DANIEL GREEN, age 11, of Battle Ground, was practicing tricks on his scooter recently at Battle Ground Skate and Bike Park.
DUSTIN HUYH catches some air with his skateboard on a recent afternoon at the Battle Ground Skate and Bike Park.
RYAN WALKER, age 11 (front), watches friend Shae Gibson, age 13, both of Battle Ground, as Gibson rides his skateboard in the hooded cradle, a prized feature at the Battle Ground Bike and Skate Park.
CHASE MAJURY works out tricks on his skateboard while his dog races alongside at the Battle Ground Skate and Bike Park.
RYAN WALKER, age 11 (on left), and Shae Gibson, age 13, both of Battle Ground, come to the Battle Ground Skate and Bike Park almost every day after school.
Tucked into the east end of Battle Ground’s Main Street, between a railroad track and a baseball field, is a skate and bike park that has garnered national and international kudos for its creative design and expansive spaces.
On any given day, dozens of youth, families and young adults gather with skateboards, scooters and BMX bikes to enjoy the park.
Unveiled in 2007, the Battle Ground Skate and Bike Park was the result of a community assessment for parks and recreation in Battle Ground that began in 2002. The initial plan for a $500,000 skate arena evolved into $2.4-million, 27,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art skate and bike park, championed in by then-Mayor John Idsinga’s 2006 State of the City Address entitled “Forging an Extreme Future.”
Part of the park’s appeal is the variety of terrain, which is accessible for all levels of users. “Street course” elements such as rails and ledges, stepping stones, jersey barrier replicas, one-fourth and one-half pipes, smooth flowing contours and a three-foot bowl, appeal to beginners and veterans alike. At the other end of the park, a hooded cradle and an 11-foot bowl challenge even advanced skaters. The “Barcelona Street Spot” replicates a famous skate feature in Barcelona, Spain.
The skate park design firm responsible for the park, Grindline, has a mission for the parks they design. They strive “to provide a place of opportunity for our youth. A place to gain recognition from their peers and acceptance from their community. An outlet for artistic expression, a place to build self esteem. A place to call their own. A place to skate.”
Grindline touted the Battle Ground park as the biggest and best in the region when it was built, and it was featured in skate magazines and recognized nationally and worldwide. The park has been a stop for many national skateboarding tours.
One such event is coming up this summer on July 9, when Transworld Skateboarding magazine’s 2016 “Come Up Tour” will stop at the Battle Ground Skate Park. Competition winners will receive free products, be filmed in a short video and be featured in a future issue of the magazine. It’s an opportunity to watch competitive skaters from around the region “get their shine on” and check out multiple skateboard vendors.
During Harvest Days on July 15 and 16, Extreme Amateur Games of Portland will host a competition for skateboard, scooter and BMX riders of all ages at three skill levels. The skateboard competition is at noon Saturday, scooters at 3 p.m. Saturday, and BMX bikes at noon Sunday. Winners will qualify to compete at a year-end championship to be held at D-Block Indoor Skate Park in Clackamas, Oregon.
Extreme Amateur Games aims to provide an opportunity for families and communities to engage with youth at bike and skate parks, and to give youth a “ladder to climb” as they develop their skills. Founder Gabriel Smith is excited to bring the competition to Battle Ground because of the great features of the park.
“I’ve been to a lot of skate parks, and that one takes the cake,” he said.
The Bike and Skate Park is one of the most used parks in Battle Ground, said Parks and Recreation Director Debbi Hanson.
“It is amazing how many people use it and what a diverse range of ages and skills, from beginner to highly skilled skaters and bikers,” said Hanson. “The park has truly become a mecca for skaters from all over.”
On a recent afternoon, Steven Boyes of Longview was at the park with his younger brother. He said he’s a pretty serious skateboarder. He got his first skateboard at the age of 4 as a gift from his aunt. When he hit his teen years video games consumed his attention, but eventually he returned to skateboarding.
“It’s like therapy, it’s social, it’s exercise,” he said.
Ryan Walker, age 11, and Shae Gibson, age 13, of Battle Ground, are friends and neighbors in downtown Battle Ground who head to the Bike and Skate Park after school every day they can. They are working on some tricks, like grinding on a railing and a stunt called a “feeble.”
“It’s more fun than a flat road,” said Walker.
The Battle Ground Skate and Bike Park is located in Fairgrounds Park at 912 E. Main St., in Battle Ground. The park is open dawn to dusk year round.
