Prime
Cuts
ROVIDENT
SKATEPARK
CITY OF VISALIA
Provident Skatepark
Visalia, Ca
FTER TEN YEARS OF
talk and "no skate-
boarding" signs, the city
of Visalia finally gave in
and poured themselves a gem of
a concrete skatepark. Thanks to
generous money donors and the
city's hospital, you can now ride
what I think is the largest concrete
structure in California at 24,000
square feet.
The surface area begins with a
small little section containing your
basic quarterpipes, banks, and pyra-
mids with rails. This area is good
because all the kids usually stay
there, but there are always those few
stray youngsters who become live
targets in the battle for a good line in
the larger regions of the park.
Big hips, bank to walls, and a bar-
bell-looking section are the central
station to this huge skate ship, whose
main force lies at the far end with a
six-foot-high snake run leading into a
bowl with good coping.
Helmet laws are posted but not
enforced. All in all, it's a great park
that everyone should scope. Take
the 99 to the 198 east exit all the way
to central Visalia. Then ask how to
get to Recreation Park. It's a 6 out of
10 when school is out and a 7 out of
10 when school is in session.
Thanks, Visalia.
-Nik Freitas
70 THRASHER
VIDENT
MILY F
KAWE
HEA
ISTRIC
Left: While the rest of us take time to get used to a new
park's kinks and transitions, Ryan Wilburn is busy clearing
every gap the place has to offer.
Above: If Jesse Paez were punk he would say he 180°ed
the fence to show that no city can put boundaries on where
we skate, but the truth is that he just did it because he can.
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