Waterfront Skatepark Design "A Work of Art"

"It's a piece of art," William Hammacker declared after Tito Parrata unveiled the design for a new skatepark on Bradenton's riverfront. "The angles, the shapes, everything is precise. My mind is blown."

Team Pain, the hard fought for design and construction team, shared its elaborate and detailed concept for the skatepark Wednesday evening and asked skaters for their honest and frank feedback.

What they heard from more than a dozen skaters who attended the meeting was that with a few minor adjustments, the design, which includes a bowl of varying depths at one end and a concrete street scape moving away from the bowl with granite details was practically perfect.

The skaters were excited about the concept and feeling more than a little justified in pushing for Team Pain, a skate design and construction company that they believe is a notch above the rest.

Geza Darrah said he was pretty surprised when the skaters were able to convince city officials and the general contractor to take a second look at Team Pain for the skatepark contract. 

"There are a lot of towns where this hasn't happened," Darrah said. "This is going to put Bradenton on the map. A lot of people are already calling us asking about the process. Bradenton can be a case study."

Skaters in St. Petersburg are taking a page from Bradenton as they try to convince city officials there to include a skatepark in the plans for its pier project. Darrah, of course, is an advocate for that idea as well.

The more skateparks in this region, the easier it will be to draw skaters from across the country and even national skate competitions, he said.

"A region of skate parks is a much bigger draw," he said.

Tim Payne, owner of Team Pain, said the reaction was what he was hoping for when his team was putting together the concept.

"We want there to be a nice aesthetic when you walk in," Payne said. "That is going to be an awesome location like hands down. I think that this is a real exciting project. It definitely puts it up there on our books just because of the location." There’s a lot of skate parks that are, like, right next to the baseball field or something you know. It’s out in the middle, no trees, not even picnic tables or benches for parents to sit down on. This is underneath the bridge. There’s gonna be shade, there’s breeze off the water. You’re gonna be, like, interacting with fishermen and joggers. Skateboarding is recreation and anytime you’re sharing recreation with people, that’s neat. It’s something that’s an art.”

Stefani Heidenthal came to the meeting with her son Jesse, by far the youngest skater in attendance. Jesse watched the presentation closely. While most of the skaters had questions about the features of the park itself, the rails, the bowl, the materials and the layout, Stefani Heidenthal wanted to make sure there was plenty of space around the skate area for spectators and families. 

And city officials assured her there are plans for spectator areas. Parrata, though, wanted to make sure Jesse liked the concept. What do you think of the bowl, he asked. Jesse quietly nodded his approval.

Payne said that the location makes the park perfect for families and spectators alike.

"There’s a lot of skate parks that are, like, right next to the baseball field or something you know. It’s out in the middle, no trees, not even picnic tables or benches for parents to sit down on," he said. "This is underneath the bridge. There’s gonna be shade, there’s breeze off the water. You’re gonna be, like, interacting with fishermen and joggers. Skateboarding is recreation and anytime you’re sharing recreation with people, that’s neat. It’s something that’s an art.”

Much of the skatepark design suits experienced skaters, but there are a lot of elements in the design that are tailor-made for Bradenton's youngest and newest skaters, Parrata said. There are places in the clover-shaped bowl where novice skaters can learn to drop in and in the street scape design where they can try out tricks and learn how to master them.

Construction is still a ways off, but the skatepark is expected to be completed next summer.

In describing the design elements, Parrata and the other skaters spoke a language all their own. From "blasting ollies" to the "mellowness on the banks," the park has plenty for everyone.

Bottom line: "The options are crazy," Parrata said. "It's up to how creative you can get."

Will Glennan was particularly impressed with the inclusion on granite elements, which he said make for a smoother and faster skate, but also offer a surface that makes it easier for novice skaters to learn.

"Skating on granite, it's like butter," he said.