PRESCOTT
December 2nd, 2005
Television news has always done very little to help our bikes in skateparks effort, mainly because the segments are way too short to get any kind of point across. Why complain when I can just do it the right way myself? I had an assignment in film school to do a newsy segment including interviews and B-roll anywho, so what the hey... Check out the in-depth segment I just made comparing how well Prescott Skatepark meets the needs of BMX riders vs. Kleinman Wheels Court.
Click here to go to the video section and check it out.
November 14th, 2005
The Prescott Skate/BMX Park grand opening was tiiiiiight, yo! Off the hinges for real, dawg!!! But seriously, folks, it was good times. By some miracle, bike riders co-mingled with skateboarders and inline skaters and got along just fine! Or maybe it wasn't a miracle. Looks like we CAN ride together here in Arizona just like they do in the Las Vegas skateparks. Prescott Parks and Rec. Director Jim McCasland sure seemed to think so after he visited Vegas, and I'm happy to report that he was right. It was such a positive vibe, that it's hard to say anything negative went down. There was one thing, though. Since the AZPX guys got the bands together for the grand opening and did raffles and whatnot, they seemed to be in complete control of the microphone. Although I heard plenty of talk about skateboarding and the semi-pro skaters that were on hand, nothing of BMX was mentioned after the initial ribbon-cutting. That will be different at the Glendale X-Court opening, be assured of that.
I want to thank C-Los, Brian Golembiewski, Steven Bagby, Lurch, and Ryan Letcher for pitching in and helping make the 3BC Barbeque a success. We actually ended up with enough food to BBQ both Saturday and Sunday, and anyone and everyone was welcome to eat burgers and dogs for free.
October 31st, 2005
On Saturday, November 12, Prescott will be opening it's first skate/bmx park. I'd like to encourage every bmx rider, skater, inliner, parent, and supporter to make it up north for this, because this will be a landmark celebration the likes of which Arizona has never seen. This will be the very first well-designed and built, multi-use, public concrete skatepark to open in a sizeable Arizona city. Members of the Bike, Blade and Board Coalition will be present, promoting proper skatepark etiquette, everyone getting along famously, and shreddin' the gnar. We'll also be having a BBQ with free food as long as it lasts. The park is located at 702 E. Gurley, and the festivities will begin at 11:30. Get there, fool!
August 11th, 2005
PRESCOTT WILL BE ALLOWING BIKES!!!
Yesterday, I received a call from Jim McKasland, Prescott Director of Parks and Rec. He wanted to let me know that bikes will be allowed in the new Prescott Skatepark when it opens. The park is slated to open October 1st, but it looks like it will probably be delayed due to bad weather delaying construction.
This is huge. Prescott will be the first SDG park that allows bikes in Arizona. Everyone out there that has gone to city council meetings, attended parks and rec board meetings, protested, written letters, passed out flyers, talked to the press, etc...; pat yourselves on the back. It's ultimately because of our overall effort that we get to ride this park.
August 9th, 2005
This is an initial rendering of the now-under-construction Prescott Skate Park. Notice how there are no kids on bikes in it. Will bikes be allowed in? It's still up in the air at this point.
Jim McKasland, the Prescott Director of Parks and Rec, recently took a trip to Las Vegas to see for himself how well bikes worked in the skateparks. Joe Wichert, the Extreme Sports Director for Las Vegas Parks and Rec, took him on a tour of a few of the Vegas skateparks. I spoke with Jim upon his return, and he said he was convinced that bikes can work in the Prescott skatepark. He still wasn't sure if bikes would be allowed in, however.
Let me explain: This is an SDG park, and it will be "bikeproofed", as per their new policy of "bikeproofing" all their new skateparks. SDG will be officially giving their okay from a design standpoint, saying that the skatepark is designed and spec'd well enough to handle bikes. The thing is, I have heard from multiple sources that certain SDG personnel are also attempting to indirectly influence Prescott to NOT allow bikes in the skatepark.
I believe that the best thing the Prescott area riders can do is to get together, go to city council, and tell them that bikes need to be allowed in the new park, because bmx riders need a place to ride, too. City council has the final authority on deciding this issue, no matter what. This skatepark is not made for just skateboarders or inliners; it's made for kids, and every reasonable user group should be allowed to use it.
I'd also urge all Prescott area bmx riders, parents, and supporters to e-mail the mayor and council members about this issue at citystaff@cityofprescott.net .
You can write the same letter to everyone, but I would strongly suggest sending separate e-mails to each councilmember. Use the above address, and in the title, say E-mail for __________
Here are the mayor and councilmembers' names: Mayor Bob Bell, Steve Blair, Jim Lamerson, Bob Roecker, John Steward, Mary Ann Suttles, Rowle Simmons
