News

2009 DECK ART FUNDRAISER A SUCCESS! - 5/6/2009

2009 Deck Art Show fundraiser at Marco Polo

Thanks to everyone who helped make our 2009 Skate Deck Art Show a huge success! Our silent auction held May 6th at Marco Polo Dive Bar raised more than $2,500 to promote the development and stewardship of safe, freely accessible public skateparks in the El Paso area. See event photos.

The most sought after decks were auctioned live. Allain Angelos’s “Pop Scullsicle” created the biggest competition going live at $105 and eventually selling for $200 – thanks GQ!

The highest grossing deck, Theron Nicholson’s “Urban Gorilla” made with India ink and oil glaze, sold for $251. Local skate legend Jaime Favela’s rustic-looking “r evolution” displayed a progression of wheels (from wood to clay to urethane) and went for $150. See deck art.

Our youngest artist was 4-year old Mya Celeste Salgado and the strangest creation was a late-entry made from 60 popsicle sticks by Tim Fulmer.

 

SUNLAND PARK COUNCIL APPROVES SKATE PLAZA SITE, SAVES FUNDING - 2/17/2009

Sunland Park council meeting 2/17/09

The Sunland Park City Council has unanimously approved a $1 million sports complex to include a 36,000 square foot DC Rob Dyrdek skate plaza. The $900,000 skate plaza will be located next to Santa Teresa Middle School at 4700 McNutt. See design concept.

Council's approval of the site location moves the stalled skate plaza project forward. It should end fears that the $4-million grant to build the sports complex could be reclaimed by the State of New Mexico. In October 2008, Governor Bill Richardson issued an Executive Memo asking cities to list stalled projects for deauthorization.

The sports complex site was to have been voted on at a council meeting on Feb. 3, but a string of meeting cancellations was a call to action for angry skaters and residents. About 100 people, including about two dozen children and teenagers, attended the meeting to support the complex. Some teenagers held posters that read "No more excuses, no more delays" and "We refuse to lose funding due to your delays."

During the meeting Tuesday, resident Aggie Montoya said the large number of people who attended the meeting showed the support of the public for the complex. "You can see how important the sports complex is to our children and our community. That's the reason why all of these children came out today, and we really, really need to get this project going," she said as the crowd clapped. See meeting photo story.

Planning for the project began seven years ago, but the project was then delayed by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Historic Preservation Division for more than a year because archaeological ruins were found on the 60 acres where the complex will be built. About two months ago, the agency announced that the city could continue with construction.

Next, the project moves into the request for proposal contracts phase with grading of the land possible by Fall 2009.

 

Skate Art Deck Auction and Fundraiser - February 2008

What's Up 2-27-08

Here is an article about the EPSA Skate Art Deck Auction on February 28,2008 at the oLo Gallery. The El Paso Skatepark Association is hoping to turn the natural relationship between skate and art into funds for some much-needed repairs to El Paso’s skate parks.

 

EPSA in What's Up - August 2007

What's Up 8-1-07

Check out a story on the El Paso Skatepark Association from What's Up magazine in El Paso (Volume 8, No. 44 - August 1-8, 2007) as there is a nice article about the EPSA, specifically with the Z-man, Paul Zimmerman. It is a great read and even has a picture of the Dr. throwing an invert at Carolina skatepark.