Louisville Skatepark

Louisville Skate Park established April 5, 2002. A place where beginner to advanced skaters, bikers, extreme scooters, inline skaters, come to practice, tweak or polish their moves. Also, a place for families to come and watch all the extreme moves executed on the ramps. And for the past 3 years, on Thunder Over Louisville, it’s been a place for me and my fellow dancers to exhibit our dance moves. It all began as a wilderness forest where hobos and animals used as their shelter. The forest filled of refugees in large camp sites, on a first come first serve term.  After many years of finally making a decision that probably took 10 years to make they finally got to tearing down the hobos domain causing an uproar in the homeless community. Finally in 2002 they made it public and Tony Hawk and a bunch of amazing skater came to shred the brand spankin new skate park which set off the Louisville Skate park.

The best part about the skate park is itself. No matter where you idol at, while standing, sitting or propped on an object you’re bound to see spectacular, top of the line tricks and bails provided by Louisville's finest extreme sport athletes.  As one enters the skate park you are abruptly hit with the taste of smog from the nearby factories, and the smoking of cigarettes and weed, the smell of melted wax rubbed in to the ledges so skaters may execute sliding/grind tricks, the sight of tattered shoes due to the intense friction of the skaters shoes against the rugged grip tape glued onto the deck (the wood part). The snapping, cracking, and popping noises fill the air during the trial of each skater trying to land tricks whether its for show or self confidence, while the sun's rays beams against the skate park creating the shadows so the people don’t have to endure the pounding UV rays against their skins as they try to keep cool.  Stories told by the locally well known hobo, "Hobo Jim" of hobos fighting over property rights, and stolen goods from fellow brethren, and how one must not trust anybody because they will stab you in the back.  He follows that guideline and he says he is the most successful person in the world because he is living life the way he wants; no taking orders, sleep where ever you want, and have an adventure everyday of his life that office people can’t have. Things such as this occur at the skate park whenever someone finds their way to wander across the hard cement park. 

Confidence- belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self confidence; self- reliance; assurance. The moment I step onto the faded grey cement of the skate park my heart pounds satisfaction, and adrenaline into my bloodstream as my body begins to tremble due to the side affects of pure happiness.  Unbelievable that all those emotions race through my head just in split seconds before the wheels of my skateboard abruptly smack against the smooth concrete on a common humid and hot Louisville day.  As the orange soles of my shoes touch the sparkly black grip tape I roll next to the battered half pipe worn down by the use of extreme sports and harsh weather.  I swiftly undo the straps of my backpack letting it fall to the ground leaned against the half pipe, calmly I step up onto the large wooden ramp sizing it it up, as usual, 12 feet deep hoping today is the day I will be able to drop in, but since I am not able I just pump up for my warm up routine throwing down a few kick turns and early grabs until I become winded.  As I slow down into the middle of the half pipe I am one step closer to dropping in with "confidence".

Lately I haven’t been going to the skate park due to the dance sessions I run, but whenever I do show up to the spot I usually get acknowledged on my unique skating skills.  Usually I hit up the skate park around the late afternoon after the intense weather has passed by and more of the higher ranked skaters come by to test their skills on the element of "cement".  The skate park is open all times of the day from dusk till dawn, till the birds quiet their singing and the crickets begin their chirping, and after the sun goes down into the midnight dew that covers the grass and the metal coping, of tiny droplets that drip slowly down each object it touches.  Skaters go any time of day night or day, hot or cold, if its dry its fair game, they skate and fall ignore the pain they say, just get up and try it again. 

FUBAR, West End Skaters, Mango Crew are all the skate crews I have been in and am currently co-captain of FUBAR.  Each crew has its story in and out of the skate park, but in the skate park we went for fun and new tricks.  At the skate park I am usually the one right behind the top of the line skaters the runner up of the group.  This is usually because I never fully committed to all of my tricks so I don’t land most of my tricks.  I have had the highs and lows at the skate park.  I went through everything from skinning my face to having the best trick of the day. In Daewon Song’s video he said, "In skateboarding you can do anything one day it feels so good and then the next minute you just feel like a complete idiot and that’s the best thing about skateboarding is that you can never be too cool on your skateboard cause something else might happen to catch you off guard and you just gotta suck it up, and I don’t know enjoy it."  To me that’s the beauty of skateboarding. And what he said pertains to every skateboarder at the skate park everyday not matter what.  Especially me.