Nearly 100 degrees couldn't keep the NY skate community away from Go Skateboarding Day's main attraction on June 21.
At 3pm the gates to the renovated Coleman Oval Skatepark were opened and the park was flooded with the first hundred excited skateboarders. That hundred became a few thousand (we lost count after 2,233) and game was officially on. In some unplanned yet seemingly choreographed display of grinding, sliding, and ollies oh my!, skateboarders from all over the region (and even some pros), spent the next 4 hours test-riding the new park. It was, to say the least, awesome.
The previous day NY Skateboarding interviewed community partner Steve Rodriguez, who led a tour of the freshly-built park. Steve talks about the obstacles, community, design considerations and homages to the Coleman's continuing identity:
Above: Nike Christens LES Skatepark, ESPN (4:17)
Ride with Paul Rodriguez, Eric Koston and Stefan Janoski through Go Skate Day with Dose (4:28).
Mass Appeal's interview with Program Manager Alix Ogilvie of Architecture for Humanity
Communications Associate
Pre-opening lineup outside the gate
Pro skaters examine the obstacles before the park publicly opens
Then the public examines the obstacles
This kid baffles Steve Rodriguez, and the rest of us
Program Manager
At about 3PM, the gates opened. Skaters began streaming into the park, with no apparent end
The ever-popular pyramid
Later in the day, each feature hosted a trick competition
Chief Eternal Optimist
The Playground is Open
Trying out the fence
Is P-Rod's best trick with a Sharpie?
From the speakers' stage
"Some day, all this will be yours" (Well, it kinda already is)
Design Fellow
Via her handy dandy Flip Cam
First skaters to enter the park. Preeti: Some of the kids looked a little stunned!
Preeti: These kids were featured in one of the first AfH videos regarding this project.... one of the kids had mentioned cracking his tooth on one of the old obstacles at the park
CA Skatepark foreman Jesse Simpson explains the creation of a skate obstacle...between passing trains
June 22: The day after
The following day in New York, the builders, Program Manager and Design Fellow met on site and quickly went through the final touches towards construction completion and official-official opening. Disappointed onlookers, realizing that the sooner it's done the sooner they skate, laid down their boards, and helped cover the park in burlap tarps (concrete curing blankets). The park has another week or two until final close-out.
