New skatepark rolling into BI

Plans for the new Skatepark at Strawberry Hill Park will be presented at the Nov. 17 board meeting of the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District at 6 p.m. at the BI Recreation Center.

The 16,660-square-foot skatepark will feature an expansive, open “street skating” area with ramps, stairs, rails and many other elements typical of an urban skating environment. An undulating “pump track” wraps around the skating plaza, allowing a long, continuous ride through momentum-building curves and bowls.

The park is designed for skaters of all skill levels and will welcome not just skateboarders but roller and inline skaters and scooters as well. The skatepark will adjoin the 20-year-old Rotary Skate Bowl, renowned as one of the region’s oldest and best skate bowls for “transition” style skating.

The Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation will lead project fundraising, with the campaign expected to begin in January.

“Bainbridge Island has generations of skateboarders, from those who brought us the first half-pipes in the 1970s to the kids who skate in parking lots and plazas today,” said Mary Meier, foundation executive director. “The Strawberry Hill Skatepark will vault skating into the future here, build on the great success of the Rotary Skate Bowl, and serve so many styles of skaters with a really exciting and imaginative space.”

See project designs and a fly-around video at www.biparksfoundation.org/skatepark.

Meanwhile, a Strawberry Hill Bike Park Open House and Site Tour will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 13 at the park. Visitors will be able to walk the park, share ideas and see preliminary plans.

Also, the foundation will have a Blakely Hills hike with coffee at Heyday Farm at 9 a.m. Nov. 4. The winter gathering at Yeomalt Cabin will be Dec. 2.