WHEREFORE ART THOU, SKATEPARK?

Will a Boston skatepark ever get built, or will it be just another disappointment to area skateboarders? I started skateboarding in 1976, and in my opinion, the Charles River Skatepark will take at least another 10 years to build.

Nine years have already passed since the project’s launch, and though the Charles River Conservancy has raised $2.5 million, those funds are just gathering dust. The CRC is determined to use their proposed site at any cost, but the area designated for the skatepark has no commuter access or adequate parking. There is also a possible issue of contaminated soil on site, and a cement plant nearby fouling the air with dust and other factory emissions.

If these were the only obstacles, the project would still have a fighting chance. Still, there are continual delays associated with everything from maintenance to a footbridge, which is to be built first as part of the public park revitalization project. Yet another problem is the Turnpike Authority, which now wants to embroil their finances into the skatepark project. How can including the Turnpike Authority further expedite this already stagnated project?

Skateboarding has influenced my life and provided me with many opportunities. The sport should be more available to Boston’s youth, and this facility could provide a central meeting place for New England’s skateboarders.

I have traveled around the United States to find unique places to ride, and would like Boston to become a destination for other touring skateboarders. The Charles River Skatepark could draw skateboarders from all over the country.

The CRC does not realize the fleeting nature of skateboarding. The dreams of our youth have been abandoned as a result of the CRC’s incompetence, leaving the bitter taste of bureaucracy in their place.

Skateboarding in Boston depends on the opportunities we have presented to us. If skateboarders in the area have available world-class facilities, these athletes can possibly reach incredible heights.

The CRC needs to stop making themselves look pretty in the mirror and get busy.

Skateboarding is for the young, yet I am getting old waiting for the Charles River Skatepark to materialize.

KEVIN DAY IS A LONGTIME AREA SKATEBOARDER AND THE OWNER OF PAINCHEATER KNEE PADS. FOR THE LATEST ON THE SKATEPARK, VISIT [[http://bostonskateboarder.com/|BOSTONSKATEBOARDER.COM]].