Completed skatepark soars among the best
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ST. IGNATIUS — Kristie Nerby slept better Monday night than she had in six years. And she can continue to rest easy knowing that the Skate Ignatius project is finally complete.
After years of fundraising for the St. Ignatius Skatepark’s two phases, Nerby saw her vision of a skatepark where local kids could enjoy a positive activity come to life last week. Dreamland Skateparks completed construction on the second phase of the park on July 8, less than a month after breaking ground June 14. And for Nerby, even more relief came Monday in the form of $2,000 from an anonymous donor and another $5,000 gift from the Montana Skatepark Association, which was just enough to take fundraising for the project over the finish line.
In May, Dreamland Skateparks offered to start construction early on the park’s second phase, a 7,000-square-foot addition featuring a large kidney bowl and several new street-skating elements.
“(Dreamland) said, ‘We have a spot in June, and if you’ll take that spot, we’ll knock $5,000 off your bid,’” Nerby explained.
So Kristie and her husband Bruce decided to cover the remaining $13,500 out of their own pocket, save the project $5,000 and start construction in mid-June. Last week, funding was still $9,000 short of phase two’s $90,000 price tag, so when someone called Monday to say the financial worries were over, “honestly, I sobbed for about 15 minutes,” Nerby said.
“I just couldn’t believe it; after six years, it was over just like that.”
And just like that, swarms of kids — and some adults — with skateboards have made the park their summer hangout.
“This is a great thing,” Arlee resident Merrill Bradshaw said. “Now there’s room to maneuver, even with all these kids here.”
Bradshaw and buddy Jim Thornton, a local chiropractor, spend their Tuesdays at the skatepark showing the youngsters that adults on roller skates can do cool tricks, too. Thornton, an avid roller skater for many years, helped Nerby design the park’s first phase. He felt it was important to make the park accessible to beginning skaters, as most of the park users are young children just learning the sport.
“I’m just thrilled. This is exactly what we wanted … Kristie (Nerby) did such a fantastic job. She’s just a dynamo,” Thornton said Tuesday, watching dozens of young skaters zoom around the concrete park. “(Phase two) more than doubles the skatepark, because there are so many elements.”
After the 10,000-square-foot phase one was built in 2007, the skatepark quickly became a favorite haunt for local youngsters, and in recent months had become overcrowded, Thornton said. Now there’s plenty of room for all, and the park can continue to provide a healthy way for kids to spend their summer hours.
“There really isn’t anything else for kids to do here in the summer,” Thornton said. “They can play baseball, but you need 18 kids to play baseball.”
If the number of kids enjoying the skatepark Tuesday morning means anything, Nerby’s work paid off. And the young skaters agree they have the one of the best skateparks in Western Montana.
“It’s fun. There’s a lot more to do now,” 11-year-old Adam Mahseelah said.
Skaters can also look forward to a skate jam around the end of the summer, Nerby said, with skating contests, merchandise giveaways and of course, hot dogs. While she hasn’t set a date for the event, Nerby’s already excited, knowing it’ll be the first skate party she’s hosted without fundraising worries in the back of her mind.
“To me, it’ll be a real, real, real party,” Nerby said, smiling.
