Skate Park

Brooke Avery

Oct.13 2008

28^th and B Skate Park

28^th and B Skate Park is a Safe Haven for Many

Skateboarders have had a reputation of terrorizing private property and causing havoc in public streets.

But at 28^th and B Skate Park, skaters are free to “Ollie” and “grind” as much as they please. Located at Sutter's Landing Regional Park, the skate park offers more than a deserted building would.

With a sitting area for parents to lounge in, and ramps that are allowed to be moved and altered, the park offers services that young skateboarders are encouraged to take advantage of.

“There’s nowhere else for skaters to skate, so they come here,” said Andrew, 21, one of the supervisors who oversee the park.

The skate park looks like a renovated hangar, which Andrew said used to be an old trash facility. The old hangar is painted wall to wall with graffiti art of men screaming, women dancing, and a few unrecognizable images. With skateboarders pushing and kicking all around the facility, the park looks a little out of place in the middle of quiet and serene Sutter’s Landing.

“This place is great for younger skaters to come,” said Andrew. “Because unlike at the skate park at Power Inn, they don’t get punked and bullied here. They can skate as much as they want, for a small fee.”

The park costs $3 dollars if someone wants to skate, and is free for those who want to sit in a table and watch.

The park has been open for six years, said Andrew. It is run by the Department of Parks and Recreation of the City of Sacramento.

The park also allows rollerbladers and people who use scooters, but supervisors are weary of bikes due to the pegs that are able to cause damage to the ramps. Nonetheless, patrons are grateful for the park.

“It’s a lot better than skating outside,” said Maurice, 9. “I don’t have to watch out for cars, and they have things I can grind off of here.”

The park, which is open to all ages, is popular during the fall and winter, said Andrew. Many people don’t come in the summer because of the weather during that time of the year.

Although it is mandatory for skaters to wear a helmet, those over 18 years of age have the option of wearing knee and elbow pads. A sign-in waiver is also needed to be complete before one can skate, said Andrew.

“A lot of parents feel comfortable with us here supervising everybody,” said Andrew.

He continued on to say that skaters of all ages come to the park, including well known local skaters like Brandon Beibel.

The park once offered snacks, said Andrew, but had to stop because the costs of snacks was beginning to outweigh the revenue that was being taken in.

“Frequent customers would come in and just take snacks because they felt comfortable here,” said Andrew. “But snacks will be back soon within two weeks. We just need to hammer down a little more.”

The facility is an easy option for many.

“Oh that’s an easy question,” said Nate, 12, when asked why he skates at the park. “Because I love to skate.”

Andrew Dellas- 330.620.0089