This blog is a place to build support for the improvement and creation of skate parks in East Clark County, WA.
we need about 10 people to help keep the park clean and “encourage” the users to pick up after themselves. twice in the last week the place has looked like a garbage dump, if we want to have the cities expand and improve the skating facilities we need to show them that it will not create additional problems. if we can keep the parks clean it is one less thing for them to have to worry about.
send an email to cwskatepark@gmail.com if you can help.
with the addition of a simple mini ramp and a quarterpipe the park was re-energized this weekend. the competition and demo saw crowds of over 100 people and nearly 30 enjoying the park on sunday. it demonstrates the additional usage the park would have if the proper elements were in place. the good news is the city has agreed to let the ramps stay until the next rain (sorry but these are fair weather creations). i was suprised by the turnout on saturday, but even more so by the usage on sunday when there was no other reason to be there other than to ride. let me know what you would think about building some permanent structures. also be 
sure to thank (buy something from them) t3sixty for hosting the event, without local business support it will be very difficult to accomplish our goals.
if you haven’t already done so be sure to sign up to let us know you are interested. the more names we collect the easier it will be to demonstrate to the cities the need for improving skate facilities in east clark county.
-joe
i took a bunch of pictures with a simple digital camera, if you have any photos or video you would like to see posted send them in and i’ll make sure they get loaded.
if you are free this tuesday september 2nd at 4:30 pm plan to be at the west end of hathaway park in washougal for the monthly parks board meeting. i’ll be requesting the addition of a skate park to upper hathaway and briefing the rest of the parks board on the need for a skate park in washougal.
a hardy thank you to mr. tom miller from skaters for portland skateparks www.skateportland.org.
he graciously spent the last week and a half playing phone tag with me until we were finally able to connect this morning. despite his very busy day job he carved out enough time to talk with me for 20 minutes and share enough information to keep me busy for a week. thanks tom!
continue to spread the word, with enough support we’ll be able to accomplish our goals.
-joe
if you want a “skateboarders are citizens too” sticker just let us know in the comment field and we’ll send you one.
-joe
they will come. in the past week i’ve visited 3 different parks, newberg, pacific in vancouver, and battleground. at each location there were 25+ kids enjoying the concrete skillfully sculpted by craftsmen, and while the numbers themselves are impressive it was the skill of the kids that was most notable. they were good. because of the challenge and design of these parks the kids have risen to the occasion and are performing unbelievable tricks (like back flips). camas and washougal have some of the nicest parks in the county why shouldn’t the same be said of our skate park? let’s make it happen.
-joe
The author, as a young skate punk, circa 1985 (note the Mike McGill shirt)
I’m going to address this post to the parents of skateboarders (and kids who skate). I’m 37 and I have two kids of my own. When I was growing up in the mid-late ’80s, I found skateboarding when it had its second resurgence. This was when legends like Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain and Mark Gonzales (to name a few) first made their marks in the world. I skated everywhere, on my giant deck with giant wheels, giant trucks and side rails and myriad accessories meant to keep the wood from getting damaged. I think skateboards weighed about as much as a Geo Metro back then.
Yet, somehow, skateboarders were able to make them do amazing things. Yes, skateboarding has advanced a lot since then (and yes, I have the vinyl version of the album made by the band in that video). Skateboarders are quite resourceful in that way. They look at things differently than the rest of us do. Where we see a loading dock, they see an opportunity to briefly feel the sensation of flying through the air. Where we see a stairway or park bench, they see a street skate park. Where we see a section of banked concrete, they see a quarter pipe ready to help them launch into the air.
An example of what we had to work with.
And therein lies the issue: As long as we fail to provide legal, relevant and worthwhile skate terrain for these kids, they will use your stairways, loading docks and park benches for their needs. They aren’t going to stop skating, you see. It’s like asking a golfer to turn in his clubs—I mean, imagine if someone told you you couldn’t golf on a course, but could only golf in your back yard? Even worse if you live in a condo.
As I mentioned, skateboarders are resourceful. It’s not born of ignorance to the law, disregard for personal property or disrespect. It’s a need and as long as there is a need and no outlet for that need, the kids will seek other options on their own. Most of time, they don’t even know they are doing something wrong (they’re kids, remember?). They just want to skate.
So let me back up here: When I was a kid in Bellingham, WA, we had absolutely no skateparks. Skateboarders were not nearly as socially accepted as they are now. We had to build our own ramps, beg our parents to drive us two hours up to the North Vancouver (Canada, B.C.) Griffin skatepark once in awhile and we had to make our own places to skate. This meant loading docks, parks, Western Washington University campus (until security chased us out) and a bevvy of other guerrilla skate spots we managed to scare up around town.
We rallied to get the city to build a skatepark, attending city hall meetings with our parents, but they would not avail due to insurance concerns. When Burnside skatepark was built under the radar (and literally under the east side of the Burnside bridge) in Portland and suddenly proven as a success, people slowly began to change their perceptions about skateparks and now they are very commonplace. It’s proven that it keeps these kids out of trouble, they help police the parks themselves from graffiti and trash and it is a safe place for the kids to hang out and get exercise. Skateboarding is pretty mainstream these days, which is great for the kids.
However, if you have a skatepark that is not meeting the needs of the skaters, you might as well not have one. And that, my friends, is why this site exists. Parents: If you want to give your kids a safe place to skate, somewhere where they won’t get in trouble for doing what they will do anyway, then you need to support this project. Talk to your friends, write letters, donate time and money—do something. This isn’t for some 37 year old guy trying to re-live his past, its for the kids. And, being in a small town area like Camas and Washougal, it seems like we all share one common belief in family and our children.
If you would like to help out, please get in touch using the contact form on this site and we’ll keep you informed of new developments as they arise. Who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll see this 37 year old guy, carving around and dodging kids with a silly grin on his face.
-Bret
Here are some images of the current CW Skatepark. The first image is the current incarnation. The second image was supposed to be phase 2, which has not been acheived yet:
I went on a little field trip with mr john miller yesterday to the Newberg skate park. for those of you who have not had the opportunity to visit you are missing out. i’m reacquainting myself with the skate board so i’m no expert but judging from the skill of the kids in the park and comments from people in the know (like john miller) this place is for real. imagine something like this in our backyard.
-joe
