WASHINGTON CITY, Utah — Grinds, ollies, and drop-ins might seem like words from a foreign language to you, but to those in the skating and BMX communities, they're a way of life.
"So some guys my age might be into golf and hitting the golf ball perfectly and getting a hole in one. I just want to get my frontside airs back, and maybe some ollies, some stand-up grinds, and I'll be doing OK, right?" said local skater Christian Jacobs.
Jacobs got a preview of Washington Wheels Park days before its Saturday opening.
Known for co-creating the popular kids program “Yo Gabba Gabba,” the 54-year-old Jacobs is also the “MC Bat Commander” in the comedy rock band The Aquabats, who will headline the St. George's Arts Festival next month.
But on this day, Jacobs just wanted to be one of the first to take in what is going to be the largest skatepark and BMX facility in Utah.
"This is awesome. It's a dream come true," he said. "When we were kids, and you're living in California, jumping over fences and skating in empty swimming pools, getting in trouble. There was nothing like this.
"I feel like I'm 15 over again. Only 40 years removed, right?"
Washington Wheels Park has 65,000 square feet of skatepark and 65,000 square feet of bike-focused dirt terrain. It will be the fourth-largest skatepark in the U.S., according to SKATEBNB, and the second-largest combined skate and BMX facility in the country.
It took six years to develop the facility, 13 months to build, and cost Washington City $10 million in bonds. City councilman Kurt Ivie spearheaded the project and said it helped that the 13 acres were donated by a local developer.
Ivie’s not going to partake in the half-pipe himself.
"I am never going to ride anything on this track. I'm going to watch. I'm going to replace my motorcycle with a lawn chair, and I'm going to sit here, and I'm going to enjoy," he joked. "We wanted it to be a destination for X Games. It actually qualifies as an Olympic qualifying track."
The facility includes space for temporary stands for big action sports events, but it won't exclude the public, and the park will be open free of charge daily.
"There's so much buzz about this place," said 18-year-old Taylor Brown. "I've got friends I know that skate, and I've told them a couple of the people that are going to be here. And they're like, what? And it's going to be amazing. And it's going to be a party."
