LIHU‘E — If all goes smooth, one of the best skate parks in the state will be ready by the end of the year in Hanapepe, thanks to a partnership between a hardcore group of community members, do-it-yourself skateboarders and
LIHU‘E — If all goes smooth, one of the best skate parks in the state will be ready by the end of the year in Hanapepe, thanks to a partnership between a hardcore group of community members, do-it-yourself skateboarders and local government. And that’s just the first of a series of planned skate facilities.
“I truly believe our parks will be the best in the state, especially since we have Danny Way involved. I know, for him, it’s a real commitment to quality,” Kaua‘i Skate ‘Ohana President Todd Anderson said at a Kaua‘i County Council meeting Wednesday.
Way is a professional skateboarder and part-time Kaua‘i resident who became famous for death-defying stunts on a skateboard, such as leaping over the Great Wall of China and jumping from helicopters into skyscraper-size ramps. His team is in charge of the parks’ design.
“With Danny (Way) involved, quality will not be an issue,” Hanapepe Talk Story Bookstore owner Ed Justus said.
Justus, who is spearheading the project in the Westside community, said the skate parks will be the product of a joint venture between the community, the county Parks and Recreation Department and Way.
“Basically, what we’re looking at doing is collaborating together to create multiple skate parks for the island of Kaua‘i,” said Justus, adding that the county will come with the land and materials, and the community will come in with labor and the design.
Way’s manager, Ray Ibe, has been working closely with stakeholders. Justus said Ibe has formed a professional soliciting agency called Skate Kaua‘i, which will serve as an umbrella organization for all parties involved and centralize fundraising efforts.
Skate Kaua‘i is in the process of getting bonded by the state of Hawai‘i, to be able to accept donations, he said. A few celebrities who live on Kaua‘i and some large corporations have already shown interest in contributing, including Nixon watches and Monster Energy drinks, according to Justus.
He said Skate Kaua‘i is about promoting the idea of getting more skate parks on Kaua‘i, making the island a skate destination.
“This is already a surf destination, and you make it surf and skate, that’s classic Hawai‘i right there,” Justus said.
Anderson said there are no skateboarding contests at a national level in Hawai‘i, and Way wants to design the parks on Kaua‘i at a level where he could host world-class events.
The Hanapepe Skate Park will be 100-feet by 100-feet, about twice the size of the Kapa‘a Skate Park. But Anderson said it’s not so much the size, but the design that will make the difference.
“It will be a beautiful design,” Anderson said. “I’m real confident with what Danny (Way) will bring to the table. It’s really a dream-come-true for a lot of local kids.”
He said the new skate park will be suitable for all kinds of skateboarding styles, with ramps, street-skating elements and even a bowl.
Anderson said the goal is to have skate parks spread all over the island. After Hanapepe is finished, the next community on the list is Lihu‘e, then Kapa‘a, Kekaha and possibly the North Shore.
Parks and Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo, who is working closely with the community in the project, said the intention is for the skate parks to be unattended. The county, he said, wants to get the kids off of street-skating and into a facility. But the older children will have to educate the younger ones at the skate parks about proper safety procedures and etiquette.
As far as expanding Kapa‘a Skate Park, Rapozo said adjacent underground facilities prohibit it. If the park is to be expanded, it will have to be relocated.
Way was supposed to have attended Wednesday’s council meeting, but Justus said he was on the Mainland promoting his latest movie, “Waiting for Lightning.” He will be back on Kaua‘i mid-February, according to Justus.
Additionally, Anderson said KSO will organize a fundraising event in February at the Kilauea skate ramp in Anaina Hou Community Park, with a date yet to be set.
