Tremendous Community Support Leads to Future Skate Park for South Portland

Eat your heart out Tony Hawk.

According to WMTW-TV, South Portland is about to build one heck of a skate park, as funding has finally been completed.

WMTW-TV adds that the park will be located on Evans Street. The 10,000 square foot structure will have features for both beginners and experts.

This is massive news for the local community and beyond. It's also part of a movement that's beyond just "growing" at this point.

One could say it was a  "growing movement" when I was growing up 25 years ago. The idea that skate parks would be part of a community would get you laughed out of a room.

However, many factors have helped skateboarding and other extreme sports become part of mainstream America. ESPN's Extreme (now X) Games, video games, and Olympic expansion all have had a significant influence in its growth.

While I'm no extreme athlete (I mean, does sailing count?), I absolutely adore these sports. I also love that it has given countless kids more opportunities to compete, participate or simply screw around with their friends. Hey, anything to keep kids active is a win in my book.

A big shoutout has to go to the many donors who helped fund the project for the town. As WMTW reports, $145,000 dollars was raised. Talk about a community coming together.

According to WMTW-TV, the town hopes to break ground soon and have the park ready to go by November.

Congratulations to South Portland on what will be a wonderful addition to the town.