After years of effort, the installation of a skatepark in Hamilton is about to become a reality. Last week. Bryan Dufresne, president of the board of Circle 13 Skatepark, the non-profit organization that is installing the skatepark in Claudia Driscoll Park, under a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Hamilton, gave the City Council members a sneak preview of the design concept which was officially “unveiled” at the Bedford Building in Hamilton on Monday, September 17.
“I’m excited,” Dufresne told the council members. “I think it’s a fusion of everything we hoped for.” He said the design accommodates everyone from those who need a challenge to those who barely know how to stand on a skateboard.
Dufresne said that with the addition of a street section that makes a loop around the outer edge, kids who have hardly been on a skateboard will be able to coast and be out of the way for the most part but able to watch all the other activity and learn.
“It’s a fantastic place for kids to learn who don’t know anything about skating,” he said.
Then there’s the middle section – the rollers – for people getting ready for deep transition. He said the “hard core deep transition skaters” have some egg-shaped bowls that can be challenging and, of course, a lot of fun.
Dufresne said that what they were going to emphasize at the “unveiling” and continually as things move forward is the “etiquette” involved in skating and the importance of showing a respect and appreciation for the facility that the community was providing the skaters.
The council members were assured that a couple of things in the conceptual design were not going to be installed, like the rock formation and the trees, since they would actually be safety hazards.
After hearing some concerns about the potential impact on the bandshell in the park where many performances are held, a landscaped berm was incorporated into the design to serve as a sound barrier. It will also serve to provide some elevated seating for bandshell performances.
Evergreen Skateparks, the company contracted to install the skatepark, was expected to be in town on September 17, “looking, flagging and pondering,” said Dufresne. Work is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, according to Dufresne.
Cost of the total project is estimated at about $300,000. Circle 13 Skatepark received some major contributions to finance the construction, including a $100,000 donation from Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament, a $50,000 donation from Bill Watkins, owner of Discovery Care Centre in Hamilton, and another $45,000 from the Montana Skatepark Association. Fundraising is still a little short of the goal by about $25,000 and contributions are welcome.