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Skate Bowl’ Opens at Belvedere Park



EGP News Service

Amid wild flips and hoots or praise and pleasure, the second deepest skate bowl park in the state opened in East LA last weekend at Belvedere Park. Professional skateboarders Z-Boy Tony Alva, Ryan Johnson and Ben Schroder joined Supervisor Gloria Molina, County Parks and Recreation Director Russ Guiney and a large gathering of local youth and parents for a grand opening celebration on May 19.

Professionals Alva and Johnson joined in a skateboarding exhibition to officially dedicate the new $1.1 million state-of-the-art Belvedere Skatepark Molina helped build in response to requests from local youth.

It’s great to see how the real skateboarders do it up close, observed one local youth, smiling ear to ear as he anxiously waited to try out the new skate facility.

Others joining the dedication festivities included Congresswoman Hilda Solis, officers from the Sheriff’s East LA Station, rock band “Upground,” the Tony Hawk Foundation, KDAY-FM 93.5 DJ Julio G, Super Estrella-FM 107.1, the East LA Boys and Girls Club, Boarding for Breast Cancer and Safe Kids LA.

Other activities and entertainment included instructional and safety lessons by skateboarders and other demonstrations by professional skateboarders.

“The Belvedere Skatepark is a dream come true for local youth who lobbied the County and worked with our Parks Department and the Sheriff’s ELA Station for this facility” said Molina. “In addition, professional skateboarders such as Ben Schroder, the youths also contributed to the design of the park by participating in the project design workshops.”

Funded through Propositions 12 and 40, the 18,000 sq ft concrete in-ground skate park facility includes: spectator bleachers, sports lighting, a picnic area, refurbished restroom building, landscaping and tubular fencing. Skate park construction broke ground February 2006.

Belvedere Skatepark is located at 4914 Cesar Chavez Avenue, LA 90022. For more information regarding skatepark hours and regulations, call (323) 260 2360.

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