Material Innovations

The 1980′s were tough years for Oregon skateboarders.  It was illegal to skateboard in downtown Portland on the areas best concrete.  Skaters were seen as a nuisance and a threat to the social order.  Police would regularly confiscate boards and issue tickets along the western waterfront.  This action from the city against skateboarding created outlaws and reenforced a sense of renegade self expression that had come to define the sport.  Not all skaters were looking for confrontation though, just a central place where they could practice their sport.

Community Relations

Separated by the Willamette river,  the east bank was off the police radar but lacked the skateable terrain of downtown.  Partially lit by street lights and out of the rain, a vacant asphalt parking lot beneath the east end of the Burnside bridge attracted a couple of skaters.  In 1990 they began to clean up trash and skate against the 30 foot vertical retaining wall that holds the east side back from the river.  It wasn’t long before someone got the idea to pour a few bags of concrete to create a transition to skate the wall.  Realizing that no body would bother them there, a handful of skaters  continued to add on when they could afford concrete.

Early Wallrides

In 1990 the east side of the burnside bridge was a haven for drugs and crime as it lacked the visibility and connection to downtown of the west side.  A homeless  shelter called Baloney Joe’s was directly above the skaters new hang out, contributing to the areas bad reputation.  Clearing out prostitutes and drug dealers gained the skaters respect of the surrounding businesses.  The surrounding community saw them as an asset because they were literally cleaning up the area.  A few local skaters took matters in to their own hands after city counsel repeatedly voted against supporting a Portland skateboard park.

Things under Burnside really began to take shape during the construction for the I-84 interchange.  Ross Island Cement company were parking their trucks down there waiting to pour the new freeway on ramp.  The skaters convinced the truck drivers to give them their excess concrete.  With free concrete arriving daily they were able to cover the asphalt lot and Burnside skatepark became a reality.  As their concrete skills developed the core group of builders continuously evolved and reworked sections of the park.

Digging Bowls

As Burnside skatepark developed it gained national recognition, becoming a northwest icon for popular youth culture.  City officials soon became aware that the skaters project was bringing positive attention to Portland helping put it on the global map.  In the early 90′s Mayor Bud Clark donated to the land to the skateboarders giving them the validation they deserved.

Today Burnside skatepark stands as a monument to a local communities struggle for recognition.  The history of Burnside’s development reenforces the notion that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.  Often it is up to individual citizens to enlighten the bureaucracy to the Genius Loci of their own community.   A result of true pioneers, Burnside skate park is now part of Portland’s identity.

Burnside’s creators now run a concrete skatepark building company called Dreamland.

With almost one hundred commissioned parks from Australia to San Fransisco, Dreamland is now the world authority on building concrete skateparks.  Over 25 of Oregon’s smaller towns now boast their world class skateparks.

Newberg Oregon