Outdoor Central Oregon Issue 15 | November/December 2019 | Page 24

24 NOV/DEC 2019 PLACES| PRINEVILLE’S DREAMLAND SKATEPARK GRAND OPENING WORDS AND PHOTOS BY ROSS DRUCKREY Above: Dreamland Skateparks founder and site foreman, Mark “Red” Scott, goes inverted to better inspect his team’s masterful tile work and concrete pool coping which line the park’s bowl. Oregon skateboarders are celebrating as Dreamland Skateparks blesses our home state with multiple new projects. Typically, we’re resigned to drooling over Instagram posts of concrete pours around the country in towns we’ve never heard of, but this year, the world renowned skatepark builders unveiled fresh masterpieces in Sherwood and Prineville, followed by revamp projects in Keizer and Newport, Oregon. Both new parks were greeted by large crowds of hungry skaters, wide-eyed children and supportive community members as grand opening events broke in the fresh concrete. Local vendors and parks departments provided food and beverages while skate and snowboard shop Tactics fueled the stoke by raffling off skate gear to future rippers. Previously, Prineville was home to a hodgepodge of rusty metal ramps that were skated by a handful of locals with surprising skill. Now, those talented few are sure to be joined by a growing community on their extended playground of buttery concrete and unique features. The new park is a destination that puts the town on the map for skaters around central Oregon and beyond. Shortly after finalizing their work in Sherwood and Prineville, Dreamland began revamp- ing Keizer Skatepark with proper transition, fresh coping and new features. Now, they’re beginning phase two of upgrades in Newport with fundraising help from Rogue Ales. These parks have given life to underutilized spaces, that will now be centers for the growth of talent and homes for communities built on cross-generational friendships. From skaters around the state, we express our gratitude to all those involved in making these projects possible. Opposite page: Top: Quintin Laville blasts a frontside air over the hip in the park’s large street section while an approving Mark Scott looks on. Bottom: Bend locals Benji Galloway (left) and Cody Bashian (right) testing out the vert wall. Benji going switch blunt while Cody prefers a backside disaster revert. 25