Daily grind: Polson Skatepark, athletes bolster skating movement
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When asked what makes a sport, most people would say “team spirit, sportsmanship, athletics, and health.” Football has this, baseball certainly can check off this list, and basketball can be seen all over ESPN. Athletes such as Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning get a ton of press, and fans come together to celebrate them.
Well, it’s time to share the spotlight, Kobe Bryant. Kids are coming from all over to prove their athletic abilities on a different kind of “court,” one made of concrete, with wheels under their fearless feet.
There seems to be a stigma wrapped around skateboarding and park style biking that involves some unsavory opinions, but kids of this generation beg to differ.
“I think some of the bad stuff wrapped around skateboarding came from the very first movement of skaters,” 21-year-old skater Jayson Pichler said. “Some of the first skaters did those things that put the idea in people’s heads, but we’re not those kids. We work hard and keep our bodies healthy.”
With athletes like Tony Hawk paving the way, skating has become much more than a bunch of “rag tag kids.” With the inclusion of the X-Games entering mainstream fandom, extreme sports has become so much more.
“It takes a lot of athleticism to be able to pull off some of this stuff,” Pichler said. “Anybody can learn to throw a ball, but it takes a lot more than a few tries to ride a skateboard.”
The idea to build Polson a skatepark was sparked with a makeshift park the kids of Polson came together to build. They built their ramps and rails on property that was owned by the Montana Rail Link Corporation near the intersection of 7th Avenue and 7th Street East. When Rail Link sold the property the kids were left with nowhere to try their kickflips and ollies. In March of 2004, Polson’s Park Director Karen Sargeant stepped in and with local skating and biking enthusiasts, lobbied to build a park for public use. After a piece of property on the west side of 7th Avenue was secured, Sargeant and athletes worked to raise money to build the park. Receiving support from local businesses and foundations and a $25,000 donation from the Tony Hawk Foundation, the Polson skatepark broke ground with Dreamland Skateparks responsible for the design and construction of the park.
Dreamland Skateparks was founded and run by professional skateboarder Mark Scott and his wife Danielle Scott of Whitefish, with the mission of providing a unique skatepark experience. Scott was involved with the design and construction, and even skates the park himself. He created the “helmet,” the first bowl of its kind and perhaps the only one around.
The cutting of tape happened July 14, 2006. Kids from around the valley will never forget the experience. Pro skaters Tony Hawk, Bam Margera and many others showed up to inaugurate the concrete, bringing excitement to the valley. Jarin Johnson, 17, was there. “Seeing Tony Hawk was crazy,” he said. “It doesn’t happen every day, especially in Polson.”
Sargeant is excited with how the sport is advancing.
“This is a multimillion dollar business,” she said. “It’s not just a fad and not going away anytime soon.”
Sargeant sees these kids as athletes and is proud of the way they keep up their domain.
“We put out recycle bins and they have been great at doing their part,” she said. “This park is no more messy than any other park in Polson and most of the damage that happens comes from outside, not the park users.”
There is a legacy being built amongst the skaters and bikers. Skateboarding mom Jowi Gohl— as she wishes to be called — sees this future in her four-year-old son, Aiden.
“He wakes up in the morning with only one thing on his mind – skateboarding,” she said. Jowi can’t say enough about the older guys riding the rails.
“We’ve been to other parks and Polson is the place we prefer to be,” she said. “The older boys are so respectful and always looking out for the younger ones.”
For the big boys, big dreams are ahead.
“It’s always been one of my dreams just to travel around and skate different parks,” 19-year-old Eddie Woodcock said. “Wherever there’s concrete.”
When asked who their heroes are, some said Tony Hawk, some named other pros. Jayson Pichler said his dad is his hero.
“He was a skater in the ‘80s. He skated and I skated. I thought that was pretty cool.”
That’s proof that the sport has stood the test of time, and continues to grow.
To the young ones just starting out, “just keep going at it,” Woodcock said.
“Don’t skate because you want to get better, skate because you love it,” Pichler said.
The future of extreme X-Games sports depends on not only the tenacity and hard work of its athletes, but also in fan support. Polson hopes to host a “Skate Jam” this summer, where athletes and fans come together to celebrate the dedication the young athletes put into their sport.
To see a Youtube video of the opening day of Polson Skatepark, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yO4382uI2g.
