Skateboarders come to check out new skateboard park
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

Hudson resident Kyle Abbott, 16, enjoys a morning of skating at the new skate park.

Hudson - Skateboarders from all over New England are ready to "grind the taco" and "kick flip" in the bowl at the new South Street Skate Park in Hudson. Ever since the skateboard craze hit America in the 1970s when a group of surfers in Venice Beach transformed skateboarding from a recreational sport to an extreme sport, skateboarders have included both competitive and recreational boardersenthusiasts, both children and adults.

Like skateboarding, tThe new park is designed for everyone.

The proposal to renovate the South Street Park has been in discussion for years, according to Hudson's Recreation Director Linda Gholson. The town began the construction in the fall of 2006 after receiving a $700,000 community block development grant through the Department of Housing and Development.

The skateboard park, which opened June 29, is the first phase of the park reconstruction.

The second phase of the project, due for completion in this fall, will include a gazebo, splash pad and playground. The third phase of the project, which is still in the funding process, is to repair and update the municipal parking lot next to the park as well as create a canal walk along the Assabett River where it borders the park and also build a canoe launching site.

"The river is beautiful, and a great recreational resource for canoeing and fishing," Gholson said.

Because Community Development Director Michelle Ciccolo applied for and secured the grants, the face of downtown Hudson and the river has improved, Gholson explained.

The skateboard park was built on land that was already owned by the town. The land bordering the park was purchased through a self-help grant from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Division of Conservation through the land and conservation fund. The new land gave the town the opportunity to expand the recreation area, so that it can include the splash pad, and also protect the park from encroaching development.

Visitors to the park, which is open to both residents and nonresidents, have access to Main Street through a canal walk that was completed in 2006.

"It will hopefully draw people into the downtown, which will in turn draw people into the business and stores," Gholson said.

The skateboard park was constructed by Sam Batterson ("Sloppy Sam" to skaters) from Breaking Ground Construction and was designed by Grind Line of Seattle.

On June 28, Jason Parker, a 35-year-old skating enthusiast from Rhode Island, stood at the fence surrounding the closed skatepark.

"I had the day off and figured I would drive up to scope the park out and to see if it was open yet," he said.

Parker explained that the park is generating a lot of interest among the skateboard community online. He was anxious to tell his skating friends about the park and to try it out.

"This is beautiful," Parker said.

Gholson explained that as soon as the graffiti is cleaned off the volcano, banks and hubba ledges, the park will be open for skaters.