Skatepark Open House
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
The fledgling group ran into pushback from groups including the city, about costs and liability, so the program was put on hold until 2021.
The STOKE (Science, Technology, Outdoors, Knowledge and Entrepreneurship) kids’ organization, along with John Hahn, started doing research and reaching out to experts in the field. They asked the question if other small towns in Montana have skateboard parks, why can’t we?
According to John, the question was answered this way: If the park is placed on city land and it is built by a professional skatepark builder, then there are no extra insurance premium charges for the city.
Enter a musician with the rock band Pearl Jam.
Jeff Ament is originally from Big Sandy, Montana where his folks farmed next to U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s farm. Ament and Pearl Jam have been extraordinarily successful, so he decided he would build the Montana Pool Service foundation to help pay for skateparks in Montana. He worked with the Montana Skateboard Association and Evergreen Skateparks. Together they put up $100,000 toward the Townsend skatepark.
STOKE leaders and students then asked for, and received $60,000, from the Broadwater County Trust Board. The students and leaders surveyed the residents around Holloway Park and were able to come to an agreement as to where and how large the park should be. Within weeks, the uniquely designed concrete skatepark was in place. The 4,500 square-foot park can be used by kids and grownups on scooters, bikes, roller skates and other wheeled vehicles. A pavilion will be built later this year, Hahn said.
Ament explained that the foundation has helped fund and build five skateparks this year alone in Montana. They are in Deer Lodge, Troy, Townsend and two on the Crow Reservation.
Bridger Nunn won the prize for naming the park Sharp-Shinned, after one of Montana’s commonly seen hawks. Sebastian Grandy won a skateboard for designing the sign for the park.
STOKE hosted a hot dog and hamburger lunch for the one hundred or so people who attended the grand opening.
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: Carla Amundson presents a check to STOKE founder Albertina Homann.
Image 2 Caption: Skatepark sign designed by Sebastian Gady. Bridger Nunn won the prize for picking the name “Sharp-Shinned Skatpark.”
Image 3 Caption: Carla Amundson and Jeff Ament.
