A local group of extreme sports enthusiasts are working to change the image of skateboarding while gaining support for a covered skate park.
The 501(c)3 non-profit organization “AK Skate Dreams” is sponsored by Bridges Community Resource Network, Inc., and Chad Samskar has been instrumental in establishing the group.
Samskar: “We’ve already got a board of skaters and right now they’re helping with the design of the project and the plan afterwards is to stay involved by hosting events, coaching new riders, doing road trips to different skate parks and just kind of letting them experience all the other skate parks in Alaska.”
Samskar said local skateboarders, BMX, and scooter riders would like a facility to practice their sports in during the winter on the Kenai Peninsula.
The ultimate goal of creating an indoor or covered skate facility has been presented to both the Kenai and Soldotna Parks and Recreation Commissions.
Samskar: “It was positive, a lot more feedback than I was expecting but none of it was too negative or discouraging and so we’re going to keep pushing with it and hopefully after a few years we’ll get a skate park built.”
In the meantime, the group is looking for volunteers to help give back to the community by picking up trash or helping people with yard work to change negative stereotypes about skaters and bikers.