The first skateboarder to roll through the new Zephyrhills Skate Park earned his sweet ride.
Dalton King, 10, dropped his board’s wheels onto the concrete surface as dozens of skateboarders gathered to christen the city’s skate park, said Shane LeBlanc, public works director for the city of Zephyrhills.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)
A crowd of more than 400 people turned out for the grand opening on Jan. 31, according to city estimates.
“Due to all his fundraising efforts, we knew (Dalton) was going to be the first kid to skate at the park,” LeBlanc said.
King made the rounds of local car dealerships in search of donations to pay for the new skate park.
But, he also had a lot of help.
The $251,000 cost of constructing a modern, up-to-date skate park became a community effort that paid off.
It began when young skateboarders took a petition to the Zephyrhills City Council asking that the city replace an aging asphalt skate park that opened more than a decade ago at Krusen Field.
“It was deteriorating,” LeBlanc said.
Upgrading the existing one would take a lot of money.
Building a state-of-the art skate park seemed the better route, the public works director said, even though that alternative was pricey, too.
Private donations from individuals and businesses made the skate park a reality. The Tony Hawk Foundation also kicked in $7,500, and a private donor contributed $5,000, LeBlanc said.
Enough money came in that the skate park grew from a planned 7,500-square-foot facility to 9,000 square feet in size, said Tito Porrata of Team Pain, a company based in Winter Springs that designed the skate facility.
“It’s a perfect example of a small community park,” Porrata said.
Two community meetings were held to find out what everyone wanted from the skate park. The final design has two elements, a street course and a surfer-style bowl.
Skateboarders weren’t the only ones who weighed in on the plans.
And, the skateboarders who participated weren’t all young, either, Porrata said.
Most boarders are age 7 to 17, he said. But many 40-year-olds, or older, who grew up skateboarding still ride, he said.
Skateboarding took hold in the 1950s when California surfers slapped roller skate wheels to wood planks and invented “street” surfing. Skateboarding today is an action sport enjoyed by 10 million to 11 million people in the United States.
“Every year you get a fresh crop of skateboarders,” said Porrata. “It’s ever, ever growing.”
LeBlanc stopped by one afternoon soon after the ribbon-cutting and found about 50 people either skateboarding or watching on the sidelines.
City officials hope the skate park will have an economic benefit. “We want to hold amateur events,” LeBlanc said.
The city council plans to name the park after its longest-sitting council member, Clyde Bracknell, who retired in 2009. He learned of the honor shortly before opening day.
“I was thrilled. I’m very excited. It’s not something I ever expected,” Bracknell said. “It’s a gorgeous park, and it’s up to date.”
At Zephyrhills High School, Bracknell played on the basketball team that won the state championship in 1962. He also played baseball, ran a “little track”, and was a Special Olympics coach for about 25 years.
While on city council, he got behind a plea from young skateboarders to build the city’s original skate park.
But skateboarding isn’t a sport that he’s tried.
“I only watch it on TV,” Bracknell said.
His son did have a skateboard, Bracknell added.
“I stood on it one time,” he said.
Published February 11, 2015
