Proponents of plan for new skate park in Colorado mountain town rely on last-effort fundraiser to get over finish line

In a final push to get a new skate park funded for the skaters in Clear Creek County, a dedicated group of students known as the Skate Board are helping to host fundraisers to get the goal over the finish line. This ambitious project aims to create a vibrant hub for both local youth and skaters from across Colorado, offering a much-needed recreational space in the heart of the mountains.

The students are rallying for the final $200,000 needed to break ground. To reach their goal, they are hosting an event called the Loveland Ski Area Rail Jam and Gala on April 19.

The project, which is estimated at over $1 million, has already seen incredible community support, with the students raising a significant portion of the funds already over a few years.

Pressley King, a senior and Skate Board member, said the effort has taken years to get to this point, but it's been a fight worth having.

"It seemed pretty 'Mission: Impossible' at the start," King explained. "But as we started our process and gained the support of the community and people around, it has come to life and it's not seeming as impossible as it was."

King and the Skate Board have worked with local leaders including city council members to help advocate for their vision of the backyard skate park near the Idaho Springs ballfields.

For skaters like Ezekiel "Zeke" Ikesakes, a junior, this park would be a game changer.

"The nearest skate park would be Golden," Zeke says, highlighting the current need to travel long distances for what he described as a decent skate session. "If we had the skate park, it would be so changing for the community and all of the skaters because we don't have much room to grow our skating skills."

Idaho Springs did have a small skating park before, but the Skate Board mentioned it was flagged for how much could be improved from the old version, which caught the critique of being "dumpy."

"It was never really a true skate park," King said. "It was off on the far end of town, right in this weird spot, just a few rails, it was a little ramp, not much to it at all."

The students emphasize that this isn't just about skateboarding; it's about providing a safe, positive space for the community's youth. While access to winter sports is easy when you live in Clear Creek County, for a teen or young kid, there's not much to do in town in the summers.

"I think that is when kids get into trouble. We get bored, your mind starts to wander, and that is when the 'skaters' are causing trouble," King said. "The reality is there is nothing to do so why not skate in the street, or hang out in the street."

Zeke admits he and his friends have skated in spots they were later kicked out of, for a lack of a good spot to go. With this new skate park, he's hoping to provide a positive experience for not only fellow skaters, but the people who don't want skaters rolling around town where they shouldn't be, or ended up with bad influences.

"Keeps people out of trouble, helps them find who they are and helps people know what they want," Zeke said.

The students are also working to dispel negative stereotypes about skateboarders, highlighting their commitment to community improvement, like when fellow skaters actively took it upon themselves to clean up vandalism from another lone skater.

"We are not all bad people and we want to have fun, so that is something that we are trying to do is make people not think we are bad," Zeke said.

"This is something that generations of people have been trying to do, and now that it is finally coming together, it is just cool," King said.