[Newsletter] Skatepark news

Fri Dec 15 00:46:24 CST 2006

Hi everyone,
Skateparks are popping up everywhere these days. The bigger problem is  
making sure they are built right. Remember to use a qualified designer and  builder 
before you start. How can you tell? You can check with us to see if  there 
are any written complaints against your builder/ designer and you can also  
check _www.concretedisciples.com_ (http://www.concretedisciples.com) 
Ask them what parks they have built and then look them up on this site for  a 
review. Keep in mind that this site favors concrete bowls.

Here is a clip of our youngest SPAUSA  Team Rider Evan  Wasser, who just 
turned 7.
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OdV3CCW5I0_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OdV3CCW5I0) 

Neither of his parents skateboard but they are thankful for all the local  
parks. They did not know that this was/ is not an option for most kids.
*********************************
GROMFEST will be the first national amateur championship  for skateboarding 
in more than 20 years. It is the brainchild of Ryan  Simpson who runs the 
Burton CHILL program for  snowboarding. SPAUSA will be producing the skateboarding 
events  and Ryan will produce the snowboard events. All proceeds will  benefit 
the Chill program and the Patrick Kerr Scholarship  fund, both charities. If 
you would like to hold a qualifier please contact  me.

**************************
Seattle is looking at 26 sites for multiple  skateparks
_http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003476799_skateparks14m.html
_ 
(http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003476799_skateparks14m.html) 

***********************************

Birdhouse Skateboards is proud to announce Steve  Haring as its new Team 
Manager. A dedicated skater and  videographer, Steve has eight years of skating 
under his belt and has been  filming and making videos for the many years. Steve’
s introduction to the brand  began five years ago when he started working 
closely with Birdhouse co-founder  Tony Hawk at 900 Films on various projects 
including filming, Tony Hawk  Skatepark Tour. 

******************************** 
SPAUSA Team Rider News 
Bennett  Harada is on the cover of Concrete Wave this  month. 
Jorge  Comelli has his 2nd full page ad for World Industries in Transworld  
Skateboard Mag. 
Jose  Garcia is riding for Five Four and was just added to  Anthony Mosley's 
new Black Sheep team. Anthony  has been filming his ads at the SPAUSA ramp so 
we got first look at his new  line. It will be out Dec. 26th so make sure to 
look for it. It is going to be a  hot line. If you need info to order it let me 
know. 
PJ  Harris has been working in the recording studio and finished a new CD.  
PJ is the director of the Salvation Army skatepark in S. Central Los Angeles 
and  is hosting a DOOGOOD event tomorrow.PJ is on flow with  Element and DGK. 
Lamonzo  Coleman was just added to the Santa Monica Active team  and Madrid's 
FLYPAPER. 
Matt  LeMond (13 yrs.) has joined the NIKE 6.0 team and  just finished 
filming a segment for Fuel TV. 
SPAUSA  Grom team is growing and we added 3 new riders on in NYC. Their first 
 challenge will be to help us open up school skateparks. 
***************************** 
Skatepark  news 
We ( PJ, Lamonzo,  Israel and myself) just got back from Cave City, Anniston, 
Baton Rouge,  Littlerock and Waveland. 
Cave  City has been pledged 10,000 sq feet of land for their park. The local  
skaters lead by Mat have done a great job with very little  support from the 
community. I think once they have the land and a design things  will ease up a 
bit. 
Baton  Rouge is looking at a downtown skatepark and they are very organized  
and working with the BMX riders too. I was there 4 years ago and it was fun to 
 see the same kids  but bigger and also a lot of new faces.  Gary has been 
able to keep the group growing and focused. 
We held a contest with  Imperial Ride Shop in Little Rock. It was great day 
and a  good turnout. 
We went to  South Coast skatepark in Waveland for a demo. We got there late  
and Kelly kept the park open for as long as the guys wanted to  skate. That 
was so nice and the park is beautiful. After Katrina,  Trueride came out and 
rebuilt the park. They will be holding  King of the Park there in 2007 and we 
hope to come back and  compete. 
Last stop was  Anniston and they are very organized. Kids made ramps and we  
had a good demo and then went out with the locals to see where they skated.  
Those kids are tough! It was freezing cold and they were in tee shirts and  
shorts. Fred has been working hard to get sites for the parks and it looks like  
they will have 3 locations. They are fundraising now. 
***************** 
Big Bear  CA is looking good and we have a pledge for land. The next step 
will be  to raise funds. Rome has been working real hard on this project  and 
organizing demos and crashing city council meetings. 
Venice  CA is on the fast track - after 20 years. The park should start  
construction late 2007. 
The final design  meeting will be Jan 2007. Jesse Martinez and Geri  Lewis 
are the ringleaders. 
***************************** 
_Council  isn't helping young to be fit and active_ 
(http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/yourview/display.var.1069856.0.council_isnt_helping_young_to_be_fit
_and_active.php) 
Bolton News - Bolton,UK
... I am not always able  to get there when my parents are busy. What do you 
want us to do? There are some  really good skateparks around the country. ...

_Cops and  rockers boosts skatepark by $15,000_ 
(http://newsfeed.recorder.ca/cgi-bin/LiveIQue.acgi$rec=20531) 
Brockville Recorder and Times - Ontario,  Canada
... "We wanted to go to specialized (companies) that  build skateparks, but 
they didn't want to come to Brockville," Severson  said, referring to the first 
two ...

_With  park closing for season some are ‘just trying to find a ..._ 
(http://www.bdtonline.com/princeton/local_story_342112743.html?keyword=topstory) 
Bluefield Daily Telegraph -  Bluefield,WV,USA
... Ellison said he had recently taken trips  to Virginia and North Carolina 
just to visit skateparks, and he said  giving the teens a place in the 
planning would  ...

_Blame falls on 'grey  power' as wheels come off skatepark bid_ 
(http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=1736902006) 
Scotsman - United Kingdom
... as deeply worrying  because skateboarders are well-behaved and all the 
evidence suggests they cause  no problems for the communities in which 
skateparks are based  ...

********************************
Clyde Singleton's new video "Minority Report" will be available for  sale 
next week. 
****************************

Just in case you are thinking that everyone is on board with skateparks and  
skaters check this out. My husband and I are buying a property and they owner  
was looking for ways to breach the contract so their lawyer said this about 
us -  well it was really directed at me:

" their association with skateboarders, the like  of whose background and 
character are typically suspect of criminal acts to  include identity theft and 
misuse of personal information, including that of our  client."

It is always nice to know what we are up against.
Happy Holidays from everyone at SPAUSA

Thank you for contacting  SPAUSA
Heidi Lemmon
executive director SPAUSA
board member  WFSA (world freestyle skateboard association)
board member IBMXFF  (international BMX freestyle federation
board member ASTM (standards for  skateparks)
SPAUSA members and the SPAUSA Demo  Team
_www.spausa.org_ (http://www.spausa.org/)  and _www.myspace.com/spausa_ 
(http://www.myspace.com/spausa)  
310 . 261 . 2816 310 . 495 . 7112
SkatePark Association USA 
celebrating*10 *  years 1996 - 2006
a  non profit organization 
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