Skate Park Hopes to Complete Fundraising

COURTESY PHOTO/ LUKE GIACOPELLI

Tucked behind Main Street in Plymouth, there is a place where local skateboarders visit to let loose, go fast, and ride their skateboards on the concrete jungle called The Skate Park of Plymouth. On any sunny afternoon, over a dozen PSU students can be seen cruising around the park. Some are trying to learn new tricks on the flat rail while a friend captures it on film. Some are a bit more mellow, carelessly carving through the transition in the 7-foot bowl. 

Regardless of what their intentions are, the skate park contains a tight-knit group of people who all share the same love for skateboarding. “It’s a community up here. It’s so easy to make friends with kids that have the same passion for something as you do,” said first-year skateboarder, Shea Beando.

The skate park gives people a place to go and be themselves. Despite how incredible the skate park is, there is just one problem. It is not finished.

 In fact, it is not even half finished. For the past six years, there has been a push from members of the town and members of the Plymouth State Snowboard Club to get a skate park in town. After years of fundraising from events like skate jams, golf tournaments, dinners, high school dances, and raffles, the first phase of the park was paid for and the concrete started pouring. The park also received help from local donors such as professional snowboarder and local legend Pat Moore, who donated $10,000 to the movement. Alex Ray, the owner and founder of The Common Man family of restaurants, owns the land the skate park is on and leases it to the Skate Park Committee for free. Local business owner, Rich Gowen, has saved the non-profit organization over $40,000 by doing the entire earthwork around the park. 

What has Plymouth State University done to help with the skate park? “They have been supportive, but can do more. They don’t do much to market it,” said President of the Skate Park Committee, Mike Currier. “They haven’t stood in the way, but they also haven’t done a whole lot. I think they could do a little more considering how many students use the park.” 

PSU has been a hotbed for snowboarders and skateboarders alike for the past two decades. There are many students who come to this school specifically for the boarding. “There’s more skateboarders here at PSU than any other school. I feel like a part of something,” said Beando. Considering the amount of students who use the park, it would make sense for the school to be more involved with the skate park and the push to complete the project. 

As of now, Mike Currier and The Skate Park of Plymouth Committee have raised roughly $120,000. It’s still not enough to build a complete skate park. It cost $65,000 to build the part of the park that is standing now. Insurance alone costs $10,000 a year. The most recent estimate says the park will cost $130,000 to finish. “We plan on making the skate park in pieces. If we have raised enough money, we plan on putting in a half pipe with a horseshoe back this spring,” said Currier.

This fall, there has been a huge push to get the skate park completed. Members of the PSU Snowboard Club have been actively involved in the movement. There are more skateboarders here at PSU than ever before, and that number is only growing. The underlying factor that drives what skateboarders do is passion. There is so much passion going into all of the fundraising efforts. 

Take a drive down Railroad Square and check out the park. See all the skateboarders enjoying the park that has had so much effort put into it.  Watch how much fun these skateboarders are having. They are very grateful to have somewhere to skateboard, but more can be done.