Blog by Simone Toney 

On Sunday, June 21, not only was the weather a perfect 75 degrees, the opening of the P-Rod Skate Park in Pacoima, CA proved to be yet another perfect aspect of the day.  Nike SB and LA84 Foundation have been planning the grand opening of the P-Rod Skate Park for months and their efforts did not go unnoticed.  About 1,000 people participated in the opening of P-Rod Skate Park ranging in age from infants to adults and despite the age differences, each individual enjoyed this event all the same. 

The opening of the P-Rod Skate Park was emceed by Paul Rodriguez, Sr. an actor and comedian.  He illustrated the importance of the skate park to the community and the fact that it is the duty of the community to maintain and respect the park.  He introduced all of the people that played a part in the creation of the skate park and allowed them to give short speeches about what this skate park will do for the community.  Then finally, the moment that the audience was waiting for… Rodriguez introduced the Nike SB Team.  There were a total of seven members presented at the event including the infamous Paul Rodriguez II. The Nike SB Team was the first to try out the new skate park and they instantly fell in love with the way the park was set up.  They took turns busting tricks for an enthusiastic and eager audience that had been waiting all day to see their demo.  Shortly after the demo the Nike SB Team gave autographs to all the kids that attended the event.  The opening ceremony established the positive attributes that the skate park would bring to the community of Pacoima. 

     

Nike did a great job of organizing the event in a way that appealed to all ages.  They provided free hot dogs and lemonade for the parents and their kids along with free Nike SB t-shirts designed to fit all sizes.  The majority of the kids put their shirts on right when they received them and were extremely excited when the Nike SB skate team autographed the shirts.  Youth Noise team members were also at the event in an effort to promote the organization and to encourage the kids to get involved.  We provided the kids with an opportunity to win a free flip cam and to vocalize their opinions about the event and their new skate park.

    

Nike SB and LA84 Foundation successfully accomplished the task at hand.  The kids at the event could not have been happier.  They arrived as early as 8 am and stayed long after the grand opening was finished.  They loved the difficultly presented by the skate park and the numerous tricks they could attempt at the park.  The kids also appreciated the fact that they would not have to deal with the police or other adults kicking them out off their prior skating surfaces.  They can now skate freely and express their art form any way they choose at the P-Rod Skate Park.  The parents are also excited that their kids have a place to skate without the risk of getting into trouble with the police or other authorities.  The P-Rod Skate Park will forever alter the landscape of the community and provide kids with a much needed outlet to perform their art form.   

 

 

Hundreds came out this past Sunday for the Nike/LA84 Skate Park Dedication Ceremony in Pacoima, California.  P-Rod, one of professional skate boarding's premier athletes, came out along with his father, comedian Paul Rodriguez.

Youth from all around the community came out to witness an historic event at the Ritchie Valens Community Center (yep, the LaBamba legend!).  Upon arriving bright and early at the park, I soon realized that this event was more than just a cool skate park dedication ceremony involving the cutie pie that is P-Rod - it was about a community just outside of Los Angeles coming together for something special and long past due.

(oh and this shot too...can't help it.  P-Rod is foine!!)

(you go boy!  Walk it out...;-)

(doing what he does best!)

Since Sunday's event fell on Father's Day, it was even more special for folks like Paul Rodriguez Sr., who when talking about his son's success to a local television station, said "This is the best Father's Day gift I could've ever asked for."  His remarks certainly tugged at my heart strings because I lost my father just six months ago and this past Sunday was the first Father's Day without him.  I could empathize with Paul Rodriguez Sr.'s heartfelt sentiment.  It's not everyday you get to witness the special bond between a son and his father.  It was nice to see that connection between P-Rod and his dad.

Fortunately, however, I not only got to spend Father's Day chillin out with P-Rod and company, but mi familia came out as well to celebrate this historic event (as proven by my own mother, "Momma B," playing photog, snapping this one of a kind pic of me and Paul Rodriguez Sr.  Thanks, Mom ;-)

In another interview, Paul Rodriguez Sr. also talked about his feeling regarding his son's influence as a professional skater.

"He's a great role model especially for inner city youth."

Being that the population of Pacoima, California is largely Latina/o, it made sense why so many kids in attendance considered P-Rod - who in an interview with Link TV said that he began skating at 11 years old - as someone they could look up to and aspire to be like. 

When you consider that many lower income communities of color are in desperate need of some revitalization, it certainly helps the cause when two activist celebrities can put their name and face on a project so dear to many kids in the area.

 

 

During the dedication ceremony, Paul Rodriguez Sr. mentioned how the park itself would hopefully encourage local kids stay out of trouble and "away from gangs."  The purpose of the park also gives folks in the community hope and lets them know that they aren't forgotten in an era of Wall Street greed and rampant gang and drug related violence.

If Sunday's participation was any indication of long-term park attendance by kids in the community, then I'd say that Paul Rodriguez and his son's hope for a better and safer community might actually be realized.

Because in the end, this event was really about the kids and fellow skateboard enthusiasts.  One kid walked up to the YouthNoise table and gave us, the PlayCity team, an interesting perspective that perhaps many of these young kids share regarding their favorite past time.

"I'm not an athlete.  I just skateboard."

With his tight purple pants and black shirt, he--like the rest of his 'alternative'-dressing compadres--probably recognized in his own way that skateboarding is his only chosen refuge.  While the rest might be playing pick up games on the basketball court or hitting home runs across the street at the local baseball field, these kids skate - and boy can they skate their a**es off. 

For more photos, including action shots and celebrity pics, check out YN's Flickr page!

While they might not consider themselves 'athletes,' to me, they certainly have a unique ability to physically maneuver their bodies on those narrow pieces of rolling wood.  And coming from and athlete, I couldn't even imagine hopping on one of those things without twisting, spraining, or breaking something.

Not only are these kids athletes in my eyes, but they're also fortunate to have their own space where they can just be.

And because of that, big ups goes out to Nike, the LA 84 Foundation, P-Rod and fellow pro skaters, Paul Rodriguez Sr., the impeccable architects who designed the park, local city officials, and community members for making Sunday's event spectacular and dedicating this awesome space to a community that certainly deserves it!

The shin-dig was so awesome, in fact, that even the DJ had a blast!

**All photography by Tara L. Conley (other than the one taken by Momma B:-). 

There were hundreds of youth at the grand opening of the P-Rod Skate Park in Pacoima, California this Father's Day. And they were all practicing their tricks on the sidewalks beforehand, trying to avoid head-on collisions. Some came on their own. Others with family and friends. But one group we found came with a crew: the Me Gusta Skate Crew. These youth love skating so much that they decided to build up a Pacoima team and try to raise money to enter competitions and buy gear. How cool is that? Here is one team member explaining the basics:

To hear from more team members, check out our What Do You Skate For contest! 

NIKE is definitely making it’s presence felt in the Pacoima community located in the San Fernando Valley just North of Los Angeles … just ask Nicole Chase.

Nicole helps run the Boys & Girls Club in Pacoima, CA and she is extremely excited about the NIKE event this Sunday unveiling the new P-Rod Skate Park at the Ritchie Valens Community Center in Pacoima. at the

She says that the kids have needed a space like this for a long long time … so thank you NIKE!

 

P-Rod Inaugural Skate, Skate Demos, Autographs & Signings, Food & Refreshments, Nike giveaways. All round fun! For more info: www.nikeskateboarding.com 

About the Boys & Girls Club:
The Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley is a youth and family oriented organization dedicated to promoting the educational, vocational, social and character development of boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 18.
Visit www.bgcsfv.org         

I'm really stoked about YN's skate week. The whole week I've had the chance to visit different skateparks and meet a variety of skaters. Young skaters, ex-skaters, big ones, crazy ones, parents of skaters, and older skaters. It's been a blast!

Take one dude I met recently, Andrew Andrews. He's this older cat from the valley whose been skating for over 15 years now. I've always pictured skaters as these young agile kids with long hair. So imagine my surprise when I meet Andrew -- older guy, agile then most people half his age, short hair, and just a regular looking dude, similar to Hal in my previous post on falling and skating safely.
"SKATE OR DIE!"
But Andrew is not your regular skater. He's been skating for years and will probably be skating long after this post is written 'cause the guy defies age as much as he does gravity. Just look at his pics. And don't forget to check out the video too.