WATERBURY — Jake Blauvelt began skateboarding when he was 9 or 10.
A well-known professional snowboarder today, Blauvelt told VTDigger that “skateboarding was my first passion for riding sideways.”
Blauvelt remembers shredding various versions of skateparks in Waterbury Center where he lives.
“So I’ve seen all the little do-it-yourself skateparks being built and taken down over the years ever since I’ve been around,” he said this week.
When he heard of a local effort to build a more permanent structure at the Hope Davey Park on Maple Street, he leaned in.
The fundraising campaign started in 2019, said Belle McDougall, a volunteer with the citizens group Waterbury Skatepark Coalition.
She was walking one day with resident Tami Bass discussing the skatepark project. Bass, who was president of the Rotary Club in Waterbury, brought the matter up to the organization that then donated the first $5,000 in seed money to the cause.
Bass has been involved with the community group since and is hopeful the project can break ground this year.
“We don’t really have a community center so to speak in Waterbury and I know that the Hope Davey skatepark was very well used. There was a lot of camaraderie there,” she said. “It was in disrepair so when we switched gears to disassemble that one and rebuild it, that really put the fire under all of us.”
Members have raised about $125,000 of their $200,000 goal and last year launched an engraved $100-per-brick fundraiser they hope will get them to the finish line. A significant part of the proceeds have come from Blauvelt’s Banks, an annual snowboard race that Blauvelt hosts at Bolton Valley.
Meanwhile, the project — which would sit on town-owned land — is working its way through the town review process, including seeking approval from the development review board, with a potential decision this summer.
On a sunny Tuesday, McDougall walked across the blacktop at the 29-acre Hope Davey Park that housed the last skatepark she had pushed to build in 2010. Built of wood and through community effort, it was torn down last fall because it was too dilapidated.
“It’s a pocket park with pizzazz that really brings a lot of people together. But arguably one of the most popular little things was the skatepark,” she said.
A kid in a red and black outfit complete with matching helmet zipped by on a scooter. Two others kicked around a blue ball on the adjoining basketball court that is planned to be moved toward the fire station to make way for the new skatepark.
On town-owned property, flanked by a basketball court, playground, ballpark, disc golf, picnic area and fields overlooking spectacular mountain views, the new skatepark would be built at a time when skateboarding options are shrinking, organizers said.
Last year Bolton Valley faced criticism for its decision to close one of Vermont’s two indoor skate and bike parks in favor of tennis and pickleball courts.
That was a paid facility, but not every kid wants to or can play organized team sports, nor pay to skate, noted McDougall.
While she doesn’t skateboard herself, she’s been a huge advocate of skateboarding because it’s a collaborative, intergenerational sport that builds community.
“When you watch kids interacting with each other and they teach each other and they say, ‘Hey, try this’ and they get ideas — it’s just incredibly supportive,” she said.
‘More than just a sport’
Despite some recent hurdles — this year’s Blauvelt’s Banks was canceled due to poor conditions and, separately, organizers missed out on a grant they had applied for — the Waterbury Skatepark Coalition has recently unveiled a design plan and hired Standard Construction to build the proposed new concrete park.
The Moretown-based construction company has built skateparks all over the country and is excited to be working on one in its backyard, said principal Geoff Hall, an avid skateboarder himself.
“It’s more than just a sport for me but you know, it’s good to have different options for kids to explore different things. And skateboarding has been really important in our lives,” he said.
The skatepark group has also been talking about building a larger state-of-the-art skateboarding facility near the Ice Center downtown that would draw enthusiasts from the region. That’s a longer term project, McDougall said.
The proposed smaller park is expected to cover 4,000 square feet — double the size of the last one, which was built by skateboarder and comedian Richie Bowen — and to include some of the popular features of its predecessor, he said.
“So it incorporates some of that and just some unique features. Nothing cookie cutter that you’re going to find in the area,” Hall said.
It would take about six to eight weeks to build and about three months to finish. The group hopes to break ground this summer pending fundraising efforts and town approval.
Recreation Director Katarina Lisaius said the town masterplan approved last June reflects a desire of the community to have skateparks in both locations and she supports that.
The group hopes the town will collaborate to help maintain it and Lisaius said the town is “totally open to collaboration or what needs to be done to make sure that’s a safe space.”
“I’m very aware that skateboarding is an important sport not only from an individual perspective, but also for a way to build friends, build confidence,” she said. “It has great impacts on mental health. So I’m supportive of skateboarding, but I support all sports.”
The group is waiting for approval from the town’s development review board. Zoning Administrator Mike Bishop said board members have asked for more design and site plan details but said the project was “well received.” He expects the board will vote on the matter this summer.
Both Blauvelt and Hall are hopeful too.
“Skateboarding is great because you can just do it on your own time. You can do it by yourself or with your friends. You don’t have to schedule it,” said Hall, who still pushes a board around when he can, usually with his 5-year-old daughter.
When he began skateboarding, the community had a bad rap, said Blauvelt. But it has evolved past a fad into an Olympic sport. He is happy to be able to use his platform to support the Waterbury group’s efforts.
“Having a good skatepark is just one other avenue for kids to express themselves, physically and emotionally — and it’s just another place for kids to go and be outside and get some exercise,” he said. “The kids are getting really good at it and they’re athletes.”