This posting is initially designed to see if there is any interest in building a skate scene. I am new to the community of Miles City and although I love the area I am disappointed in the lack of any kind of skateboarding facility. I have been skating for over twenty years and have traveled all over the country riding skateparks and have even spent a summer building ramps for a YMCA skateboarding camp. My vision is to get enough interested folks together to share the rent on a warehouse, or a lot of land, or a garage and build a ramp and some obstacles to share with the rest of the community. I am hoping to rally some folks to pull together resources, skills, and talents to make this vision a reality. I don't want to make this a business venture and in no way want to profit financially from this vision. Skateboarding is extremely important to me and I am willing to spend time and money to share it with anyone interested but I don't have enough time and money to do it alone. Please help.

You might want to inquire with the Fun2u foundation that got set-up. I think their initial and primary goal is the construction of the swimming rec center but youth athletics, which skateboarding most certainly is, falls in line with their mission statement quite well I would assume.

Our community built a really nice skate park but is it so used so much by kids that they built another even larger one on the other side of town. There is always an adult there supervising and safety gear is required. All supervisors are volunteers who take shifts. Hundreds of kids use ours. It is a great idea for MC to built something to help keep kids from being bored.

Raven Clan - awesome - you're like the guy in Twilight, huh?

I thought they finally built a skate park - MC sure spends a lot of time talking - apparently meetings and car washes are not the trick

That's why I suggested the Fun2U organization. They seem to have their act together in terms of producing actionable results.

Thank you for your responses. I was hoping to find the level of interest in MC before pitching the idea around (fun2u). I am a woman of action and was hoping to build something for the here and now verses waiting for someone else to provide. But how about it Juniper? Would Fun2U be interested in building a skatepark? As for Uncle Buck Twilight???

You're like that chick from Twilight, huh?

There was a move to build a skateboard park, I believe in Riverside Park, where the old tennis courts were. Problem was, no adults wanted to be involved. I think one parent showed up at an organizational meeting.. Mostly, the kids left a mess and the city park folks were not inclined to try again.

Raven Clan, as the father of six boys and two girls, (4 b, 1 g still at home) I am interested and have a work schedule that would allow me to donate some time. I have a few years construction experience but no clue on designing a skate board park. I see Billings and Williston both have nice SB parks. My boys are all old enough to contribute time also. Very good idea to take the bull by the horns and get it done. Too many people perfer to stand around and say "Well somebody should..." I don't have the resources or finances to do it myself but would love to help.

Wow AceHigh you sure have your hands full and you could surely benefit from a skatepark. If your curious about building skate stuff just do a google search for skate ramp plans and you'll get a host of sites. I just watched an adolescent put together a ramp in a matter of minutes by himself on xtremeskater.com. Also check out www.simparch.org/freebasin.html. It was a functional art exhibit I got to ride in SF. Once you see it you'll understand why its in an art musuem. Being a new resident I think I might be at an advantage to pull this off because I'm not dettered by past failures put I can learn from them. I am at a disadvantage not having the local knowledge of who owns all these vacant warehouses throughout MC. There seems to be dozens. Someone must know someone who has space to house a skate ramp. Well Ace lets let this ride and hopefully we can increase the pot. Hope to work with you soon.

I should have also mentioned skatemontana.com. My vision is only a short term fix. To get a park like the ones on the website check out Tony Hawk Foundation. We're not to late to get a proposal in for the October 1st deadline, but we would need a lot more cooperation from the community than what I have seen here.

My 9 year old son loves skateboarding and I would like to help, but I don't have the financial means. I am sure we would be able to help in some way if you'd like!

Thank you Lori for inspiring me to order the Skatepark Development Guide from the Tony Hawk Foundation, and thank you sugarcookie for your support.

[This message has been edited by Raven Clan (4/21/2009)]

Raven Clan, how's Slytherin been treatin' ya?

That's what I'm talking about

My son has been a skateboarder all his life. We once investigated the Tony Hawk foundation grant money although we were not sure we would stay here in Miles City. I would be very interested in helping with what I could do. I can donate some funds as well. My 16 year old son would also be interested in helping with the construction part.
> Thanks

You might call the city of Anaconda. I recently did some work up there, and during that time, some interested citizens got together and made a modest skating area happen. They might share there experience with you. I hate to introduce the topic - but one of the issues we've had over the years in building activity sites for kids is the liability insurance question. If insurance is necessary, how do you pay the insurance? Just one aspect that probably needs early investigation.

I'm following along - if there is something I can do, I'll jump in. Good idea!

My husband and I moved to Glendive a few years back, but we would both be glad to come down and help, schedules permitting, once things get going. Other places in Montana to look for information on existing skate parks would include Missoula, Butte, Kalispell, and Billings. They would have information for you, undoubtedly, on things such as who they go to for liability insurance, or how they managed to get around needing it if that is the case.

On a smaller scale, the City of Whitehall has built a skate park. It is located on railroad right of way. It would be interesting to see if the lease would be different for something that is not a commercial enterprise or perhaps not considered a permenent structure. It might be worth checking out.

problems with liability and no one giving a crap - I honestly wish you good luck, Miles City doesn't respond to these things - they'd rather complain about those delinquents skateboarding everywhere

I would like to address the liability issue. As far as my short term, temporary, selfish vision of obtaining a warehouse and building skate ramps out of wood; each participant(or legal guardian)would have to sign a waiver and a huge "SKATE AT YOUR OWN RISK" sign would be hung and visible to all. In regards to the long term, permanent, altruistic vision of having a cement skatepark constructed; liability is not as big an issue as one might think. As I await my "Public Skatepark Development Guide" to arrive via snail mail I will rely on www.skatepark.org to answer such issues. According to this website skateparks are often covered by the same policies as other park facilities unless the state has deemed skateboarding an official "hazardous recreational activity" which actually releases state and local government from liability. I have literally skated hundreds of skateparks throughout the country and many of them are in smaller, more impoverished communities than MC. The liability issue is no reason to drag our feet now. Thank you all for your support. I hope support keeps roling in. If your wondering what you can contribute I invite you to peruse www.skatepark.org. Some interesting items are "Skatepark Decreases Youth Crime," "Police View", and "30 Reasons for Skateparks". #30 states "If a city doesn't have a skatepark, it is a skatepark. This is the initial stage of building an advocacy group and I look forward to meeting and working with you folks soon.

Here's a park I found in Idaho City ID, Population 488, Average family income $33,295 as of 2005. I hope this works.
[img]http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=idahocity.jpg][IMG]http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/6708/idahocity.th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Oh well computers really arent my gig.

[This message has been edited by Raven Clan (4/24/2009)]

I don't think you should give up, even if Miles City isn't exactly open to many new trendy ideas. Fun2U has shown us that already!

Definitely don't give up!

It's been tried before and failed - but that shows there has at least been an interest. My brother was skating in Miles City clear back into the 80's, and the number of people skateboarding has drastically increased. Cheesy and all, but the thought that pops into my head is, "If you build it, they will come."

My thoughts exactly. I definitely wont give up.

Skate at your own risk is the same as swim at your own risk like what they did at the oasis. Hope we can get this started seems that there is lots of interested people willing to help.

Good Luck!!!

This weekend was my first trip to the dump in MC. I could not belief how much building material was going to waste. If only I had a truck I could of left with enough scrap wood to build a sturdy, modest quarter pipe. A 2x4 can be recycled and reused it is a shame to fill a landfill with material that can be used, but then again that person must have passed the recycling center to throw out numerous pamphlets and phone books and such. Hopefully a warehouse will present itself and we can begin to gather wood. One mans waste is another mans treasure. This immediate skate scene can possibly happen another way. Individuals can gather lumber from their neighbors and build individual ramps and then we can coordinate places and dates to meet with our ramps, fun boxes, and rails and skate away. I've seen this work in other communities. Yes, I know you grumblers out there question where such a gathering can happen. Welcome to direct action, maybe it will be your street, or your church parking lot. As for the long term vision of getting an official skatepark, I hope to hear a lot more positive feedback. I will have to present my case to the city council at some point and hope to have the community behind me.

I've been skating since I was a teen back in the '70's. Back then the popularity of skating grew at a phenomenal rate. It wasn't long before privately run skate parks were built, only to fail because of high insurance rates and the sport lost popularity. I still have a board, it's trashed, old school with big Kryptonics and Trackers, but still fun to ride.

I'd love to see a skate park or skate area here, but it would have to be part of the parks system and under their insurance umbrella. I've called towns in the area to ask about their insurance and nearly all of them told me having a skate park had no impact on their rates- skaters (and their parents) expect that there will be some injuries and really are not prone to filing lawsuits when they happen- in other words it goes with the territory.

There are some decent parks in Billings, Minot, and Gillette among othret places.

As for parks, concrete would be great but it's a huge initial investment. Wood rides nice while it lasts, but it falls apart too fast. I'd go with steel- yeah, steel. There's a park in Gillette, WY that's on a flat concrete slab and all the ramps, rails, edges, etc, are welded up steel plate over tube or angle frames. They can be made in any shop, easily moved/transported, easily repaired or modified and it's affordable. Surfaces can be made as budget allows. It's a little goofy to ride on as it is a slick surface- if it could be sand blasted first it would be awesome.

I'd build support first and set a good example in the community. Then find a place. Then make it happen. Check with the rail car rebuild center for material- they regularly "recycle", perhaps they would be willing to "Re-purpose" for the community instead. In fact the rail cars have all the decks and shapes you need.

Has anyone thought to try and partner with the woodshop or shop classes at the High School?

Check out The Star, April 29, 2009 pg 5. The City is looking for ideas on how to utilize a large Quonset structure west of the Range Riders Museum.

The City has $10,000 from a grant to be used for youth projects. Currently designated for the Oasis swimming pool salaries but if that doesn't work out they may need an alternate use.

Has anyone thought to try and partner with the woodshop or shop classes at the High School?

I was thinking the same thing. You might get some welding/woodworking done for free and get some kids interested in the park at the same time.

Thank you all for your very exciting responses and thank you Art for bringing that notice to our attention. I encourage you all to write to the city council in support of a skatepark. Please write to: Public Services Committee, City Hall, P.O. Box 910, Miles City, MT 59301 by May 31st. Chad I have no clue as to how to build with steel but I do know that If you end up breaking your irreplaceable king pin I have a pair of new 169 Indys for you.
I was once skating this indoor facility in Rye New Hampshire (population 5174 as of 2007) that was amazing. The place had closed down yet they continued to let me ride because I was having so much fun with the locals and I had traveled along way. You can find this skate park and any skate park on concretedisciples.com. The place started to fill up with cub scouts with guns, and I started wondering what was going on. Well they play laser tag after hours. It was more than just a skatepark it was a community center.

[This message has been edited by Raven Clan (4/30/2009)]

Lets try this again. Heres a picture of a skate park in Jordan Utah.

Hey, Raven Clan, there is no such place as Jordan, Utah. There's South Jordan and West Jordan but no just Jordan. It's probably in South Jordan. There's also one in Sandy that is very popular.

Buhl Idaho, Super Fun4me&u2.

Here's Minot, ND

Here's Gillette, WY all steel except for the base/flat ground.

Wright, WY (Population 500, MAYBE)-



I've skated Minot, Gillette & Wright. They're all fun and simple/low budget. Billings is pretty ice, too.

[This message has been edited by Chad (5/5/2009)]

Chad, if we build a skate board park I hope we do it the right way- all out concrete. Like the one in Minot- not the one in Wright. That is a basketball court with some things setting on it.

A concrete park is the ultimate goal, built by Grindline, Dreamland, Site Design, or Team Pain. I've skated more bad concrete parks than good ones. A bad concrete park is a waste of money and also cheats the skater of what could be. Dont get me wrong every crappy little park has merit and can be enjoyed by all. But if your going to go all the way then do it right. We should also concentrate on something we as a community can build and enjoy right now. That is why everyone should write to the city council and suggest the quanset hut mentioned earlier should be a skatepark.

If they are talking about the old Fish and Game building it is not big enough to put a skate park inside. However there is lots of room outside for an outdoor one.

This all sounds very exciting and I as well would be willing to help- everyone has great ideas, but what's the next step? And Raven Claw, are you going to be the one heading this up? Perhaps a meeting of the interested parties would be good. Maybe it could even be used to raise money via donations. Just my thought added to the pile

To be honest Neveah I've never done anything like this, I've never had to. I was reluctant to pursue the long term goal but my spouse reminded me of all the others before me that allowed me to live out my dreams. There are a few things I'm waiting on before calling a meeting of the minds; 1. a response from Fun2U. Local skateboarders seem to think its already in motion, but from what I can tell from Fun2U volunteers there seems to be no immediate plans 2. I am awaiting a Skatepark Development Guide from the Tony Hawk foundation via snail mail to hold my hand through the process 3. I am very interested in how the city council will accept the idea of a skatepark.
So far interested local MC.comers include: Acehigh, sugarcookie, bluetooth, clm, jessiker from Glendive, MC(master of ceremonies) Tucker, old school chad and Neveah with great ideas from J. Dyba, Art and Levi. The more support we have the more convincing we can be.

Placing a skatepark up by the future aquatic center makes complete sense as well in terms of logistics, zoning and availability to the community. If I were you I would definitely inquire with Fun2U about their lease there.

Fun2U has its next meeting at the BLM building (west of Miles City, near the fairgrounds), Next Tuesday on May the 12th, 5:45. On the agenda is planning for Bucking Horse Sale 50/50 raffle and parade float. However, meetings are ALWAYS open to any participates. If you can not attend a meeting, contact Fun2U in order to be kept in the loop and learn about volunteer options.

Fun2U has a president/director, but also a board of directors. There is also a growing group of volunteers. There are working groups/committees which focus on grant writing, recreation programs, building, finance, and more. Hope this understanding of the organizational structure clarifies a deemed 'lack of response.' The best way to reach the organization is attend a meeting. Decisions are not made by one volunteer or one board of director, but as a voting body (just as in government). I would recommend submitting a proposal to the group - space required, money, commitment, partnership expectations/ideas etc. Propose a flexible vision-which others can buy into it. I would also recommend submitting your proposal to the Miles City Youth Hockey Organization. As a courtesy, give a presentation to service groups in the community and County and City government. Keep folks in the loop, be a good neighbor/partner, and gain a better understand of what organizations in town need from you in order to succeed in your project.

-Skate park supporter and Fun2U volunteer, Jen Nagy

"My vision is to get enough interested folks together to share the rent on a warehouse, or a lot of land, or a garage and build a ramp and some obstacles to share with the rest of the community."

I liked what you said about having a skatepark in a warehouse (or some place indoor), so that people will have something else to do in the winter months. I have always liked that old railroad station next to the Cattle-ac and would like to see it turned into something. Probably just a silly idea for this, but that's what I thought of when you first posted!

I would get behind locating the skateboarding arena it in an area set aside for recreational use. That location would provide a group of kids (family) a choice as they head out to spend a summer day, and yet proximity enough where they can be somewhat "together". Just a mom's perspective.

I'd preserve our historic buildings in a manner befitting their architectural design and potential income source to a wider group of people -- say maybe opening the railway station as a dining and dancing spot, with a certain elegance - I sure miss the Crossroads and the Red Rock Supper club. It would be nice to have a place like that to go in Miles City.

First of all I think the railway station would make a wonderful microbrewery/restaurant. I think the Red Rock place would be a cool roller rink, if kids still roller skate. And Stone is correct in the fact that the quonset hut seems to be rather small for a skatepark; or is it? I personally think it could work and fulfill both visions plus. A ramp could be customized to fit the garage providing year round access while the grounds are big enough to host a contemporary cement skate park and also accommodate an earthen BMX track. The front reception area could be stocked with vending machines (I hate the idea of vending junk to kids though) and arcade games (I dont like that idea either) and an office could be used as a skate shop with profits funneling back into funding the skatepark. The picture below is from a friends house back home and could easily be duplicated, customized to the space and erected in the garage in a weekend. The quonset hut is close enough to the swimming/boating area to keep familys relatively close.

I am certainly not putting all eggs in this basket just trying to demonstrate that there are many possibilities to pursue. Fun2U is not currently considering a skatepark but are open to the idea. Thank you Juniper for your input and I hope to see you at the next Fun2U meeting. Another avenue to pursue.

It would just be nice to have it indoors, and I think selling things in the skate shop is an excellent idea! Maybe something like the old roller rink used to do, only skateboarding instead??

I think the idea of putting in a skate board park is great. My grandson and a lot of his friends are really into skating. If there is a meeting of sort inviting the skateboare34w in and around area would be a good idea. This would enable them to give their feed back.

[This message has been edited by mckee (5/13/2009)]

Sorry I've been busy lately and have had no time to devote to this thread but I have received lots of information that I need to read and relay to you so that we can think about a gathering of the minds. Hope to keep the ball rolling.

Sorry about the hiatus but I had to go make a living for myself. I'm back and bringing this thread from the dead, more devoted to creating a skatepark in MC than ever. Love to hear from ya.

Hey Raven Clan - did you call the Spohn Ranch representative that I referred you to? He left another message for me the other day - just FYI.

Steve - I have not contacted Spohn Ranch as of yet. I am waiting to build an advocacy group before approaching contractors. Thanks for bringing them to my attention, they were not even on my radar. I found their ideas about skateable art installations along footpaths very interesting.

I'm all for creating more things for youth in this town to do. If there is anyway that i can help let me know!

Thank you Amber for your response. I feel the same way. Soon we will need to organize a Skatepark Advocacy Committee and present our case to City Council. Fundraising of course will offer opportunities to participate. I would love to see the youth themselves step forward to witness first hand the processes of local government. There is much to do but first we should organize. Any suggestions?

If there was a skatepark that the local kids could skate and hang out i bet there would be less trouble in the community.

i would be interested in helping.

You may or may not know that Glendive is in the process of building a skatepark. They are currently in the design phase having contracted Site Design, a reputable Skate Park design company, to design a Skate Plaza with an additional bowl. They have set aside 18,400 sq ft and have a budget of $265,000. They will break ground in the spring. The really cool thing is that they extended a helping hand to Miles City by offering their non-profit organization to back our skatepark. In other words we could use their 501c3 to funnel grant money for our project. A huge step forward. They are in the midst of their own fund raising with their own gun raffle if anyone here is interested.

I read the last bit out loud to my young son and he literally jumped for joy and shouted "Woo-hoo"! When I read that it is a huge step forward.

I'm sure he's not the only young kid around here who is already excited about this.

This week I met with some folks from the City and the Parks Department to discuss the possibility of a skatepark in Miles City. We discussed the history and current and future potential of skateboarding within MC. We also discussed various surfaces and types of skateparks as well as various locations for a skatepark. Most importantly, we talked and outlined a strategy on how to present the idea to City Council. First and foremost we need the numbers to prove there is even a demand. Furthermore, we will need to be organized and prepared. I propose a meeting in mid-January and could use suggestions on possible places to meet. At this meeting we will distribute a petition to be circulated throughout the community on behalf of a skatepark. I could also use suggestions on a better medium on which to reach more citizens of Miles City. The folks I met with were very receptive and supportive of the idea and strongly encouraged me to see this through.

I think a skatepark would be a great addition to MC. The meeting should be reported in the MC Star.

This is in response to an email sent to me asking for more specific details. In my discussion with the city we decided to lean more towards a cement facility to limit maintenance and insure durability. I am not an expert on pouring concrete but I have seen skateparks under construction and I would estimate the cement to be approximately 8 inches thick. As for the size and features of the skatepark that is not for me to decide but rather the community or advocacy group. It has been suggested that a town this size begin with at least a 10,000 sq ft facility. Glendive is shooting for a 18,400 sq ft facility at a bargain basement price of $15.00 a square foot. Glendive has local contractors building the skatepark and a skatepark company submitting design. This price is suspiciously low and I could have my numbers wrong. The amount of lumber is minimal when constructing a cement park, re bar would be the main constituent. I hope there would be rails and handrails in the design but as I said earlier its up to the community. I hope I answered your questions and would be happy to answer any others. I look forward to working and meeting with everyone soon.

If you could get Doug to cut you a deal on the old Ready Mix you'd have a sweet place for a skatepark and someone to give you advice all in one. He might even be able to offer equipment/services as a tax deductible charity??? Just throwing out ideas...what locations have you considered?

RC, Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...p0JiRTgnWw

I am feeling very overwhelmed. For the last twenty years whenever I have felt this way I have focused my energy and angst towards a few good skateboarding sessions. This has been my way to channel aggression, release frustration and get some good old fashion exercise doing something creative and fun. I can not stress to all of you how important skateboarding can be for a goofy, troubled, bored adolescent. What does it say about a community that doesn't provide an outlet for its youth? I did not jive with structured team sports centered around competition, yet I was filled with energy, angst, and athleticism. I had a choice; channel this rage into something constructive or destructive. That's when I discovered skating. It has kept me sane, sober, and out of jail (for the most part). Well now that I got that off my chest let me respond to the previous emails. It was expressed explicitly by the City that they were not interested in sponsoring a youth facility so close to the railroad. Various city parks were discussed including Riverside Park. The master plan would have to be amended but it could happen. I like the idea of using a lesser used park such as Milwaukee Park, which is hardly a park more like an eyesore. The video Tucker posted is from the Glendive crew. They have a new full length skateboarding movie coming out soon. Look for its release on Boredfilms.com. I am still looking for ideas on where to hold the first Skatepark Advocacy Committee meeting in mid January. Peace be to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You could maybe hold it at the shelter thing at riverside park if the weather is nice

Jacob Gehnert's 4th full-length film about skateboarding entitled "Slurpee Gut" is premiering tonight at Pizza Hut in Glendive featuring local talent. Viewing will last from 8:30-10:00. All is welcome.

Please do not respond to this thread, it is for reference only! Instead respond to the new thread skate park. Thanks