Eighty miles is a long way to drive just to skateboard. But for Andrew Hook, a Breckenridge resident, it was worth it to celebrate Denver’s newest skate park.
He was one of a few dozen skaters dropping in, ollieing and grinding at Barnum Park, which recently reopened after a year-long construction project to upgrade its basketball court and build the skate park.
It was evident that Barnum wanted a new place to skate. Denver Parks and Recreation staff said there used to be tennis courts at Barnum Park, but both were turned into makeshift parks by resident skaters.
The nearest skate parks are in Paco Sanchez Park or Westwood, and both have middling reviews. Meanwhile, Barnum’s new park is spacious and has “street-oriented features,” according to one skater.
“It's like exactly what skaters want,” Hook said. “So it's worth the drive every day if you ask me.”
Denver is embracing the skating counterculture.
You’re not going to be chased out of the park for skating, says Nick Buchanan, one of two of alternative sports coordinators for parks and rec.
He said the creation of his position three years ago signals how seriously the city wants to take skateboarding.
“Growing up skateboarding, when it was still a counterculture, we'd get chased out of banks and parking lots and be yelled at school,” he said. “It's so awesome to see how far skateboarding's come to where municipalities are sinking money into it to support it.”
Buchanan hosts several skateboarding classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced-level kids. The city also has a skateboarding team for youth ages 8-15.
While 6-year-old Carter Brooks is still two years away from signing up for the team, he’s still taking advantage of the city’s programs. He took the free lessons at Barnum Park’s reopening and, as someone who lives a block away, he’s excited to drag his grandma to the park as much as he can.
“[I want to] skate around and learn more tricks,” he said.
The park is skater-approved.
Eli Epstein, who lives just a few blocks away, said the Barnum skate park’s design is fully up-to-date on the latest trends and will be a popular hangout spot for local skaters.
“I think that this has a lot more street-oriented features and a lot of things that are a lot closer to what a lot of kids are skating these days as well,” he said.
Bayr, who goes by that name when in skate environments, has worked to make the skating culture in Denver more accessible and accepting of people with diverse backgrounds. She said the new park reflects a changed community by including features that appeal to all skill levels.
“There's no funky features,” Bayr said. “Everything is approachable from different ways. You can be as small or as big as you want it, and I think that's really important for accessibility and skateboarding.”
