April 28, 1993

Jody Kinney practices outside Endless Grind on Peace Street. Robert Thomason photo.

From the May 4, 1993 article by Meredith Cummings, skateboarding in the Triangle area faces deep scrutiny without proper facilities. 

The (Raleigh) council last year tentatively approved construction of a $59,000 skateboard track at Lion’s Park on Raleigh Boulevard. Jack Duncan, Parks and Recreation director, said the 50’x80’ foot concrete track could be built with money from the department’s 1994-95 capital improvement budget.

Council member J. Barlow Herget, father of a former skateboarder, is enthusiastic about the proposed track. He said the money to build it might become available earlier than scheduled. 

“We cater to a lot of different forms of recreation in this city,” Herget said. There’s a BMX bike racetrack out at Lion’s Park and a Frisbee golf course at another park, so there should probably be a skate facility for the skateboard enthusiasts.” 

A new track, Herget said would go a long way toward solving the problems now associated with public skating. 

“It’s a legitimate sport,” he said. “It’s amazing what skateboarders can do, and I don’t think it’s that much of a hazard - as long as they behave.” 

NO_99773_001, NO_99773_002, NO_99773_003, NO_99773_004, & NO_99773_005: From the N&O Negative Collection, State Archives of North Carolina. Photo copyrighted by the News and Observer. Illegal to use without express permission from the N&O.