BASIC, will host the third annual Go Skateboarding Day on June 21st at the Crowell Lot from 2 to 5 PM. A part of the international celebration of skateboarding held Worldwide on that day, the event will feature open skate time, competitions, prizes, activity tables, an exhibit of vintage skate gear, and more. All are welcome to join in the fun or just come to observe. BASIC will also announce the winner of the BASIC t-shirt design contest.  Press this link to download this year’s poster, and in Purple, Red, and Green.

Thanks to Pete over at Mondo Media Works for making this year’s poster.

BASIC presents the Crowell Lot Skatepark T-Shirt Contest.  Be the proud designer of THE t-shirt that BASIC will use to promote and fund raise for the skatepark.  Designs can be up to three colors (one color needs to be black) and promote the skatepark at the Crowell Lot.  Submissions must be made by Friday June 15th. The winner of the contest will be announced at the Third Annual Go Skateboarding Day on June 21 at the Crowell Lot.

You can use this t-shirt template to see what your design looks like on a shirt. T-shirt Template

Designs can be sent via pdf file to our email address - sk8brattleboro@gmail.com, or by mailing a printout to:

PO Box 1063
Brattleboro, VT 05301

BASIC will host the First Annual Clean Up the Park day tomorrow, Saturday, between 10 AM and Noon.  We will provide the tools.  We’ll even be painting the rusty old swings!  Join us.

Skaters for Public Skateparks has published the results of their 2011 USA Skateboarding Fatalities Report. The US saw one skateboard death in a skatepark last year. The skater was not wearing a helmet. The US averages 40 football related deaths annually. Yet, over ten million American kids skateboard, versus 7.5 million who play scholastic football. BTW, there were 30 skateboard deaths in the US last year involving a car, thus illustrating the need for a safe legal place for kids to skate.

2011 USA Skateboarding Fatalities Report

In 2009, the Tony Hawk Foundation conducted a comprehensive study of the reaction local police department personnel had to the addition of a skatepark in their community.  The responses to the study by the police were overwhelmingly positive, with over 90% of the officers stating that the addition of a skatepark was an improvement to their community from a policing perspective.

2nd Annual Winter Carnival Skate Jam

Click image to enlarge.

Brattleboro Area Skatepark Is Coming (BASIC) is the recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation to build a skatepark in Brattleboro, VT.

The announcement comes following a unanimous vote by the town selectboard to accept the grant during Tuesday evening’s (September 20) meeting. BASIC is an ad hoc committee of the Brattleboro Selectboard and works on this project in collaboration with the Brattleboro Recreation and Parks Department. The group of local citizens has met bi-monthly for nearly two years with the goal of building a state-of-art, poured concrete skatepark.

BASIC was one of a fifteen organizations to receive grants from the Tony Hawk Foundation in this grant cycle, which altogether awarded $100,000 toward funding skateparks in communities across the United States.

To obtain the grant, BASIC fulfilled many of the Foundation’s criteria - the park is to be designed and built from poured concrete by qualified and experienced skatepark contractors and will be a free, public facility. BASIC also demonstrated strong grassroots commitment to the project and strong local skater involvement, according to David Longsmith, president of the BASIC organization.

Longsmith says the foundation grant lifts BASIC to over $50,000 raised and kicks off a new period of active fundraising, with the goal of raising the remainder of the estimated $300,000 needed to construct the skatepark and make other improvements to Crowell Park, including new playground.

“We thank the Tony Hawk Foundation for their assistance in our goal of providing skateboarders — young and old, male and female — a safe place in the community to pursue an activity that is both athletic and social,” said Longsmith.

Thanks to: Catamount Ramps for the elements, the Going Fourth Committee, The Recreation & Parks Department, and all the parade goers who showed such strong support for BASIC during the parade. See ya next year.