PABLO — A new skate park in Pablo opened up on Saturday, bringing excitement to community members, young and old alike.
Crowds of young skaters gathered to get their free skateboards and helmets, getting ready to shred as the new park opened.
“We've been wanting one since we was like middle schoolers. Like, I always just thought about having a skate park here. I think it's really good for the community,” said young Pablo skater Jorren Cahoon.
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The new Pablo Skatepark, made possible through the collaboration of Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana Pool Service, Montana Skatepark and Evergreen Skateparks, is a welcome addition to Pablo — especially by young skaters like Clint Polman and Jorren Cahoon.
“It gives something to do,” said Polman.
“Yeah, give the youth something to do. It's pretty boring over here, you know. There's a bunch of, you know, just school and home, but yeah, it'll be really fun. It's a great turnout,” Cahoon chimed in.
“There’s a lot of opportunity,” Polman added.
The new skatepark wouldn’t have been possible without help from organizations like Montana Pool Service, founded by Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, who has been helping build skateparks since 1992.
“We're just actively trying to get more parks built around the state in places that want them. That's the goal. Get kids outside. It's a self-propelled roller coaster. It's like the greatest feeling in the world to skateboard. There's a lot of different levels that you can enjoy. You can be pro-level or you can just cruise and it's all the same feeling,” said Ament.
CSKT Tribal Council Pablo Representative Martin Charlo says the skatepark represents something more.
“I think this is a start of a really positive kind of movement across the reservation. Specifically for this area, it's gonna be kind of a little hub for kids. It's right next to the school. There'll be a basketball court here this summer, and kind of this will be a little kind of a community spot for the kids. So it's the start of a really good thing."
