On Saturday, April 24th, 2010, the big, all-day "Support The Skatepark!" shindig went down at Indianapolis' own Major Taylor Skatepark. Major Taylor, of course, is currently at risk of getting closed 'n dozed forever... so, we all tried to get everyone out to show the 'ol park some love. Naturally, Indiana being Indiana, the weather was less-than-cooperative that day... but, there was a pretty strong showing, nonetheless. Here's my photo-journal from the day:
I arrived at an unusually-late 12:00 Noon, to find a pretty healthy session already in progress. Although the Old Indy Skaters were supposed to be there, many weren't. Later, I found out that they'd gone and skated a slightly-secret, indoor mini ramp after their early-hours sesh... dammit! That's what I get for slacking, I suppose. Anyway, I arrived to find the park all clean and tidy... a pleasant surprise, given the number of kids there. Things are looking up, folks (with a little bit 'o help from the OIS Dudes).
The crowd wasn't nearly as huge as you'd find on a "typical Saturday", given the perpetual threat of rain and all... but still, it was a good turnout, nonetheless. Everyone was cool, mellow, and having a good time. And, that's all that counts, really.
There were quite a few little kids there, teaching each other new stuff. I don't know if The City realizes just how many of our youth actually use the park, or how positive of an experience that it can be in a kid's life. Here, a couple of little dudes are teaching each other the basics of dropping in [for the first time]
This kid was cool as hell; he was busting cleanly-caught kickflips down the five, consistently. The kids are alright...
Nice, big, colorful ollie over the hip. The city makes a huge deal out of the "tagging" that goes on there... as do, most cities. I've heard that Lawrence just sand-blasted their brand-spanking-new skatepark, to get rid of the graff... but really, the paint does make the concrete a little slicker (which is nice)... and, it's a wonderful protectant against the elements. Maybe it's even one of the reasons why Major Taylor has been holding up so well through the years...? And, this picture woulda been a lot more mundane, without all those vivid colors.
The city would probably be doing itself a favor to maybe not stress the negatives, and look at the positives: This dude could just as easily be picking up a crack habit, impregnating his teenage girlfriend, or filing for public assistance at taxpayers' expense. Instead, he's ollieing hips. That's progress worth noting, city bosses.
Our own Tim Devlin, lipslide on the island. Tim basically grew up here, as did a good many of us. It's become our home-away-from-home, our sanctuary, and our retreat. It'd be a damn shame to doze it now, and not let future generations of skaters have the same kinds of experiences that we've certainly enjoyed.
Bikers, too, use Major Taylor's skatepark on an ongoing and regular basis. Even more kids that are doing something positive with their time, instead of making themselves a public menace. Tell me: Where will they go if Major's dozed, hmm.....? Your "infrastructure" just might become our new skatepark! Clearly, you don't want that...
Parents are usually out at Major Taylor, in force. Whether it's just to spend the day taking the passive role, and just chillin' on the sidelines, watching their kids (and, everyone else's) learning the tricks of the trade...
... or, taking a bit more of an "active" role, like spending a nice, warm afternoon shooting photos of the action around them. Lots of folks bring full-on picnics for the whole family, and enjoy sitting under the nearby shade trees.
The bottom line is pretty simple: Major Taylor was built at great taxpayer expense (I've heard that Major Taylor cost upwards of $500,000 when it was built, ten years ago...)... and, it would really be kinda stupid to spend even more money, just to tear it down. That would definitely not be an acceptable "return on the taxpayers' investment" in our kids, folks. Lets figure out a way to preserve and protect this resource for the skaters of the future.
