The state of Kentucky is demolishing about a third of the Louisville skatepark as part of the Ohio River Bridges project. The good news is that they are going to pay to replace the part they are tearing down, and it will be tacked on to what’s left of the existing site. I’ve only been there once, and it was over a decade ago. At the risk of making people mad, I’d say this is probably a good thing. From what I recall, it seemed as though more effort was put into making it big at the expense of making it interesting. However, there’s something to be said for the sheer vast expanse of concrete, either way, so don’t get your panties in a bunch. Hopefully the locals will get something they like. Before you get excited about the projected $3.6 million price tag, a huge chunk of that has to go to relocating public utilities, so it won’t all be used on new concrete. Wormhoudt designed the original park, and I believe they’ve been tapped for the replacement as well.

The thing I like (second) best about this video from Roger Skateboards is the way they described it: …check out our Token Older Vert Skater, Paul Zitzer, performing a vert demo for two children sitting on an extension. We expect big things from Paul in the next few years. And by “big things” we mean we expect him to skate a vert ramp at least once a year and to film it for us. Watch Paul hitting the Louisville, KY vert ramp after the jump. I wonder if this was filmed on the drive down to the SPOT Tampa Pro vert session that got rained out?

A privately funded effort to reply the monster vert ramp at the Louisville, Kentucky Extreme Park. Remember, when the park was built the Mayor had high hopes of luring the X Games to town. I don’t think that ever played out, did it? No official word on how to donate, but if you’re interested, I have an email address to contact.

So stick with me here… Some Kentucky-based friends of the site known as the Concretins live in the Louisville area and sometimes session with a BMX rider named Zach. Still following? So Zach’s dad sent the Concretins some pictures of skateboard graffiti in Lexington, Kentucky, and now they are up on Skate and Annoy. I guess the paint crews are Powell fans in KY.

I was driving from Florida to Oregon, via Chicago on the last few days of 2003. I detoured through Louisville in hopes of catching a session at the then relatively new mammoth skatepark. Of course, being winter, it was raining. Look closely and you’ll see a creek running through the full pipe. There were a handful of kids goofing around at the park, skating and biking in the rain. I was disappointed of course, and vowed that I’d have to make the return trip in better weather. But then the last four years in the Northwest have seen an amazing number of stellar parks built, so as each year passes I find it less and less of a big deal if I don’t make it back. Still, I’d like to check it out. I enjoy the experience of skating in completely different geographical locations, even if the actual terrain may not warrant the time, money and effort it takes to get there. This was a low light, longer exposure that was hand held. It does an adequate job of capturing the atmosphere. Check it out.