The Daily Breeze continues to be a tremendous supporter of Skatepark PV.
Donna LIttlejohn, reporter and Stephen Carr, photographer met up with some of our skaters for an afternoon skate sesh.

While the headline says that the road to a skate park has become more complicated, it is not a complication that we can’t overcome.

What we have been saying all along, still goes: IF YOUR CITY DOES NOT HAVE A SKATEPARK, THEN YOUR CITY IS A SKATEPARK.

The community cannot and will not ignore that skateboarding is a legitimate sport that continues to grow at a fast rate. LA City Councilman Joe Buscaino refers to the ‘skater athletes’ which we applaud. Skaters deserve the recognition and support of the community for many reasons.

Photo Credit: Ellen November, center, founder of Skatepark PV, hopes to have a new skate plaza built at Ernie Howlett Park in in Rolling Hills Estates, to serve the entire Peninsula. (Stephen Carr / Staff Photographer)

Okay, we went back to the drawing board and here’s where we are:

We are looking for grant money to remediate soil on the land that was given to us by the City of Rolling Hills Estates. We have learned that there is grant money out there and we’re going to apply for it.

Step One: Do deep borings to determine at what depth the bedrock is. This will determine the cost of the soil remediation.

Step Two: Get a quote for the remediation.

Step Three: Apply for the grants knowing the exact amount of money needed.

The City of Rolling Hills Estates will be the applicant and SkateparkPV will partner with them in this new direction.

SkateparkPV is very excited about the land at Ernie Howlett Park. It is adjacent to the basketball court, and includes the sand volleyball court and land west of that.

The deep borings will take place in a week and we will keep you posted as we go down this new and exciting road.

THANK YOU City of Rolling Hills Estates for your continued support.

If you have any leads on funding for this effort, please reply to this email and thank you for your continued support.
Today, a supporter told me: You’ve come too far now for it to not succeed. The park will be built.

Please note that the above sketch is only one idea, not the final idea, which will be reached with all our local skaters athletes input.

A sunny Saturday provided a good time for a free skate sesh at Ernie Howlett Park in RHE. All ages, all skill levels.

Thanks to Beachsports, Body Glove and Kodiak Spydell for good times at the end of spring break.

And many thanks to the City of Rolling Hills Estates for its third year in hosting Beachsports and skateboarding camps and events.

We are excited to learn that our local Body Glove has acquired Beachsports who provide skate and surf camps for kids.

Skate day camps will run this summer at Ernie Howlett. Contact the City of Rolling Hills Estates for details.

Besides being the third most popular sport among youth, skateboarding is a $4.8 billion dollar market, with over 11 million participants.

SkateparkPV, a local non-profit has pledged to raise $400,000 for the construction of the park which they will gift to the city. The skatepark will not only keep kids out of harm’s way, but will increase the revenue to local merchants. All Skatepark PV needs is buildable land.

A skatepark will benefit the overall good of the community and contribute to the health and well-being of our youth.

Join SkateparkPV on their website at www.skateparkpv.org and LIKE their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/skateparkpv

Four years ago I said: I AM GOING TO DO THAT. I am going to see that the kids on the Hill have a proper skatepark to practice their sport.
In all honesty, I have had moments of feeling discouraged. Getting a skatepark built is not an easy task. After four years we are still at Step One: Getting public land.
However, despite disappoints we have some GREAT IDEAS on the table and are working our best to put them into action.
We hope to make our ideas public very soon.
Thank you to all of you who have come forward with support and encouragement and great ideas.

Last Saturday, February 23, I attended the Ground Breaking Ceremony at Peck Park in San Pedro. This park did not happen overnight either. Many people including Channel Street founder, Andy Harris, worked tirelessly to get this park off the ground. City Councilman Joe Buscaino and his office backed this project all the way and seeing the turnout for this ceremony was heartwarming. Knowing that it’s all about the kids, the skaters, providing a safe place to skate, keeping the off the streets, is what it’s all about. Entire families showed up at the festivities and this is what we see at skating events. Joe’s office and Andy have offered to share all their learning and expertise gained from their project. It’s awesome to have such wonderful neighbors.

Left: Andy Harris with Councilman Buscaino behind him, who referred to ‘our skater athletes.’ I love that phrase!

-Ellen November, President and Founder of Skatepark PV, Inc.

The road to a skate park is a jagged line, not a straight line.
We are not giving up.
We will get a park built here on the Peninsula.
We’re working on it.
We are negotiating and working hard to get it done.
We hope to have some news very soon.
Hang in there!

Freedom4U and Skatepark PV are partnering to raise funds for the skatepark.
This concert will bring together bands and teens from the South Bay community with the goal of benefiting the Skatepark PV cause.
Tell your friends to come with you to have a fun time for a good purpose.
Performing with be great rock bands and dancers from schools and Future Shock LA.
Check out the flyer and show up!
Saturday, December 15, 6:30 pm, PV High MPR
$8 at the door.
Bring a can of food and get $1 off ticket price.

The November Issue of South Bay magazine featured an awesome article on the skateboarding scene in the South Bay.
Author Stefan Slater spent a good portion of his article on Skatepark PV, Inc. – thank you Stefan!
Here is a link to the article called “How We Roll.”
Here are some of our favorite quotes from the article:
Ellen’s grown children didn’t skate much when they were younger—and she’s quick to admit that she’s not much of a skater herself, but the founder of the nonprofit organization Skatepark PV is passionate about bringing a safe skating environment to the Peninsula.

“I’d see these kids finding creative, out-of-the-way places to skateboard,” says Ellen. While going about her daily routine, she’d often see neighborhood teens skateboarding in public areas, only to be promptly chased away by private security or police. “So it occurred to me: Why don’t we have a skate park?”

Ellen estimates that there are several thousand skateboarders on the Peninsula without a legitimate place to safely skate. She set out to remedy that and build a proper park.

“It’s the right thing to do,” says Ellen, “These kids shouldn’t be marginalized.” Ellen and her supporters hope to start building in Ernie Howlett Park in the city of Rolling Hills Estates, but for now, they’re concentrating on funding. And the greater South Bay skating community—a vibrant scene that’s been alive and ripping since the late ‘50s—is working hard on that front.

Thank you Girl Skateboards and Chocolate for your continued support and for donating decks autographed by Chocolate team member Kenny Anderson.

The middle board has been spoken for but the two other boards are available for a $50 donation to SkateparkPV, Inc.

Email: skateparkpv@gmail.com to get yours now.

Free delivery in the LA South Bay area.

This would be a great holiday gift for your skater!

SkateparkPV, Inc. has partnered with Bidding For Good, an on-line charity auction site, for fundraising.

It’s like a silent auction, but online.
Currently there are three Mike Carroll autographed decks from Girl and three Kenny Anderson autographed decks from Chocolate.

For those interested in the San Francisco Dew Tour, we have two Premium Passes to all four days of the Tour for bid as well.

Our friends at Vanguard Skate in Torrance also donated a wonderful package that includes a deck, other skate gear and a skate session with Issey Yumiba.

Funds raised from these items go directly to our building fund. We plan to build an 8,000 square foot skate plaza in Rolling Hills Estates at Ernie Howlett Park.

The City of Rolling Hills Estates has allocated the land for us in their active recreation city park. Our goal is to make this park a LEED Certified green park!

This is a great opportunity to get a special gift for your skater for the holidays. Click here to go to our Bidding For Good auction site!