Talent’s Old Town Skate Park has reopened after a $600,000 remodel. Skaters are celebrating the park’s new features — and its place in Oregon's skate history — at the inaugural Talent Skate Classic competition on Saturday, Oct. 11.
The story of the park goes back to 1990, when most skateparks in Oregon were either private or built illegally on public or abandoned land.
The city’s parks and recreation commission got word that Talent resident Dave Bobb had a design degree from the University of California, Berkeley. They approached Bobb, whose children skateboarded, about designing Oregon’s first city-built skatepark.
Bobb got to work with help from an army of volunteers, including input from skaters associated with Portland’s famous DIY Burnside Bridge park. He oversaw the construction of the skatepark for around $86,000, well below the original $350,000 estimate.
Skaters loved it.
“It gave them a way to express themselves and keep them out of trouble,” Bobb said. “It was a big part of a lot of kids’ lives, and now their kids are skating in the park, so it's pretty cool.”
Since its opening, city-sanctioned skateparks have become the norm across the Rogue Valley and the state. Bobb said the park’s innovative construction techniques have become the standard for skateparks throughout the West.
Bobb said he’s just as excited about the recent renovations.
“They did a fabulous job. They took out a lot of elements that didn't work, and they added a lot of new elements,” Bobb said. “The concrete is smooth. It's good drainage. The transitions are fabulous.”
The Talent Skate Classic will offer more than $2,000 in prize money, with awards for best trick and best wipeout. Bobb hopes the event will grow in the coming years, drawing corporate sponsorship and attracting professional skateboarders from around the country.
Bobb said volunteers might be out with leaf blowers and brooms to beat back forecasted rain during the competition.
“We're just keeping our fingers crossed," he said. "We think our karma is good.”
