Skaters flip for Salisbury Skate Park
A 20-something man occupies a flat surface at Salisbury Skate Park while several of his friends watch.
As he leans backward in his fourth attempt at a trick his board drifts from beneath his feet, he falls. Encouraging words from a crowd of his companions motivate the man to get back up and try the trick again.
These scenes of fellowship are commonplace at this facility, which opened for the skateboarding community in mid-December after years of planning and roadblocks from city officials. While skeptics pushed back prior to the park’s groundbreaking this past summer, committed skateboarders now enjoy the recreation they desperately sought for the past 10 years.
Longtime skater Bryan Whipple, 28, of Hebron spends his hour lunch break skating the 6,000-square-foot park.
“It is somewhere to go, and something to do for free,” Whipple said. “I love this park; I don’t have to wait for anything to close to skate.”
Whipple, who pursued skateboarding after being inspired by a Tony Hawk video game, attended several meetings during the early conception phase of the park. Now he and his wife Eva, 25, take turns watching their child while the other skates.
“Everybody gets along,” Whipple said. “This is probably the only place where young people and old people actually hang out.”
Bobby Schaller, 36, of Salisbury has been a longtime proponent and organizer of the skate park. In 2008, he held a fundraiser, which attracted over 300 skaters.
“The fundraiser proved that there was interest in the park,” Schaller said.
In mid-December Schaller’s longstanding mission to build a free and public park for the skaters of Salisbury finally came to fruition.
"We wanted it to be central, and we wanted it to be accessible to people without cars," said Schaller when talking about choosing the location of the park. "The fact that there are stoplights and crosswalks nearby made it an ideal choice."
For many Salisbury area skaters, the park offers an alternative skateboarding downtown, which is illegal. The 6,000 square-foot park could keep area business owners happy by providing a more attractive environment for skaters to practice their craft.
“Because we now have a place to go, businesses can say, ‘Don’t skate my curb, go to the skate park,’ ” said Schaller when talking about the park’s positive contribution to the city of Salisbury.
Deborah Stam, assistant director of Housing and Community Development, was a key supporter in the efforts to get construction and funding for the park underway. Since becoming involved with the park, she became so inspired by the skaters and their passion for the sport that she donated $2,000 of her own money.
“it’s important to have a place where skaters can hone their craft in a safe and neat environment,” Stam said. “It has been a wonderful addition to the city and its amenities, and it offers a creative outlet for people both young and old.”
Since the park’s opening, Stam has been impressed by the skater’s efforts to take ownership of the park and clean up garbage and debris.
“The neighbors are becoming acclimated and it has turned out better than they thought it might,” Stam said. “I think it is a very positive asset.”
According to Stam a new application for funding will be submitted Aug. 17, for the park’s phase two addition which will add 4,500 square feet and a larger flat surface for skaters to perform tricks. It will cost an estimated $200,000 to complete the project.
Future additions will also include more parking and the installation of security cameras to help with the supervision of the park. But for longtime skaters, like Schaller, the park in its current state offers an excellent place for area skaters to congregate.
“The coolest part is that it brings people together,” Schaller said. “The park is great, it is a great location and a great design, and it can only get better.”