Oregon Town ‘At the Edge of the World’ Breaks Ground on World-Class Skatepark

One day a modest idea rolled into Lakeview, Oregon: What if we built a skatepark?

Two years later, the southern Oregon town — population 2,400 — is turning that vision into reality. This week, excavating equipment arrived on site to begin digging out the old tennis court and shaping the bowl for what will become a world-class skatepark in the heart of the community.

“They're in there working, digging holes and putting pipes in and everything,” said Rotarian Chuck Kelley. “I'm super pleased. Things are going right along.”

It all started when Kelley noticed many kids were missing out on traditional sports like football and basketball because they couldn't afford the gear, didn't speak English or didn’t feel like they belonged.

“Those sports don’t catch everybody,” says fellow Rotarian Michael McGowen. “The fear is that the way kids go instead is to the easily available and inexpensive drugs.”

A park geared for the relatively low-barrier activity of skateboarding seemed like a solution. Rotarians donated $1,500 to get the project started, and a survey showed the town supported the idea.

Small Town, Big Dream 

Building a skatepark legally is an enormous undertaking. Community members often fear that a skatepark will attract crime, but research has shown that parks in visible places tend to become community assets. Lakeview organizers researched the ins and outs of design, safety and liability through The Skatepark Project.

It is a nonprofit founded by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. A kid who didn’t fit into traditional sports, Hawk fell into skateboarding after struggling in baseball. Hawk became the first skateboarder to land a trick called a 900, revolving two-and-a-half times mid-air. He retired from professional skateboarding and established his foundation to help build skateparks in low-income areas.

Following the Rotarians’ research, the Lakeview Town Council endorsed the project and leased the public land for the skatepark site to organizers for $1 a year. Councilors didn’t want just any skatepark. They wanted one that could attract competitions and visitors to Lakeview, filling its hotel beds, campsites and restaurants.

“We put out an RFP to six of the best skatepark design firms in the United States,” McGowen says.

Oregon’s own Dreamland Skateparks submitted the winning bid, and the Lincoln City firm designed a park suitable for skateboarders, scooter riders, BMX bikers, rollerbladers and wheelchair users. The park will be 13,000 square feet, with a deep, kidney-shaped bowl, a chute and a series of mounds. The design allows for park and street style, the two skateboard disciplines that debuted during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. In park style, competitors ride in a bowl to build speed for aerial moves; in street style, they maneuver over obstacles.

‘We’ll Find a Way’ 

Despite being in one of Oregon’s poorest counties, the community has raised more than $500,000 of the $600,000 budget. Project organizers cobbled together the funding from in-kind donations, philanthropic support and Rotary Club fundraisers. Kelley is loaning the construction crew a house he owns in town during the project.

“Lakeview is at the edge of the world,” McGowen says. “We don’t have much in this town, but one thing we do have is town spirit. We’re so remote that we have to do for ourselves.”

Oregon Community Foundation stepped in with a $10,000 grant early on and contributed another $50,000 in 2024. OCF President and CEO Lisa Mensah shared Lakeview’s story at the foundation’s recent Annual Meeting before an audience of more than 700. 

Wheels-in-Motion Skatepark Groundbreaking May 2025

 “Asking ‘What if’ can show a community of kids that they’re worth fighting for,” Mensah told the crowd at the Portland Art Museum and watching around the state on Zoom. “I wonder, what if we all believed in our kids like Lakeview believes in theirs? That takes nerve. That takes backbone. And that’s ‘What If’ at work in Oregon.”

Organizers are already figuring out how to give away bikes, skateboards and helmets to kids in need through sponsorships from manufacturers and retailers. They hope to find a pro skateboarder who will offer a free clinic to teach kids the basics of riding.

“If you worry too much in life you miss out on opportunities,” McGowen says. “We’ll find a way.”

And it will all happen right in the middle of town — where every child will finally be seen.

Watch Lisa Mensah’s Annual Meeting speech and learn more about the May 9, 2025 event at the Portland Art Museum. Send us your What If ideas—we'd love to hear them!