Concrete Wave Country

Concrete Wave Country is a public concrete skatepark in Nashville, Tennessee that was constructed by Wally Holladay of California Skateparks in the spring and summer of 2004. Concrete Wave Country occupies approximately 20,000 square feet (2,000 m²) adjacent to Nashville's public wave pool, Wave Country. The skate park consists of three different areas of skate terrain that range in size from small street obstacles to a 10 foot (3 m) deep bowl (combi-pool) with pool coping, known as The General Jackson in honor of the General Jackson riverboat that is operated by nearby Opryland Hotel. The mid-sized flow bowl is known as The Wabash Cannonbowl in honor of the popular Wabash Cannonball rollercoaster ride at Nashville's Opryland USA theme park, which closed in 1997. The street area at the park is known as the Angle Inn, which references the angular nature of most street skating obstacles, along with a historical nod to the Angle Inn attraction at Opryland USA.

Concrete Wave Country is the first public skate park for the city of Nashville, and follows on the heels of numerous private skate parks that have come and gone throughout the sport's turbulent history in the city. Mayor Bill Purcell presided over the skate park's grand opening ceremony on July 1, 2004, along with numerous enthusiastic local skateboarders, inline skaters, and BMXers.

The Two Rivers Skatepark began in the fall of 2000 when Michael Poindexter scheduled a meeting and made a proposal to the then Director of the Metropolitan Nashville Parks Department Jim Fyke, to have the Parks Department develop a free public skate park.

Mr. Poindexter, known within the skateboarding community as DaddyYo, had developed a wooden skatepark at the Brentwood, TN Family YMCA. A meeting at that skatepark with Jim Fyke demonstrated the function and design of modern skateparks.

Although some skateparks had been built in the Nashville area during the 80s and 90s, they were either defunct and destroyed (Rivergate Skatepark), built illegally and never opened or consisted of “backyard” ramps that were mostly poorly constructed illegal half pipe ramps built on private property and frequented by skaters more interested in socializing then skateboarding.

Mr. Poindexter’s attempted to partner with the Metro Nashville Parks Department after the Two Rivers Skatepark opened to help create a skatepark users program modeled on the many other “Friends” programs sponsored by the Parks Department. The purpose of the Friends of the Skatepark program was to provide lessons, establish a volunteers program to assist new users of the park and a special events committee to encourage competitions and other special programs.

A new Parks Director, Roy Wilson, had been appointed by the then Mayor Purcell at the time the Friends program was proposed. Similarly to Mr. Purcell, Mr. Wilson operated the Parks Department as a private enterprise and rejected the Friends program claiming Mr. Poindexter intended to start a “private Police Force” although a Police Force was not a part of the proposal.

Mr. Wilson stated that the Parks Department “didn’t need any friends” and had programs plans in place.

The members of the advisory group of skateboarders appointed by the Parks Director to help design the Two Rivers Skatepark no longer skate at the Two Rivers Skatepark and either ride at the Williason County Skatepark or have quit skating all together

Now, in the fourth year of operation, the Parks Department has not instituted any programs, sponsored any competitions or provided any events. The Two Rivers Skatepark is consistently one of the most popular and highly attended Parks Department venues. No new skateparks have been planned or constructed or discussed by the Parks Department since Mr. Poindexter’s initial efforts created the Two Rivers Skatepark.

Mr. Poindexter can be found skating at the Two Rivers Skatepark four days a week all year.

External links

* [http://www.skatetn.com/ Skate Tennessee]