BEND Ore. — While it may seem like it got a slow start, the Central Oregon public skatepark scene began nearly 25 years ago with the opening of Ponderosa Skatepark in 1997, followed by Redmond Skatepark in 2001.
Today, skateparks are flourishing around the region. Redmond’s design and features are faring far better than old Pondy, but along with those skateparks, Northeast Bend — which already hosts Rockridge Skatepark — will also be home to a smaller “skate dot” in Northpointe Park set to launch in the spring.
Sisters Skatepark Alliance, a unique skate class at Sisters High, is planning to make additions via the skater-built park’s donation, fundraising and DIY ethos.
Below is this week’s bounty of area skateparks.
Rockridge Skatepark
The preferred skatepark of young upstarts, aging snowboarders and scooter riders, this northeast Bend facility has one of designer and builder Evergreen Skateparks’ trademark “moonscape” designs. The spacious concrete footprint means it can be a long way to the coping, but your quads will get a workout. Given the fact its design — think pump bumps, rounded banks, corners and pockets — means an all-in-one-bowl, it can quickly feel crowded.
Ponderosa Skatepark
Located in southeast Bend, “Pondy” was built by Spohn Ranch and has a lot of possibility in a small space. With a primary focus on street — a hubba, rails, ledge, Euro gap and banks (including two with metal lips) — it still boasts enough transitions and coping to keep mini-ramp and bowl skaters grinding and happy, though Bend sorely needs a proper, one-at-a-time, standalone bowl. The curious can check out the old Pondy, built in 1997 and still reasonably maintained, located at the north end of the park. Pondy can stay surprisingly dry in winter, as can Redmond Skatepark, built by Oregon-based Dreamland Skateparks, builder of a new, 1,500-square-foot “skate dot” coming next year with the opening of nearby Northpointe Park.
Prineville Skatepark
This is the newest of Central Oregon’s skateparks and one of its largest. Prineville boasts a fun public bowl, with a tight shallow end and more forgiving deep end with larger transitions, hips, a loveseat and vert. Go for the bowl, perhaps, but stay for the sprawling concrete of the flow area, with a mix of metal and concrete pool coping, as well as the fun ditch-meets-bowl under the park’s lone light. It’s set in a park lining a creek, with a playground across the street, walking path, pickleball court next door and food cart pod nearby. It’s a good spot for the non-skaters in your crew.
