The new Lake Cunningham Park set to open looks amazing in the pictures, but it’s rubbing the locals the wrong way. Kind of like a Klamath Falls situation squared. The San Jose Metro reported:
Although everyone agrees that the park is a massive benefit to San Jose, they admit that the mandatory pads rule might turn off a few folks, as will the fees, which are $2 per day or $50 per year—along with a $6 for parking.
“It’s a great park, but it’s already got two negatives against it as far as the street skaters go,” explained Caballero. “Street skaters don’t like to wear pads. It’s not very comfortable for them. They can get away with helmets, but wearing knee pads and elbow pads—it just doesn’t feel like street skating. It’s like something else. It doesn’t feel natural. That, and paying to get in and paying to park. So I would say three negatives.”
Echos exactly what we’ve been hearing in the comments here almost since day one. It’s hard to imagine how a city so in a region so rich in skate history could be so clueless in this day and age. It made the front page of the weekly free paper, so maybe citizens will take note. The article isn’t only about the negative aspects however. So don’t be afraid to check out Now Boarding.
[Source: Have you seen him?]
17 comments
LP
the park’s fucking awesome. everybody’s stoked on it. half of the bones brigade was there on saturday. animal chin was spotted. back to you, ted.
cold ones
I came on here Friday night after skating Cunningham to retract any negativity I may previously implied. The place is fun.
cold ones
I welcome BMX specific days at Richie Cunningham park. BMX days at Cunnigham mean that I will be at Palo Alto or Plato Arroyo
Livmo
“Didn
LP
you know when i was flying from SJ to vegas last weekend i saw the park from the air. That really is pretty fucking cool.
cold ones
The “wasted space” is the festival area. There are a bunch of railings around the bowls to heard potential crowds for EXTREME events. So if you are on one side of the park you have to hop a little railing to get across the park. Yeah, the full pipe, pool, and keyhole are all nice. The street bank area is kinda whatever. The monolith/cradle bowl is akward, but fun. The thimble is deadly. The full pipe will be sketchy when it’s crowded with little kids who don’t pay attention. Personally, I still like NW parks a lot better. If you’re stoked on Santa Cruz and Pacifica you’ll like the park. If, like puke said, you have issues with Wormhoudt parks, then it’s still a wormhoudt. It’s good, but the whole situaution semi-totally blown out of proportion
conahan
Dang, look at that big wall. Do you have to pay to use the city
puke
I aint takin transit there, or parking my car at eastridge and riding my bike, or paying 6 dollars to park, or taking a boat…just to pay another fee to fully pad up and skate a Wormhoudt park. Am i the only one who sees a problem with this. It’s a public outdoor Park.
orezona
unfortunately saying “the bikes won’t touch the pool coping because they aren’t supposed to” doesn’t mean it won’t happen. The bikes lasted only about 5 or 6 weeks at the Goodyear, AZ park when it first opened because they couldn’t figure it out. GY is much smaller than SJ and it is has a full time monitor as well. Didn’t stop the bikers so now they have one less park to ride. They only have themselves to blame.
LP
naw duders, at least we will be sitting around talking about meaningful things like what kind of bearings and how many kids we have, instead of whether or not we’re vampires whilst drinking frapuccinos and popping ecstasy.
duders
ps cold ones – from the photos on your blog looks like there is a major waste of space at that park, or is thaht the freestyle area?
duders
“so skating will actually be happening, not sitting around.”
yeah old guys never sit around and flap about back in the day, or their wheelbase or anything. never.
LP
yeah you do get the “circus” vibe, but as my forst time isnt till friday, ill just have to wait and see. i think cold ones you told me that another neighborhood park is going in, and of course that will be 4 free ones, plus sunnyvale and a couple more prefabs in the area, then greer, then menlo, then redwood, then pacifica, then santa cruz, and all types of other free parks. maybe nobody will ever want to skate the new one because you have to pay and its hard to get to, that’ll be great then, almost like a private park. fuck the little tagger assholes.
cold ones
I have skated it and will skate it again, but the whole situation is weird. It’s a nice effort, but misguided. The full pipe and pools are fun and all, but it is more of a spectacle. They are making too big of a deal by running it like a business. It’s not the pads or the fee that bother me. It’s in an very inaccessable location. The skaters of San Jose would have been better served by going ahead with the neighborhood parks program. I think that is more what the skaters need: a local spot where they can casually go to after work or school to unwind. Maybe it’s just me. I like a more relaxed and less rigid enviroment. I really like Stonegate and Plato Arroyo neighborhood Parks. Great Oaks prefab concrete blows though. I have a lot more thoughts on this I can’t remember right now.
Ryan Heckler
take public transit or ride a bike, no parking that way.
LP
ok, so the shitty of san jose paid 4.5 mil for a skatepark. waaaaahhh. you have to have respect and wear full pads, and pay to ride some of the coolest stuff around. there are 3 free parks in san jose and they’re not very good. pads i can deal with because some of that stuff is huge. if you fall, it’s real and there have already been injuries there without the park actually being officially open. you have to pay. its 2 bucks. that will keep out the kids that just like to sit on the ledges and talk shit and get in your way, so skating will actually be happening, not sitting around. it will also curb the graffiti and other respect problems that exist within our free parks. i’m all for this situation. they’re unfortunately allowing bmx bikes at times, but they will be limited to the metal coping obstacles, so the cement coping will be safe. by the way, there are ways around the parking, which i intend to take full advantage of. i hope you guys all come to the park. i will be there on friday and then saturday for the grand opening.
Timmy Tomato
Save the Drama for your Mama.