A call for more indoor and outdoor skateboarding facilities in Calgary will be a central focus for a local skateboarding advocacy group when it holds its annual general meeting Wednesday night.
The Calgary Association of Skateboarding Enthusiasts (CASE) is focused on making the city “a better place to skate,” according to the group’s co-founder Zev Klymochko. He said there are still large areas of the city that do not have a skateboarding facility.
“We definitely need more indoor facilities, just because we are a winter city. We’re covered in snow and ice half of the year.”
There are seven permanent outdoor skate parks in Calgary and one indoor facility. The city also plans to construct parks in Bowness and at the Genesis Centre by the end of 2018.
“Skateboarding is seen as a very accessible activity, doesn’t cost a lot of money, all you need is a board and shoes and you’re ready to go,” Klymochko said.
“Giving people a place to do it safely so they’re not in the streets and in sort of a controlled environment where they can hone their skills, I think that’s what we need.”
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One of the city’s recently constructed parks is in Huntington Hills, where community officials say the benefits have been seen in the roughly two years it has been open.
“It’s brought a lot of people together,” said Marvin Queashnick, the Thorncliffe Greenview Community Association vice president.
“It’s not just the skaters; it’s the parents, it’s a range of age groups.”
Wednesday night’s CASE meeting will also focus on the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, where skateboarding will be making its debut. Klymochko said additional facilities could serve as training grounds for those who hope to represent Canada in the future.
“We might be able to nurture those athletes to go to the Olympics, who knows? We might have some Olympic athletes right here in Calgary.”
An official with the City of Calgary said that the administration will continue to work with stakeholders to create plans that would include future phases of skate park development in their upcoming budget cycle.