Steamboat Today: No bikes allowed at new Steamboat skatepark

Archive for Tuesday, May 11, 2010

City Parks Supervisor Ernie Jenkins tried to keep the rules posted at the new Bear River Skatepark pretty relaxed by using “light” language and attempting to address skateboarders at their level by referring to the rules as the skatepark “Do’s & Don’ts.” However, a few local cyclists were not thrilled when they learned that their favorite pastime was listed under the Don’ts.

Use limited to skateboarders, inline skaters because of wear issues

By John F. Russell Tuesday, May 11, 2010

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Steamboat Springs — Now that the new concrete skatepark in Steamboat Springs finally is open, City Parks Supervisor Ernie Jenkins hopes users will bring a renewed sense of enthusiasm, their best tricks and their skateboards.

But the city requests that cyclists leave their bikes at home. It’s a new rule that caught a few local cyclists off guard, but one that Jenkins thinks will extend the life of the park.

“It wasn’t our intention to exclude anyone,” Jenkins said. “But we felt like this was something we had to do to protect the surface.”

Jenkins said the steel components on a bike scrape, gouge and otherwise damage the concrete surface. The “no bike” rule was a disappointment to several cyclists in the community who hope the new park would give them a new place to play.

Jenkins pointed out that the city offers other options for bikes, including a BMX track at Howelsen Hill, and the Howelsen Skate Park, which will continue to be a venue for skateboards and bikes. He also is optimistic about a new pump track planned for Ski Time Square. That is a private venture.

Freestyle riders like Dacques McCann say none of the current options truly address freestyle biking.

“I’m bummed that’s not going to be open to bikes,” McCann said about the new skatepark.

He thinks the city doesn’t understand the sport of freestyle BMX biking and that other measures could have been taken to protect the concrete surface. Those options would include not allowing the steel pegs found on many freestyle bikes, or requiring plastic pedals or plastic handlebar extensions. Jenkins said the city looked into options that would allow bikes in the park and said that as the technology of that sport continues to evolve the issue could be readdressed.

McCann hopes for more.

“Maybe the city could designate other areas or look into upgrading existing areas for different styles of riding,” McCann said.

Steamboat is not alone when it comes to grappling with this issue.

Like Steamboat, Aspen and Silverthorne don’t allow bikes in their concrete parks. Breckenridge and Winter Park do allow bikes in theirs. And many parks in Colorado Springs and Denver allow bikes with restrictions, such as no steel pegs.

“Our primary mission was to provide an ideal surface to skate on and then to protect that surface,” said Scott Chism, parks planner and landscape architect for Aspen’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Aspen has had concrete for more than 10 years, and he said the town hasn’t had a lot of issues with its “no bikes” rule. He said it’s important to remember that the temperature changes in the high country is a huge factor when it came to making the choice on bikes.

“Our cold climate is tough on concrete,” Chism said. “If you get a small crack or chip it can fester and become a much bigger problem in no time.”

Team Pain’s Tito Porrata, who works for the company that built the concrete park in Steamboat, said there are a number of issues that his clients must consider when building a park and then deciding how it will be used.

He said every park is subject to wear and tear, whether it allows bikes or restricts them. He said bikes tend to be heavier and use harder materials than skateboards. Those factors can accelerate the wear on a park.

“Skateparks normally wear out skateboards,” Porrata said. “But bikes tend to wear out skateparks.”

In Winter Park, Russ Chameroy, the public works director, said bikes are welcome at the Hideaway skatepark and that there haven’t been a lot of issues with maintenance or user conflicts.

“We don’t have enough BMX users here to make it an issue,” Chameroy said.

Bikes and skateboards are welcome at the 40,000-square-foot Memorial Skate Park in Colorado Springs. Tim Pluemer, skilled maintenance supervisor for the park, said he does see more damage at the park from bikes than skateboards. But the city thought it was more important to open the facility to every group that wanted to use it. He said the park suggests that bikers use plastic pegs but admits that it’s hard to enforce.

Pluemer said that while he sees more wear from bikes, it isn’t significantly more than is expected at the park. His biggest challenge has been trying to keep the park clear of graffiti.

“Concrete is hard to replace. It’s nothing against bikers,” said Jon Casson, director of the Steamboat Skatepark Alliance. “If a biker fell and damages the concrete surface, it’s going to be hard to fix.”

The Skatepark Alliance initiated the effort to build the park and raised $60,000 for it, including a $10,000 grant from the Yampa Valley Community Foundation. The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs contributed $2,000, the city contributed $50,000, and the project received a $200,000 grant from Great Outdoors Colorado.

Construction was completed on the park in the fall, and the park opened last weekend after the city organized a volunteer workday to complete several landscaping projects.

flower (anonymous) says...

I wonder what restrictions we will have on Lincoln Ave now that it is concrete !?!? no cars with studded tires? no plowing with metal blades? 4th of July parade..oops no horses with metal shoes allowed!

May 11, 2010 at 6:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

monzaski35 (anonymous) says...

Once again the city screwed up. I don't even ride bmx bikes, but again the City of Steamboat Springs did something for one group of people and screwed the rest. I like your comments flower, you're probably right, we won't be able to drive on Lincoln at all, it will be foot traffic only.

May 11, 2010 at 7:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

greenwash (anonymous) says...

How about NO SMOKING ! I was over there and saw many teenyboppers smoking cigs and skating.Parents please know where your kids are.

May 11, 2010 at 8:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oldskoolstmbt (anonymous) says...

SKATEpark....it's pretty self explanatory.....bikers should raise money and put in their own park...this valley has more and more recreational activities to offer kids and it's never enough....b*tch, b*tch, b*tch!...if your kid really wants a bmx/freestyle/trials park, sounds like a quality time project to build with your son/daughter...or help them start a committee/organization to someday build one on public land, such as the skatepark alliance has!

May 11, 2010 at 9:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

snowysteamboat (anonymous) says...

What about scooters?

May 11, 2010 at 9:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Essam (Essam Welch) says...

Discrimination. The exclusion of a specific user group in our publicly funded cement park is summed up with one word. The park is not private and the majority of the funding comes from public sources that have the common goal of providing alternative activities for youth and adults. There was a period of time when members of the skateboard community were excluded from snowboarding on ski areas. Similar inconclusive arguments regarding impact on the ski run conditions or skier experience were tirelessly debated until access was fairly granted. This is a public park that appeals to many users. The park will serve the community to its fullest potential when special interest groups are equally treated.
Se a list of, or better yet visit and ride a park on this list of fair access “Skateparks” that do not discriminate. http://www.bmxriders.org/res.view.cfm....
The efforts of the The Skatepark Alliance are appreciated, but the city must consider the interests of the whole community. Let us quickly move beyond exclusion and towards cooperation.
Be well,
Essam

May 11, 2010 at 1:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Cooke (anonymous) says...

Essam – By your logic, I should be able to sled or tube down Howelsen in the winter. I should be able to drive a car on the Core Trail to avoid the traffic. I should be able to skateboard on the tennis courts and ride my motorcycle on Emerald.

I can’t do these things. Do you know why? It’s because these city-owned facilities are not designed for those activities. It’s a skatepark. If you feel that there should be a bikepark, why not take the initiative and start a campaign, raise some matching funds, etc.

May 11, 2010 at 4:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Essam (Essam Welch) says...

The cement park is designed well for the use of bikes, skateboards and rollerblades. There are even wheelchair park riders. Cooke's analogies each fail to compare to park use. By no ones logic would anyone drive a car drive on the Core Trail. The activities of skating and park riding fall into a single category. We can all have a great time sharing our new city park.

May 11, 2010 at 7:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Scott_Wedel (Scott Wedel) says...

Studded tires and such will ding up the concrete along Lincoln. Though, no one expects Lincoln to remain smooth to be enjoyable for skateboards and rollerblades. The skate park needs to stay very smooth.

A bike on a skate park can hit the ground with incredible force, certainly comparable to swinging a sledgehammer.

The bikers would have an argument if they were instrumental in developing and raising money for the park only to learn at the end that bikes weren't going to be allowed. But this appears to have been a skateboarder inspired project and the concrete surface should not be put at risk.

May 11, 2010 at 9:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mavis (anonymous) says...

flower-- you got it!
Scott--- since you are the internet blogging expert-- what does mag chloride do to concrete? What does it do when the little dings and scrapes are scraped off from plows and then mag chloride gets in there? It is quite ovbious what it does to vehicles, but add traffic ( which should now be ovbious to all) and plowing to the mix and how long is it going to last?

May 11, 2010 at 9:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

greenwash (anonymous) says...

Contaminated soils from old fuel stations,asphalt that is petrolium based and soaked with mag chloride,concrete with rebar.......All of which is being buried next to skate park in flood plain adjacent to Yampa River...I guess if the city says its OK than it must be fine to dump contaminated material behind new courthouse.

Just asking ???

May 12, 2010 at 8:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Bitchbee (anonymous) says...

This is lame< I def donated money fro the new skate park, with the intention to ride my new jump bike. Umm well I want it back, I cant wait to see all the new graffiti.

The howelsen bmx track is a joke. I wish G and B would give up and give it to winter sports club to make a real jump park. I guess if you really want something to have to take it. let the war begin. Oh by the way I skate and bike.

May 14, 2010 at 7:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jpatten (anonymous) says...

Flowers and Scott-
You can't fairly compare the skate park concrete with Lincoln Ave. concrete being poured...a different mix altogether. U.S. 40 is being paved with 8 1/2" thick highway grade concrete. Apples to oranges.
Jody Patten
819-7008 U.S. 40 Proj. Hotline for facts

May 14, 2010 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )