Omaha Skatepark
Omaha, NE
Clockwise from top: Those who sit on their asses and gab
far outnumber those who actually skate at most parks these
days. You can probably guess which of the two Dave Nelson
does more of. Hardflip down nine. Could be a kook just
dressing up or the real deal coming in from the woods-it's a
tough call in Nebraska. Venom rocks a 5-0. Looks like a
frontside lien, doesn't it? Jeff Chase actually fakie ollied into it
and poked her sideways a bit, thus giving that effect. Street
course overview: hey, nobody's perfect. Now we're talking:
overview of Omaha's better half, its bowl-snakerun setup.
Don't bite it on the taco, though. Captions telling readers to
note how clean a trick is caught are often unnecessary, so we
won't mention it on Travis King's pyramid flip.
Good: Since 1993, Omaha has not had a
skatepark. 1) Free; 2) outdoor concrete
ecstasy; and 3) full of good skaters who
welcome travelers who are willing to get
drunk with them.
Bad: Chaos. At times, just when you think
the snake course cannot get any more
congested, a train of five grommets will roll
in a carveless line and stop in your way.
Pads: Optional. Helmets are suggested
for beginners.
Crash-up Derby Factor: Very
high; it's a new park, and every Tom, Dick,
and Harry who has ever had rollerblades or
a skateboard is there when you are, equaling
concrete burns and crushed egos.
Directions: 1-80 to 72nd Street exit.
Travel northbound to Cass. Take a left on
Cass; one block north of Dodge, turn right
on 78th. If you go past HyVee, you've gone
too far.
This skatepark would not have been
possible without the political know-how of
the Student Democrats and City Councilman
Marc Kraft. Their ability to cut red tape is
much appreciated. Fortunately, the design
and construction of the park had skater
input, which was taken seriously during the
entire project. A special thanks to Ciaccio
Dennel, Ponifino General, and Applied Pool
Builders for working with skateboarders
throughout the design and construction
process. Call these guys if you are in the
Midwest and want a park done right.
-Joe Hammeke