The Portsmouth Skatepark @skateparkofportsmouth in New Hampshire is now open. The concrete park was funded by the Skatepark of Portsmouth group, who raised $26,000 via parades and fundraisers, in conjunction with $1 million provided by the city council. Notably, the skatepark is "a key access point for the New Hampshire Greenway Route, aka the Rail Trail."
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Nikolaus Dean @swadaptiveskate wrote A Sociocultural Analysis of Adaptive Skateboarding and Wheelchair Motocross, a dissertation research project that explores the experiences of physically disabled skateboarders and wheelchair motocross riders. The work examines these riders' experience within skateboarding culture, Instagram, and material spaces.
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Crested Butte News published a profile of one of the first female professional skaters Jodi McDonald. The article covers her professional career highlights, how she overcame drug addiction, and her continuing battle against breast cancer.
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Ask.com @askdotcom published Common Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Out in Skateboarding. It covers gear, warm ups, foot placement, and progression expectations.
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The Westside of Long Beach in California will be getting a new skatepark, called the Silverado Skate Park. The only skatepark in the area is getting this renovation thanks to Action Sports Kids Foundation @asklongbeach, Nouns DAO, and others.
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Valley of the Moon Skate Shop @vomskateshop is now open at the general store Community Supply @community_supply in Sonoma, California. Nick Koerner, the skate shop's owner and member of the Valley of the Moon Park Riders Union @vomparkriders, is offering boards, apparel, and jewelry made from recycled decks that he makes himself. The shop was opened as part of the Sonoma Skate Park Project and aims to build up the local skateboarding community.
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The town of Easton, Maryland now has a new concrete skatepark and pump track, designed by Spohn Ranch and built in collaboration with Easton Public Works. The funds for the project came from a $7 million 2020 bond for Parks and Recreation improvements.
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Springfield in Robertson County Tennessee is building a new concrete skatepark thanks to the city and Kiwanis of Springfield. Kiwanis raised $150,000, the city allocated $60,000, the Skatepark Project granted $15,000, and an anonymous donor gave $50,000 toward the cost. They hope to have the park completed and open by March 2024.
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According to writer Evelyn Martinez @eviemwrites, Applegate Skatepark in Merced, California is haunted by a headless ghost skateboarder.
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The $2.3 million Reading Skatepark in Pennsylvania is on track to open in June 2024. The Grindline crew @grindlineskateparks has finished the drainage and is putting the project on hold until the weather eases up.
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Noah Halpern-McManus opened an indoor skatepark called Easthampton Skate Club @easthamptonskateclub in western Massachusetts at Eastworks @eastworks_ma, a 500,000 sq. ft. converted mill building that serves as the home of artists, writers, and non-profit organizations.
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The Steel Bridge Skatepark will be built in Portland, Oregon thanks to $15 million allocated by the Portland Parks & Recreation bureau. Ryan Hashagen, director of Steel Bridge Skatepark Coalition @steel-bridge_skatepark, said “'It will breathe life and energy into Old Town,' and, 'will activate the area by providing a recreational space for people, inclusive of all backgrounds and abilities.'”
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106.9 KROC @krocfm in Rochester, Minnesota published an article about how Silver Lake Skatepark fosters a positive and encouraging community space for residents. The Rochester Parks and Recreation Department is planning to update the park with elements like a pool, flow bowl, and/or snake run.
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The Friends of Newport Skatepark (FONS) @friendsofnewportskatepark have raised $1 million dollars for a new concrete skatepark in Newport, Rhode Island. FONS will get two designs from Spohn Ranch, which they will choose from, and the park will be built in proximity to the new basketball court on John H. Chafee Blvd. Donny Barley @donnybarley is on the design team and said, "'the whole park will be conductive, so that when you hop on your board you can go from one point to another…'"
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A new concrete skatepark has opened in Evanston, Illinois. The park was made in part thanks to Evanston Skates @evanstonskates, who wanted to ensure that it was "accessible to riders of different ability levels and non-motorized vehicles including skateboards, BMX bikes and roller skates."
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The country of Jersey will be building a new indoor skatepark in the disused St. Ouen's Methodist Church.
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The City of Fort St. John in British Columbia, Canada and D&D Insulators donated a storage box for local skateboarders to store their equipment in at the Pomeroy Sport Centre.
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Travis Scott is advocating for the reopening of Virgil Abloh's Freedom Skatepark in Ghana. The park was opened just two years ago and is the only skatepark in the area, but has been closed because of "contractor issues."
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Ground Floor Skateboards @groundfloorskateboards in Rockford, Illinois is closing after eight years. Owner Eric Neubauer, a public school teacher, ran the store with his wife, architect and community activist Alicia Neubauer, until her death in 2020 from breast cancer. The store is marking all merchandise at 40% off until they shut down at the end of January.
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Skate Scene: Art Inspired by Skate Culture is an art exhibition on display at the Media Arts Council @mediaartscouncil in Media, Pennsylvania until February 18th, 2024. It features over 100 pieces by 40+ artists and is curated by the Delco Skatepark Coalition @delco_skatepark_coalition
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The first skatepark ever built in Columbus, Ohio, Dodge Park Skatepark, has been restored and updated. The park was designed by Frank Hawk, Tony's dad.
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Amar Hadid @amar_hd will serve as the 2024 Australia Day Ambassador in Camden, New South Wales, Australia.
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30 members of the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association @medhatskate traveled from Canada to Ensenada, Mexico and built a new house for a family in need in connection with Youth With a Mission, Homes of Hope.
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How It Happened! Skateboards, a fact-based book about the "history, science, and culture of skateboarding," by Paige Towler and Wonderlab Group, will be released in March 2024.
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The Carrigaline Municipal District in Ireland has requested additional signage at Carrigaline Skatepark to more thoroughly inform parents and kids that the space is intended for users 10 or older. The request is in response to safety concerns between adult and child-aged skaters.
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Task & Purpose published a profile of Adam Klakowicz @akraw215, an amateur skater from Philadelphia who became a Green Beret in the United States Army. He's now a part of Raid Skateboards @raidskateboards, a veteran-owned company that seeks to address PTSD through skateboarding.
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The Northern Arizona University Skate Club @nauskate is accepting donations to help further their mission.
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A masked and mysterious longboarder has been stirring up folks in Huntington, Virginia by riding in the middle of various roadways, including Richmond Highway. "One commuter…did try to reach out to the skateboarder. 'What's your name?' he asked out of the car window. 'I don't have a name,' said the rider, 'call me whatever you want.'"
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Blackpool Skatepark in England will be receiving six solar-lighting columns to extend the hours of use and "reduce the risk of vandalism."
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Only one cul-de-sac in all of Los Angeles has a ban against skateboarding on the street and sidewalk because of too much hill-bombing.
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The city of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania will be getting a new concrete skatepark designed by American Ramp Company (ARC) @arcskateparks. The city secured $475,000 for the project from the American Rescue Plan Act, but the demolition of the previous skatepark cost $15,000, so they are left with $460,000 to build the new one. Construction should start sometime in 2024.
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A new skateshop called Brasshouse Boardroom @brasshouseboardroom opened in Mansfield, Ohio. The shop sells all types of skate goods and houses a small indoor mini ramp. The store is also affiliated with the Liberty DIY @libertydiy and accepts donations on the DIY's behalf.
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Katerina Hill @the_hill_kat , Canada's top-ranked female downhill skateboarder, is trying to raise money to help cover the cost for her and her sister to travel to the World Skate Championships that will take place in February in the Philippines. Check out the GoFundMe. Katerina became the legal guardian for her two sisters in 2023 after their mother succumbed to cancer.
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A short documentary film was released on YouTube called Kingtom: A Tom Peha Story, about the time the skater climbed onto the roof of the Kingdome in Seattle and did a boneless.
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Culted published a spotlight of Motherlan @ourmotherlan, a creative collective formed in Lagos, Nigeria, which has relocated to London. They are skaters and artists who make work in various disciplines.
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The Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum @skateboardinghalloffame will host the 2024 "Skate & Create"" event on February 3rd and 4th. The event will feature a class on making skateboard art, advice on skateboarding, drawing sessions, and a drum class.
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The city of Cardiff in Wales' Cardiff Council @cardiff_council has developed the Skateboard Amenities Strategy, an investment plan for the creation of six new skateparks by 2032. The Council is working with Van der Zalm @vdzaconsulting and New Line Skateparks @newlineskateparks to "create skate amenities that support a wide range of uses and skill levels."
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Check out Jon Ryan's @jonryanisdead new short film Full Time, about a college graduate and skater who accepts a very time consuming and deadening job at Borough Hall in Brooklyn.
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The Chelsea Flower Show, a garden show held by the Royal Horticultural Society in London, will feature a granite skateboard ramp as a centerpiece so as to "highlight the links between 'skateboarding and cultivation' and draw in the youth."
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A skatepark was recently opened in Binangonan, Rizal, in Baranguay Calumpang, Philippines. Mayor Cesar Ynares stated that the park is intended to "pave the way for the development of the physical activity of the youth of the town and even non-residents," as well as to "keep the youth away from vices and other unproductive activities such as crimes."
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Eric Berkowitz, an art collector and dermatologist in New York City, was featured on The Skateroom @theskateroom. He discusses his skateboard art collection, his skateboarding children, and other skate-related topics.
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The city of Las Cruces, New Mexico will be getting a new skatepark at the East Mesa Recreation Complex.
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Truro, England will be building a new skatepark at Langarth Garden Village, designed by Maverick Skateparks @maverickskate. Submit feedback on the design here before February 9, 2024.
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Inmates, prison workers, and community members are creating and auctioning off skateboard art. The project was started by Fresno Skateboard Salvage @fresnoskateboardsalvage and a few prisons to encourage prisoners to engage in positive actions and to help children.
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Mamelodi Skate Club @mams_park in South Africa is working on opening a skatepark at Tateni Community Care Services. Once the skatepark is opened, the club will provide skate lessons. Currently, the group teaches children how to skate on a basketball court that is too small to meet the growing demand for lessons.
