The Metro: The community behind Detroit’s skateparks

Skateparks are more than just a place to sharpen your skills. They’re a community hub that draws people of different backgrounds and skill levels together.

They are also a place where kids can build confidence — and with new skateparks popping up around Detroit in recent years, skateboarding is having a huge impact in the city.

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Back in June 2022, Tony Hawk came to Detroit to help dedicate a new 15,000-square-foot skatepark in Chandler Park on Detroit’s east side. Hawk also helped design the new It Takes a Village Skatepark, located on the grounds of The Shepherd — an arts and cultural center also on Detroit’s east side — as well as the skatepark at Riverside Park in southwest Detroit.

The proliferation of skateparks in the city is a point of pride for many, with community members playing key roles in creating and maintaining them.

One organization that’s been integral in nourishing skating and skateboarding in Detroit is Community Push. The nonprofit, co-founded by Derrick Dykas and Evan Hutchings, funded the creation of The Wig DIY Skatepark in Midtown in 2014. The Wig is now a permanent skatepark and fixture in the community. 

Dykas and Hutchings joined The Metro on Friday to talk about Detroit’s skateparks and how they are unique from one another. Dykas noted how in 2019, when the Riverside skatepark first opened, many in the skating community thought it might be their only chance to have a state-of-the-art park. 

“We tried to get as much stuff included into it as possible, in case we didn’t get the second opportunity. But once we start getting, you know, a second park, a third park, and you get more of a catalog, it’s easier. You don’t want the same stuff here as over there. And, you know, you get to get a little bit more creative with each piece and kind of rework some things that are traditionally built one way,” Dykas said. “And it’s worked. And now a lot of the stuff that we’re building, those professionals are ripping us off and building it in other places across the world. And it’s cool to see. You know, you can’t really put a trademark on some of the stuff.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More headlines from The Metro on Nov. 1, 2024:

• The Detroit Police Department is getting a new temporary leader. Former Detroit Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison will take over for Chief James White, who was hired to lead Wayne County’s largest mental health agency. Bettison has been the Detroit deputy mayor for the last three years, but he was in the police department for 27 years. Bettison joined the show to discuss his new position, which officially starts on Nov. 11.
• The music of Burt Bacharach will be celebrated this weekend at the Detroit Opera House. The Mark Morris Dance group is returning for “The Look of Love,” an evening of dance to the music of Bacharach. Ethan Iverson is the pianist and organizer of the event. He spoke with WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper about the magic of Bacharach’s songwriting. 
• The Detroit Documenters play a crucial role in improving our access to public information. They are at all the city’s public meetings, taking notes on what local officials and community members are saying. The parks are one of our favorite subjects to discuss on The Metro because we know they make an impact on our quality of life. To talk more about a project that sent Documenters to neighborhood parks across the city, Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade and WDET’s Jack Filbrandt joined the show.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.