Blackfalds is embracing extreme sports.
A $500,000 skate park in All Star Park is expected to be ready in May, giving local skateboarders a long-awaited venue to try out their grinds, ollies and alley-oops.
Next to it will be a bike skills park with its own array of skill-testing obstacles.
B.C.-based Hoots Inc. has been contracted to build the bike park. The company was started by professional rider Jay Hoots, who has designed and built more than 50 tracks across North America.
Council paved the way for the bike skills park on Tuesday by agreeing to spend $350,000 for the planning, designing and building of the park. It is expected to be ready in August.
Town spokesman Cale Frombach said they will be going out to the community next month to get feedback on what users want to see in the bike park.
“We’re hoping to get the word out to the schools as well so they can get the kids involved in making it an even better park,” said Frombach.
After all, who better to ask than the ones who will be doing the fakies and smith grinds?
The community has been a big booster of the projects. The local Optimist Club raised more than half the cost of the skate park through a combination of local fundraising and a government grant.
“They did a great job with all of their fundraising efforts,” said Frombach.
The town covered the rest with contributions of cash and in-kind donations from Lacombe County.
The total cost of both parks and a parking lot is expected to be about $1 million.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com