RoknRoll-Big Island Skate Media, mag, e-zine, myskatespace , formerly the Big Island Skate Association, will serve as a source of skatepark related news or information here on the Big Island. As of July 2007, a new Organization was formed called the Kona Skatepark Association.
Contact info:
KONA SKATEPARK ASSOCIATION
PH: (808)333-8780
501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization
Cynthia Hope
Jesse Wheeler / Email Contact
Matt Martin
Bill Hensley
Chris Senn
We're a network of current skateboarders,old school skateboarder, skate advocates, mom's and dads, industry shop owners promoting the need of World Class Concrete Skateparks to be built on the Big Island of Hawaii. Both major cities, Kona and Hilo, lack adequete skateboarding facilities. Anyone who wants to jump on (skate)board and support the cause is always welcomed.
From 2004-2007
Who We Was
- Matt Martin
- Paul D
- Ty Chamberlain
- Jesse Wheeler
We was the Big Island Skate Association.
The BISA was "formed" in November of 2004 when a couple of people and some friends and friends of friends all met together, introduced themselves made up a name that had something to do with Hawai'i and skating. Simple enough. Since then, it's been anything but simple.
Why?
The Big Island Skate Association, in conjunction with the Hawaii County Council, is currently planning/development stages of building a world-class skate park here in Kailua-Kona. Skateboarding has soared in popularity and is currently the third most popular sport among kids age 6-18, and sixth most popular nationwide. Yet, in Kona, there still remains a void in that there is no facility to skateboard in/on.Throughout downtown there's a " No Skateboarding" sign almost everywhere you look. The Big Island Skate Association is spearheading the effort to build a premier Concrete skate park in Kailua-Kona.
A concrete skate park in Kona would add another positive element to the community in several ways:
First, and most obvious, it would give the kids (and everyone else who wants to) an alternative outlet for recreation, and ultimately, just something to do!
It would provide a productive and healthy alternative too sitting on the sea wall or just cruising through downtown.
Matt Martin, Ty and Melissa Chamberlain, Ivan Cielo and Paul D attend a presentation to the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce - 2005 BISA
It would also alleviate many of the problems local businesses have with skaters around their storefronts by offering them not only somewhere else to go, but somewhere much more exciting and challenging.
This would also reduce risk of injury to skaters and pedestrians by allowing them to skate in an isolated environment. While on the subject of injury, it should be noted that, according to the National Safety Council, irregular riding surfaces account for over half of all skateboarding injuries. A concrete built skateboard park with smooth riding surfaces exhibit true safety for the sport. Also, skateboarders who have been riding for less than a week make up one third of all injuries.
Island skateboarders using a Basketball court to skateboard.-2005 BISA
Introducing new skaters to the sport in a professional built concrete skate park will alleviate much of this also.
Despite the seemingly large number of injuries, skateboarding is ranked by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as almost twice as safe as riding a bike, and more than four times safer than taking a swim in a swimming pool.
Currently there are over 20 million skateboarders nationwide with 82% under the age of 18. In fact the average age of a skater is 14. This means that a proper park in Kona will DIRECTLY affect the youth in the community.
With the threat of ice as prevalent as it is in Hawai*i there should be as many positive recreational options for kids as possible.
And skateboarding is not just a male sport, in fact one quarter of all skaters are girls, and no matter what the gender, skaters skate an average of nearly twice a week.
These trends clearly demonstrate the impact a professionally designed and built concrete skate park could immediately have on Kailua-Kona*s community.
Regardless of how convincing these facts are, we still need community support in order develop this project. Whether it be a financial contribution, in-kind work during construction, volunteering for fundraising events, or at the very least a signature on a petition, it would be greatly appreciated.
Mahalo
Matt Martin/ BISA
Currently as of 2006
We were initially denied the land that was DESIGNATED to be a skatepark in order to make way for basketball courts. We were then suggested Ali'i Kai, better known as Royal Poinciana, or if that wasn't good enough, Higashihara Park. Royal Poinciana was put on the backburner because, well, it's in the middle of a subdivision. Higashihara was too small (3,000 sq. ft.). So off we adventured.
Higahashihara Skatepark located in Keauhou, Kona. (Circa 1988-1993)-BISA
Then, at the request of Kona council members Angel Pilago and former council, Virginia Isbell, we contacted the Kai O'Pua canoe club about sub-leasing a chunk of their 5.6 acres at the Old Kona Airport. After an impressive presentation to their board of directors, we were told "This is a great thing, especially for the keiki, and we'll put it to a vote." Despite everyone at the meetings' voice of approval, they never actually voted on it.
Former County Councilwoman, Virginia Isbell and Matt Martin look over designated blueprints for a skateboarding facility in Kailua-Kona located at the Old Kona State Airport -2005 BISA
5.6 Acreas of land currently sub-leased to Kai Opua Canoe Club located adjacent to the Old Kona State Airport Pavillion -2005 BISA
