Welcome Oasis for Skateboarders

They line up to take their turns at a roll down the half-pipe and do the occasional 360 or Ollie.

Skateboarding is something they can’t do anywhere else — the city outlawed it downtown a few years ago out of safety concerns. Shortly afterward, the city opened this skateboard park on 42^nd Avenue, and it’s the only one between Daly City and San Mateo. It hasn’t been ideal — it’s small, it’s in the middle of city traffic, and the few ramps are wooden instead of cement, which subjects them to wear and the hazards of nails.

But the park was only meant to be temporary; it has to be gone by the end of this year. Now the city thinks they’ve found another spot for approval from the county board of supervisors, before they can start discussing designs and begin construction.

Finding the place was hard to do. Residential and commercial areas did not want a skateboarding park. George Musante, the city’s community services supervisor for the parks and recreation department, said they looked at every available open spot in the city, and no one would have them.

“There’s no place for these kids to do what they want to do, without people getting on their case. So, it makes sense for the city to do this. It’s the sensible thing to do,” Musante said. Now it’s in the county’s hands, and they still have a long way to go to come up with the design and then start construction.

The skateboarders are excited about the new place. It’ll be larger, have more concrete ramps, and it’ll be a bit out of the way and in a park — something they’ve been asking for a long time. Best of all, it’ll be theirs.

Even though it’s far north to the other side of Burlingame, the skaters don’t think getting there will be that much of a problem. “It will be the field of dreams for skateboarders,” said Thomas. “If you build it they will come.”

Thomas and some of the other skaters are concerned about a few things. For one, they are hoping that it won’t be so much of a little kid’s park. The park on 42^nd is mostly used by boys ages 10-14, since it is highly supervised and the equipment there is so elementary. And some hope that the new park won’t charge a fee. Although it costs under $5 for anyone to skate for the day at the 42^nd Street park, Jason Crouch, manager of DLX, a skateboarding shop in San Mateo, questions the principle of paying. “I understand they’re not trying to turn a profit,” he said, “but people should be able to ride it because they pay their taxes. It’s just like a regular park.” The skateboarder guild, a group that has been working with the city for years to get the skateboard park, just wants to remain a part of the planning process.

The new park seems like a good thing for everyone. Still, it is hard to see such a thriving spot on 42^nd close for good. Catherine Giallucci and her two boys, Nicholas and Ryan, ages nine and seven, only started coming to the park a few weeks ago. Already they are hooked. They got to the park when it opened at noon and were there well into the late afternoon. “They love it here,” said Giallucci as Ryan demonstrated his new tricks. He just got his first pair of rollerblades. “It’s like an art,” said Nicholas. If all goes as planned, next year Giallucci will be taking her kids to Coyote Point.