“Skate or die, dude!” This is a statement that many of us skateboarders live by. Not because it suits the ‘skater persona,’ but because skateboarding has been our way of life for as long as we can remember. Many hop on the deck before they can even say a full sentence. Some start much later in life. But in the end we all live for the board and the purpose that it gives us. While there may not be many of us in this small city of Conway, AR, we still seek those great skate spots to call our own. But there’s a problem. The only skatepark in the city is one in horrible condition.
McGee Center Skatepark, located near Prince Street, is the only skatepark that the city of Conway provides for us skaters. However, the skatepark appears to be deteriorating month after month. To start off, the concrete contains major cracks and bumps. Perfect for our wheels to get caught in, causing us to smack to the ground. This doesn’t make the park beginner friendly, nor does it treat our very expensive decks fairly. Keep in mind, the concrete was changed less than 5 years ago. Some may say that the skaters are at fault for riding around constantly. But there are parks 100 times more busy with skaters, yet their concrete gets left looking almost new after being used all day. Besides, the park is often empty since no one wants to deal with its horrific sight. For more, the ramps have metal rusting and crippling, causing an unpleasant ride. To add on, the water fountain is not functional so there is nowhere to get a drink after a long session.
It is very important to consider the amount of money provided from the city towards McGee center. It is understandable that not much consideration will go towards the park due to the lack of visitors. However, it’s because of the instability of the park that causes the absence of people. Obviously there is a lack of funding going towards the skatepark since there are a number of issues that hardly ever seem to be resolved. All we ask is for the city to rebuild the skatepark that we grew up with. Afterall, where else would we build ourselves up from?
