By Kristine Thomas
Wearing an Oregon State sweatshirt and gray helmet, 6-year-old Ike Basile cruises on his silver scooter down the ramp at the Silverton Skate park while his dad, Ryan, and 3-year-old brother, Peter, watch.
Nearby 14-year-old Ethan Crofts and 15-year-old Justin Benguerel perform stunts on their BMX bicycles.
As people of all ages rode skateboards, scooters or BMX bicycles at the Silverton Skatepark on a cloudy and chilly Saturday morning, Jason Franz could only smile.
The owner of Fall Line skate, board and bike shop, Franz spent 10 years raising money and advocating for the need of a skatepark in Silverton.
To see his vision for a skatepark finally completed and being enjoyed by people of all ages delighted Franz.
“It’s really amazing seeing all these people out here,” he said. “I started working on this in August of 2003. It took a lot of car washes, T-shirt sales, can drives and community support to complete this project.”
In addition to local fundraising and city park and recreation system development charges, a $5,000 Tony Hawk grant and $230,000 from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department helped bring the dream to reality.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, city officials and city councilors joined with Franz for a ribbon cutting to officially open the first phase of the skatepark, 115 Westfield St., near the Silverton Senior Center.
Franz and other adults watched how the teens looked out for the younger kids, making sure each person had a turn navigating the skatepark’s bowls.
What amazes Franz is how quickly the word spread that cyclone fence protecting the park while it was being developed had been removed.
“The fence was supposed to come down on a Friday but instead workers took it down on a Tuesday and people started showing up and the word spread,” he said. People from Portland, Molalla, Stayton, Keizer, Beaverton … to name a few cities … have traveled to Silverton to check out Oregon’s newest skatepark.
Franz knows of people who are at the park at the first break of sunlight and who stay until the sun has set. He’s excited he can grab his skateboard and go to the park before work or during lunch. He’s proud of how the kids using the skatepark are taking care of it and are grateful for it.
Athletes – young and old – give each other pointers or silently acknowledge a great move. Although an individual sport, there is camaraderie amongst participants.
Crofts appreciates having a skatepark in Silverton. He used to go skateparks in Keizer or Salem to ride his bike.
“It’s nice to have a place to go nearby to ride and practice,” he said.
Benguerel paused for a moment or two when asked what the completion of the skatepark meant to him. Like many of the skateboarders and BMX bicyclist, it means a great deal to them to have a place to go to practice their sport.
“It’s amazing it is finally done,” he said. “I am so stoked to have a skatepark in our town and I am really thankful to Jason for making it happen.”
