Sisters Skatepark is now open

After almost two years in the waiting, local skaters need wait no more. The Sisters Skatepark opened this week.

The park features lots of great skating elements for all skill levels. Constructed by Liquid Stone Design with the Sisters Skate Park Committee, the park is a work of art, which features elements that will bring skaters from all over the state.

Sisters Park & Recreation District invites the community to join the skate committee for a community celebration to open the park on June 20, at 11 a.m. The celebration will feature free hot dogs, drinks and chips.

"We invite everyone to come out and celebrate a project that is truly a reflection of what happens when a community comes together," said SPRD Executive Director Anne Heath.

The project was driven from the start by skaters, for skaters. Sisters High School students Scott Everson and Preston Ferris started it all three years ago. With help from math teacher and skater Daniel O'Neill and others, the boys made a plan and presented it to SPRD, the school board and the City of Sisters. They created a non-profit group and made it a school project, for which they got school credit.

When Scott and Preston graduated, another student and skater, Davidson Small, stepped in and took over the student manager role. He held fundraisers and wrote for and received a large grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation. Tony Hawk is a world-champion skateboarder whose foundation's mission is supporting and empowering youth with recreational programs that focus on the creation of public skateboard parks.

For more information call SPRD at 541-549-2091.