HUNTSVILLE — The thrashers are stoked. So, Huntsville, get ready for some grinding on the three-quarter pipe and hope there isn’t a wipeout.
In fact, welcome to the “Skateboard Capital of America.”
Huntsville’s newest recreation project, Get-A-Way Skatepark, was opened today in John Hunt Park with a ribbon-cutting and a couple dozen streetboarders, sidewalk surfers and even a grommett or two eager to hit the rails, double sets and bowls.
“Let’s skate,” said Huntsville businessman and avid skateboarder Paul Gierow. “We’re ready for the adventures this park will provide us.”
The idea for a new skatepark began in 2015 when Gierow and other skateboarders approached the city about starting a new park. Gierow was one of the best skateboarders in Alabama during the early 1980s and could often be found at The Get-A-Way, which revolutionized skatepark design when it opened on Leeman Ferry Road in 1979.
“We talked to the city and you know what they always say to skateboarders – no,” Gierow said. “But the city said yes and when we left the meeting, they said they would put it in their long-range plans.”
A funding drive was launched with Gierow donating $1 million to the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville to kickstart the project.
The initiative received a $10,000 grant from The Skatepark Project, a national advocacy group founded by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.
“I’m pleased that the community and city came together to build a world-class skatepark that everyone can enjoy,” said Gierow.
“This public/private partnership between the City of Huntsville and the Community Foundation and its donors can serve as a model for how generosity can help shape the future of our community,” Community Foundation CEO Melissa Thompson said.
“John Hunt Park is the Central Park for the city of Huntsville,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “This is a really grand occasion. I thank Paul for the generous gift that made this happen.”
Another industry leader, Team Pain Skate Parks, was brought in to design the 52,000-square-foot complex.
“Each detail of the park was designed for skaters by skaters,” Battle said.
The result pays tribute to the original design while delivering modern features that are exciting to both street and Olympic-style skateboarders. Some of those features include a clover bowl, a snake run with depths ranging from three to 10 feet, a ¾ pipe, and a large street plaza.
“This is an homage to the park of the ’80s,” said Curt Baker, Team Pain construction project manager. “The original Get-A-Way in Huntsville was one of the best skateparks in the country, a true oasis of fun. We kept some of the feel of the original park with some up-to-date features.
“Team Pain Skate Parks is thrilled and honored that we were able to design and build the new Get-A-Away skatepark to continue the tradition for another generation.
“Huntsville is the Skateboard Capital of America.”
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