Ann Arbor Skatepark Explained

Ann Arbor Skatepark
Type:	Skatepark
Location:	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Coordinates:	42.2848°N -83.7793°W
Area:	30,000 Sq. Ft.
Terrain:	Concrete
Opened:	June 2014

The Ann Arbor Skatepark, also known as the A2 Skatepark, is a 30,000-square-foot skatepark in Ann Arbor, Michigan which opened June 21, 2014.^[1] The Ann Arbor Skatepark is located within Veterans Memorial Park.^[2]

History

The Ann Arbor Skatepark started as the Ann Arbor Skatepark initiative with a local community of skaters who wanted to see a skatepark.^{[3] [4] [5]} In 2007, Trevor Staples founded Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark which formally advocated for the skatepark in the Ann Arbor community.^{[6] [7]} Staples recruited other skaters and neighbors to support the initiative.

In 2013, the Ann Arbor city council gave the final approval necessary for the creation of a skatepark in the northwest corner of Veterans Memorial Park, on the west side of the city. The vote on a $1,031,592 contract with Krull Construction was unanimously approved.

The Ann Arbor Skate Park opened in the summer in 2014. At the opening, professional skateboarders skated the park including Tony Hawk, Andy Macdonald, Alex Sorgente, and Tony Magnusson.^{[8] [9]}

In 2022, the skatepark received a grant for additional outdoor lighting.^{[10] [11]}

Programming

Since 2014, the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark have run All Girls Skate, a program to help girls and women of all ages learn to skate. The program invites women and girls of all ages to skate together at the Ann Arbor Skatepark Sunday mornings on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month from June - October.^[12] The program offers beginners the instruction and equipment for free.^[13]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ann Arbor Skatepark . 2024-11-11 . www.annarbor.org . en-us.
2. Web site: Veterans Memorial Park . 2024-11-11 . www.a2gov.org . en-US.
3. Web site: Afana . Dana . 2021-04-24 . Woman pens book about the history of skateboarding in Ann Arbor . 2024-11-11 . mlive . en.
4. Web site: Ann Arbor skate park supporters try to lower fund-raising barriers . 2024-11-11 . AnnArbor.com.
5. Book: Le, Valerie . Skating Tree Town . 2021-04-15 . Valerie Le . 978-0-578-88202-4 . en.
6. Web site: Ann Arbor Skatepark project will move forward with $300K state grant . 2024-11-11 . AnnArbor.com.
7. Web site: 2013-07-16 . Ann Arbor approves skatepark, shredding will commence before 'snow flies' . 2024-11-11 . Michigan Public . en.
8. Web site: Askins . Dave . 2014-06-21 . The Ann Arbor Chronicle Photos: Skatepark Grand Opening . 2024-11-11 . en.
9. Web site: Askins . Dave . 2014-05-19 . The Ann Arbor Chronicle Column: Tony Hawk in Ann Arbor . 2024-11-11 . en.
10. Web site: Stanton . Ryan . 2022-04-29 . Ann Arbor Skatepark getting nighttime lights as part of nearly $300K project . 2024-11-11 . mlive . en.
11. Web site: Stanton . Ryan . 2020-02-24 . Ann Arbor to add lighting at skatepark for safer nighttime use . 2024-11-11 . mlive . en.
12. Web site: All Girls Skate . 2024-11-11 . Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark . en-US.
13. Web site: 2019-09-24 . Shred like a girl: Ann Arbor program encourages girls to pick up a skateboard . 2024-11-11 . Michigan Public . en.