in a day — a century ride — or horseback riding in the woods, or mountain biking on a gnarly trail — plenty of those around here — or learning a new trick on a skateboard.
So, now that High Point Skatepark is finally, almost here, there is a brand-new way for folks, both young and the young at heart, to get outside and have an adventure. It took a lot of work to make it happen. For eight years a committee worked to raise funds, secure grants and raise awareness for the park.
It sure is amazing when a group of community members get together to make something positive happen, so I give these folks a lot of credit.
And what they have built looks pretty amazing. Designed by local pro skater Jake Johnson and his dad, the 20,000-square-foot, plaza-style park provides a free public place for skateboarders, BMX bikers, in-line skaters, and scooter riders to play and practice.
The park’s design also is said to include areas and flow lines for athletes in wheelchairs and exceeds all ADA requirements.
Pretty rad, if you ask me. I can see it now, a group of kids out there learning new tricks on the board while another kid tackles a section of the park on a BMX bike. Maybe Johnson stops by to offer a few pointers, and somewhere in the distance a boombox plays, just like back in the 1980s — except this time around, everyone will be wearing helmets, thank goodness. That beats spending hours scrolling away on the screen — although that is probably a good way to learn new tricks.
I suppose I might have to break out my old board and get back to working on those ollies. Just kidding, I might just stick to the hiking trail, but it sure does make me happy to know that the kids will be out there having some fun adventures on wheels. T&G
Vincent Corso loves exploring the outdoors in Central Pennsylvania and beyond.
