Hope for skaters in Hermosa

Photos (CivicCouch.com)

Skate videos of the park are posted at SkateHope.com

Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night junior high and high school kids swarm the fly boxes, quarter pipes and seven-stair, and parallel ledges at a former Albertson’s supermarket in Hermosa Beach.

On a recent evening, one of the park’s regular shredders, 13-year-old Adams Middle School student Marcus Williams, explained the simple rules of  S-K-A-T-E — one can’t back out of a game once it’s started. Williams sports an orange and black flannel with blacked out, knockoff Wayfarers and a brown, fitted hat taming his curls. Think Whiz Khalifa, but a good foot and half shorter and no tattoos.

“This place used to only have a little halfer, one rail, and a few junk ramps. I’ve been skating here since before all of these ramps and this whole set-up was done,” he said.

The walls of the former Albertsons supermarket are covered with collages of colorful street art.

“Our mission was to create a sick park that skaters would actually want to skate. We didn’t want to rush and make this junky park that kids wouldn’t enjoy,” said veteran skater Ryan Richard, who heads the junior high youth group at Hope Chapel. The park, which opened in 2008, is located next door to Hope Chapel, at Pacific Coast Highway and Artesia Boulevard. Hope Chapel runs the park at no charge to the kids.

Hope Chapel High School Marshall Dahlin practices what he preaches.

For skaters like Williams, the ‘Hope Chapel Skate Church’ provides vert and street style features without the hassle of having to jump fences at local high schools and dodge security guards to ollie a ten-stair.

The parks success Richards said, can be measured not only by its popularity with skaters, but also by the impact it has had on Hope Chapel’s mission to provide a positive direction for local kids.

“About half of the kids who participate in my youth group are skaters,” Richards said.

“Rain or shine, I have a place to skate,” said West High student Sean Matsuyama.  “I don’t have to worry about not being allowed to skate somewhere because we have this place. Good transitions. Half vert. Half street. You can’t really ask for more.”

To view videos of the park visit SkateHope.com. DZ

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