Skaters for Portland Skateparks

Join Portland Parks in the celebration of Portland’s new skate plaza at Ed Benedict Park, Saturday, May 30, 1:00-3:30 p.m.

Event Schedule
1:15 PM Ceremony: Commissioner Saltzman, Commissioner Fish, PP&R Director Zari Santner
1:30 PM Adidas/Tribute Skateboards Skate Jam
2:00 PM Best Trick Competition
2:30 PM PP&R Skate Jam Invitational (grades K-8 and 9-12)

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Time for the annual SOLV Pier Park Pickup. 9:00 AM-1:00 PM, This Saturday, April 18, 2009

North Lombard St. and Bruce Ave. (From Lombard turn down Bruce Street and go to where it ends at the corner of Bruce and North James St.)

SOLV Meeting Location: Meet by the turn-around at the beginning of the disc golf course. You can also meet us at the skatepark.

Some long overdue updates have been made to the site. The 19 skateparks page has been updated with links to new Ed Benedict and Gabriel Park pages. Links to Google Maps directions have been added to all to the completed skatepark pages.

Also, we have new Board members. Bryce Kanights and Beth Lyden have joined the Skaters for Portland Skateparks board to help with the next phase of skatepark advocacy in Portland. Mark Conahan is the new Executive Director.

Five down, fourteen to go. Portland’s Ed Benedict skate plaza opened to the public last weekend with little fanfare but a lot of enthusiasm. Designed by Newline Skateparks and built by California Skateparks the plaza-style park features a variety of bank, ledge and gap terrain and a miniramp-style section at one of the entrances. Dan Garland designed several skateable art obstacles under the concept Tread Lightly. The design also includes stormwater treatment features incorporated as gaps.

The facility is located at Ed Benedict Park in SE Portland at about 109th and SE Powell Blvd.

Thanks to Rich Burton of Earth Patrol Media for the photo.

I rode without a helmet today. The weather was beautiful so I went to Pier Park. I swept out the big bowl and then went to put on my pads and realized I had left my helmet at home. Since it would have taken me an hour to get home and back, I decided to skate without it. I had a good session.

This evening I came across a sad news story from New Zealand about a kid suffering a fatal head injury after riding a skateboard down a hill. We hear about these once in a while, it happens. A helmet would probably have saved him.

Our condolences to his family. Wear your helmet. Teach your kids to wear their helmets.

Lots of cool stuff going in at the Ed Benedict site. Here are a few shots of the half-pipe in the rain. Still not open.

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Skate and Annoy and Earth Patrol Media both have October 23rd photos of the progress on Ed Benedict.

Lots of progress on Ed Benedict skate plaza as of October 14th. More photos over at Skate and Annoy.

California Skateparks is making good progress on the Newline Skateparks Ed Benedict project.

More phone cam shots at Skate and Annoy.