A new skate park is set to open in Anchorage at the end of this month, offering skaters a modern facility with features like a deep concrete bowl, a quarter pipe shaped like a whale tail, and a Big Dipper constellation embedded in the floor.
This $2.1 million project, which took six years to complete, marks a significant investment in a sport that previously didn’t have much support in the city.
Evan Sharp, a local skater, expressed his excitement about the new park. Growing up, Sharp used to skate on small metal ramps at the old Taku Lake Skate Park, which has since been renovated.
Now, the park’s larger size and variety of terrain provide opportunities for skaters of all skill levels, something that wasn’t available in Anchorage before.
“Fifteen years later, it’s transformed into this amazing facility,” Sharp said.
This new skate park also reflects a shift in the way skateboarders are perceived. Once seen as troublemakers, skateboarders are now enjoying a newfound respect, especially after skateboarding made its Olympic debut in the 2020 Tokyo Games and again in the 2024 Paris Games.