Skateboard completion raises funds for second phase construction at Hernando skate park

Skate boarders from throughout the Mid-South space gatright hered in Hernando Saturday To level out off their biggest “5-0” , “inverts”, “greyslides” and completely different strikes To assist enhance money for enhancement of A mannequin new addition to Pidgeon Park.

The skate contest was organized by Hernando Skates, a non-revenue group made up of skateboard lovers who assisted enhance money To assemble the skate park in 2015.

The park was the dream of Edward Pidgeon, An prolonged-time DeSoto County activist who took on the skatepark enterprise as a memorial to his brcompletely different, Frank, who took his personal life in 1968 at age 17. Pigeon died in 2019, however his imaginative and prescient to increase the park continues. 

Miranda Williams, who joined Hernando Skates in 2005, said They’re elevating money to niced Half 2, Which might add a plaza type skate park subsequent to The prevailing one.

“That is typically a bowl type park,” Williams said. “The plaza is extra of a streetscape. Tright here Shall be handrails, benches, curves. We’re additionally going So as to add some landscaping to it to match what’s already in Renasant Park.”

Williams said They are going to be making use of for a $150,000 grant by way of Mississippi Division of Parks and Wildlife Fisheries, The identical grant that enabled them To assemble The primary phase.

Hernando Skates was instrumental Inside The metropolis getting The primary $100,000 grant for the park, and assisted enhance $50,000 on Their very personal To assemble the 6,000 sq.-foot assembleion. 

“It’s an 80-20 grant grant,” Williams said. “So We’re Responsible for The completely different 20 %. A yr from now, if we get the grant, tright here Shall be a second park right here.”

Williams isn’t a skateboarder, however shared Pidgeon’s imaginative and prescient of The Want To assemble a facility wright here youngsters might skate and have nice in a protected environment.

“I grew up right here in Hernando, and As quickly as I used to be going to Highschool, it was illegal to skate On the metropolis,” Williams said. “You mightn’t get on the sidewalks. Kids would have their boards taken from them. I’ve had a quantity of pals who went dpersonal The incorrect path Looking for A spot to skate. Often they found themselves Inside The incorrect An factor of metropolis round People who Weren’t Definitely one of the biggest. So for me, that was the inspiration to Get entangled. If I might assist one baby not go dpersonal The incorrect path, it’s Properly worth The problem.”

Pidgeon Park has gained An excellent popularity amongst skateboarders and attracts clients from as Distant as California and Oregon who come to Hernando particularly to skate On the park.

“I get messages On A daily basis from individuals All by way of about how a lot they like this park,” Williams said. “Everytime you get Inside tright here, it feels Similar to You are shopping on the ocean.”

Titus Gillard, Who’s 22 and has been skateboarding since he was eight yrs previous, drove from Tupelo to compete. 

“This park has In all probability the most transition and circulate As in contrast with completely different parks in completely different spaces,” Gillard said. “I’m glad They’re having a nicedenhancer to get extra issues out right here.”

Gillard competed Inside the superior or “not newbie” class.

“It’s good to see everyone out right here pushing Every completely different and everyone getting good peak And a few tips dpersonal,” Gillard said. 

Contest decide Kris Gilley said they Take A look On The Sort of tips thOn the contestants Are making an try So as To Search out out who advances to The subsequent diploma.

“We Type of decide them in the direction of themselves,” Gilley said. “We’ve skated with A pair of Of these individuals and have exactly seen enough of them right now that All of us know the issues That are exhausting for them and the issues That are straightforward for them. We will inform when somebody is making an try exhausting and displaying some exact method.”

Ian Smith, a skateboarder from Southaven, said it was a nice contest to compete in with A great Combination of tips.

“It’s nice seeing whOn The completely differents can do,” Smith said.

Smith, who has lived in Colorado and California which are acknowledged For his or her world class skate parks, said he’s grateful that Hernando has such A great facility.

“To have The power To return again to DeSoto County and see a park like this is unimaginable,” Smith said. “This might be very professionally carried out. It is a phrase class skate park in my thoughts.”

The rivals enhanced about $1,000 and the winner walked away with A mannequin new custom-made skateboard and completely different prizes.