One Wild Ride

Summer, skate park perfect chance to jump on a board

By David Witte / Independent Staff Writer Friday, Mar. 28, 2008

Summer's back, and once again it's hot enough to feel the heat of the pavement through one's shoes.

This is the time of year when Clovis teens and pre-teens get their feet off the ground, and on a skateboard instead. Many converge on Rotary Skatepark, a 27,000-square-foot skating facility at Letterman Park, on Villa Avenue between Bullard and Barstow avenues.

"It includes a street area, a pool with pool tile and pool coping [the edge around the rim of the pool] and what we call the 'Flow Bowl,' " said Tim Kearn, a recreation specialist with the city of Clovis. "The deepest part of the park is 10 feet."

Alta Sierra Intermediate student Tyler Poole, 13, spends several hours each day at the skate park, which opened in 2005.

"I made a lot of friends out here," he said. "I like it here. It's big."

Poole said before the skate park was built, he would skate at schools, and occasionally get in trouble for it. This sentiment was echoed by Robert Acosta, 16.

"I skate a lot of schools, like Roosevelt [High School] and Tehipiti [Middle School]," Acosta said. "I got my board taken away a couple of times at Roosevelt. They keep it."

Acosta's current skateboard cost $180.

The skate park gives kids a chance to skate without getting hassled -- as long as they wear a helmet.

"They kick you out if you don't wear one," said skateboarder Rennon Fleeting. "They give you a warning first, though."

Roller skates and inline skates are also allowed, but not scooters or bicycles. Clovis Area Recreation staff is on hand most of the time to enforce the helmet rule.

"I'm a big advocate of helmets," said Erica Anderson, owner of SK8 Shack on the corner of Bullard and Minnewawa avenues. "The danger of the sport is individualized. The more risks you're willing to take, the more dangerous the sport is."

Anderson starts her customers off with a $65 set, which includes a deck (the actual board, which comes with grip tape), two trucks (the part that includes the axle), four bearings and four wheels.

"Once you get a basic setup, [it can be upgraded]," she said. "And that's at any store that does skateboards."

A helmet will start at about $20, with pads starting at about $25 for a set.

"It's all a personal preference," she said. "There aren't any standards in the industry that say if you're going to do these kinds of tricks you're going to need A, B, C and D."

Game On is an occasional series profiling local recreational sports and activities. Suggestions are welcome and may be e-mailed to David Witte at dwitte@clovisindependent.com.