Raab skate park gone, but Poulsbo community hoping to rebuild facility

Ava Manning, Kitsap Sun
·3 min read

POULSBO -- After more than 20 years of wear and tear, Raab Skate Park has been disassembled. But Poulsbo’s skateboarding community is working with the city to help create a new and improved skate park in its place.

Raab Park has been home to a beloved skate park since January 3, 2000, the grand opening day for a facility built entirely through efforts of the skateboarding community in North Kitsap. But its age was showing. There were holes in the top decking, and the railing was unstable and dangerous. The park was made primarily out of wood and long Pacific Northwest rains had taken their toll.

"I’ve been through periods (of time) where there were holes in the actual ramps themselves,” said Travis Ryan, who has been using the skate park since it opened.

The Poulsbo Skate Park Community Coalition is now leading the charge to build a new skate park that better serves the community.

“We’re planning to rebuild this summer as a temporary measure while we work toward our long term goal… a covered, concrete park that’s somewhere closer to downtown,” Eric Payne, a member of the Poulsbo Skate Park Community Coalition, said.

Poulsbo Skate Park Community Coalition member Erik Payne removes the metal edging of the ramps to set aside to be reused in a rebuilt skate park after the closure of the current one at Raab Park on March 25.
Poulsbo Skate Park Community Coalition member Erik Payne removes the metal edging of the ramps to set aside to be reused in a rebuilt skate park after the closure of the current one at Raab Park on March 25.

The coalition is currently planning on rebuilding Raab Skate Park with new materials and more functionality. This park will be safer and more inclusive for skaters of skill levels, and serve the community while the skate park coalition works towards a more permanent skate park. They have been working in cohesion with Poulsbo Parks and Recreation to help bring their ideas to life.

“If there’s community members who would like to see something and are willing to help make it happen, then yes, we 100% want to work with you and see what we can do,” Jeff Ozimek, Poulsbo Parks and Recreation Director said.

According to Ozimek, the Poulsbo Skate Park Community Coalition came to the city a little over a year ago with the ideas and goals, and the two organizations have been collaborating ever since. The skate park coalition has been extremely proactive in their collaborative efforts with Poulsbo Parks and Recreation, Ozimek said.

“We’re really excited about this project,” Ozimek stated. “There is a need right now in our community to have a place that is inclusive and accessible for all ages and abilities to learn to skate, to gather together, and to build community…”

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Poulsbo Parks and Recreation has been working to help build a timeline for the rebuilding of Raab Skate Park, along with helping to connect the skate park coalition with people and organizations that may be able to help.

They have raised about $10,000 of their $30,000 goal, which will primarily be used to purchase the materials as they plan to use volunteer labor to build it. The Poulsbo Skate Park Community Coalition will have a booth at May's Viking Fest in which they hope to continue raising toward their goal.

Anyone who has interest in helping create the new Raab Skate Park is encouraged to join. There is a need for a variety of volunteers, from grant writing to construction workers to sponsors. Community members are able to reach out to the Poulsbo Skate Park Community Coalition via Facebook, or through Poulsbo Parks and Recreation.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Poulsbo skate park shuttered, but new vision in the works