Skate park ready to roll in Whitefish

Pam Robinson wants the new Whitefish skateboard park all to herself, just for a moment, some evening before it opens to the public.

She wants to lie down on the concrete, gaze up at the stars (if the fog and clouds ever lift) and contemplate the past 10 years.

Its been a full decade since she picked up the torch to get a skateboard park built in Whitefish. At the time, her quest was simple: She just wanted a place for her three young boys to skateboard.

Her support and commitment to the project never wavered.

The David Olseth Memorial Skatepark at the citys Armory Park on the east side of Whitefish has been completed and may open briefly this fall to the public. Much of the landscaping and an asphalt path into the park need to be completed first, however, Whitefish Parks Director Dan Keyes said.

I need to be sure its safe and accessible, he said, adding that it wont open Tuesday as had been expected.

Rain last week hampered dirt work, but Keyes said the Whitefish Skateboard Association, of which Robinson is president, is working as hard as they can.

The city assumes insurance coverage of the park Nov. 1, but the Parks Department still needs to formally accept the park as a city entity, Keyes said.

A grand opening is planned for May.

Robinson envisions an elaborate party for next springs grand opening. She has invited internationally known skateboarder Tony Hawk and hopes to get other professionals to attend the event.

Built by Dreamland Skateparks of Lincoln City, Ore., the Whitefish park, at 15,000 square feet, is the third-largest skate facility the firm has built and is one of the largest such parks in Montana.

I cant believe its finally done. This is so cool, Robinson said as she inspected the slabs of concrete that resemble a moonscape.

The park features an expert-level bowl with old-style concrete coping, an intermediate bowl and an extensive street course.

Its excellent, said Brendan Rohan, vice president of the association and a designer and builder of skate parks. Its the most technical street-course park theyve ever done. The builders are really happy with it, and were happy with it.

The skate park is named after David Olseth, a Whitefish skateboarder and mountain biker who was killed four years ago in an accident on Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Olseths family donated $100,000 to the project and will be on hand in May to cut the ribbon.

Although the public has yet to sample the elaborate course, members of the Dreamland crew and the Whitefish Skateboard Association got a sneak preview and were allowed to skate there one afternoon a couple of weeks ago.

We let the kids skate, Robinson said. It was kind of like, you wouldnt buy a car without driving it first. They wanted to test it out.

It met their expectations and then some, she said.

Like so many other community projects completed in Whitefish, the skateboard park has been a public-private partnership. The city of Whitefish provided the land and chipped in $50,000 to cover the landscaping and drainage. In addition to the Olseths sizable donation, businessman Michael Goguen donated $50,000, and community members did the rest, raising more than $355,000.

Robinson estimates the facility will cost $375,000 when its finished.

We couldnt have done it without the community and many others, she said. Ive gotten checks from a lot of people, many from outside the area. One 6-year-old gave us $25.

Leadership within the skateboard association has come from many people, Robinson acknowledged. Rohan has been a driving force for the past couple of years, and Keven Guercio put in a lot of time on the project in past years and remains on the board.

The association plans to offer classes at the skateboard park, along with skate camps, competitions and demonstrations.

As with any project, there are details that still need to be completed, Robinson said, such as etching donors names into the concrete blocks that trim the skate bowls.

The park will be free, and once open, will be available from dawn to dusk. In-line skaters and skateboarders can use the facility at their own risk. Its off limits to scooters and dirt bikes, Robinson said. Helmets and protective equipment are optional, though she recommends all users wear protective gear.

The kids will need to police themselves, she said.

It took several years to find a place to put the skateboard park. In the late 1990s the city OKd the use of a vacant city block east of the Whitefish library, but that site never materialized because it was set aside for a swimming pool that was also never built at that site. Organizers looked at Mountain Trails Park, too, but that site didnt work out because of plans for an indoor ice arena. Finally, the city set aside land at Armory Park, and the skateboard association entered into a construction agreement with the city earlier this year.

Robinsons feisty spirit kept the project alive through those frustrating early years. At one point early on, after several youngsters were arrested for illegally skateboarding in the downtown area, she had T-shirts printed that proclaimed: Skateboarding is not a crime.

Ill just go, go, go until I get this done, Robinson declared in 1997.

With the finishing touches nearly completed, shes all smiles as she surveys the site.

Mission accomplished.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com