Jeff Ament's Skatepark Projects

demetriosdemetrios Posts: 91,535
edited June 2015 in The Porch
From 10club's June newsletter .. http://eepurl.com/bpOzvP

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Jeff Ament's passion for skateboarding is more than a hobby. This year alone he is involved in three different skatepark projects in Stevensville, Montana + Havre, Montana and Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Over the past decade, Jeff has given funds both personally and through Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation to build twelve skateparks throughout Montana and South Dakota. “Growing up in a small town, two things helped form my young identity: music and skateboarding. Over the next few years, I hope to help create world-class skateparks in small communities in Montana with the help of the Vitalogy Foundation and my own foundation, the Montana Pool Service. I want to give young people a place to call their own where they can get outside with their friends and ride."

To date, the skatepark projects Jeff has been involved with include:

2000 | Seattle Center Skatepark, rebuilt in 2012
2006 | MOBASH Park, Missoula, MT
2007 | St. Ignatius Skatepark, St. Ignatius, MT
2009 | Helena, MT
2010 | Big Sandy Skatepark, Big Sandy, MT, phases 1 and 2
2011 | Pine Ridge Skatepark, Pine Ridge, SD
2014 | Glendive, MT
2014 | Thunder Park, Browning, MT
2014 | Fallon County Skatepark, Baker, MT
2015 | Havre, MT (construction starts June 8)
2015 |Stevensville, MT (construction to start August 1)
2015 |Wounded Knee, SD and phase 2 of Pine Ridge, SD (construction started May 15)

All donations to Vitalogy Foundation received during the month of June will go toward Jeff’s skatepark projects.

http://www.pearljam.com/activism/vitalogy-foundation

Comments

  • HesCalledDyerHesCalledDyer Posts: 16,430
    My small town is actually starting an initiative to build a skate/bmx park. I guess that's what happens when you finally elect a mayor who is under 75 years old and actually wants to do things for the city to keep younger generations here. I wonder what it would take to get Jeff on board?!

    In all seriousness though, I am really glad we're doing something for the kids. Right now they have nowhere to go, and cops who let the badge go to their head chase them out of every parking lot they try to skate or ride bikes in... usually empty parking lots at that.

    There was a kid that died a couple years back. He broke his neck trying to jump the fence to get into the dirt track after hours because he had been chased out of every public place he tried to ride. Granted, yes, he was breaking the law by attempting to trespass... but he was not breaking the law by riding his bike in public. He was not damaging any property or being a nuisance, he just wanted to ride. The same 2 cops that kicked him out of the first lot patrolled around looking for him in other places, until they had exhausted every opportunity for him to ride. (Meanwhile we have crack heads, wife beaters, meth labs, a house with over 100 cats & dogs not being fed or cleaned that the cops don't seem to have time for...)

    Glad the city is finally trying to do something to give the kids a sanctioned public place to ride & skate!
  • dugangsxrdugangsxr Posts: 683
    Keep up the good work! I remember getting kicked out & running from many security guards when I was younger. We never had any skateparks, the only ones were out west. These kids will have a killer place to hang out & stay out of trouble.
    Paul D.
  • dannydanny Posts: 2,278
    jeff is one cool motherfucker
    danny d
  • on the 2011 Canadian tour, Jeff skated the Winnipeg skate park at the Forks. Wish I would have thought of that. I would have gone down and stalked, um, I mean, chatted with him!
    new album "Cigarettes" out Fall 2024!

    www.headstonesband.com




  • EB218946EB218946 Posts: 3,927
    Jeff thanks for writing Nothing as it seems. This guy is a stud. Fuckin wails on the bass.
  • ThePedroThePedro Posts: 330
    Being a "First Nations" or "American Indian" I love the fact that Jeff is helping to give youth of my culture a place to skate and grow.
    Thanks Jeff
    "Is it just me or is common sense not that common anymore"
  • lexicondevillexicondevil Posts: 2,011
    This is really cool. LIke many of you, I also had to do a lot of running from the cops, just for skateboarding.
    Building a safe place to skate is the kind of thing that can greatly affect a kid's life.
    1991- Hollywood Palladium, California with Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains -RIP Magazine Show Oct. 6th
    1992- Lollapalooza, Irvine, California
    Nothing since then. I suck.
    2016- Fenway Park, Boston - Both glorious nights
    2022- Oakland Night 2
    2024 Sacramento, CA
  • demetriosdemetrios Posts: 91,535
    http://www.havredailynews.com/story/2015/06/16/local/jeff-ament-rebuilds-havre-skate-park/504476.html

    Jeff Ament rebuilds Havre skate park

    June 16, 2015
    Havre Daily News/Jake Shane

    Workers excavate dirt this morning at the Havre skate park

    The city of Havre is getting a major addition to its skatepark compliments of Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament.

    Mayor Tim Solomon said the rock musician, who hails from Big Sandy, has donated $50,000 for a new skate bowl at the 9th Street park.

    Work is being done at the facility now, he said at the City Council meeting Monday.

    Ament brought in his own people to do the work, but the city's Parks and Recreation Department is helping out, he said.

    The mayor's announcement was greeted with a round of applause..

    Ament was a skating fanatic when he was young, but there was no place to skate in his hometown.

    So, once he had the funds, he built a skate park in Big Sandy in 2010. A skate festival is held in the town annually.

    He then built a skate park in Browning.

    Solomon said he plans to build skate parks in other Montana towns.

    "It's great of him to do this," the mayor said.

    Ament played with grunge bands in Seattle in the early 1990s. He formed Pearl Jam and it skyrocketed to the top of the rock music charts.
  • SarahSarah Posts: 736
    So cool!
    "Somewhere in between / There and here / I got lost / I got scared..."
  • demetriosdemetrios Posts: 91,535
    edited August 2016
    Post edited by demetrios on
  • SarahSarah Posts: 736
    :heart:
    "Somewhere in between / There and here / I got lost / I got scared..."
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