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Skateboards and BMX Bikes Going Airborne in Hazelwood on June 22
The Hazelwood Parks and Recreation Division invites local skateboarders and BMX riders to participate in the division’s 7th Annual Summer Skate/BMX Competition on Friday, June 22. The event starts at 6 p.m. It will be held at Hazelwood’s Skage/BMX Park behind the Community Center at 1186 Teson Road, in White Birch Park.
The event is sponsored in partnership with PlanNine Skate Park. It is open to all extreme sports enthusiasts who qualify for the Age 15 & Under or Age 16 & Over categories. The entry fee is $7 per person. Cash prizes will be awarded to the Top 3 finishers in each category. The evening will include music, raffles, attendance prizes, and more.
“Each year the competition gets more challenging as the number of participants increases. It’s amazing to watch them attempt to defy gravity with their extreme stunts off of our skate park ramps,” said Pam Reynolds, facility manager of the Hazelwood Community Center. “Some of our past tournament winners have gone on to the professional ranks and currently do regional demonstrations for their sponsors.”
For this year’s event, contestants will be using a new piece of equipment installed by the Hazelwood Parks and Recreation Division. It’s called a dragon back, and it helps launch skateboarders high into the air. This, along with the park’s other amenities such as two half-pipes, spines, grind rails and ramps, should give them plenty of choices for their stunt performances.
The Hazelwood Skate/BMX Park can be used by skateboarders as well as freestyle BMX riders. Hours of operation during the summer months are: Monday-Thursday, noon – 8; Friday & Saturday, noon – 5; and Sunday, 2 – 8. The temperature must be at least 50 degrees for it to be open. Daily user fees are $1 for residents and $2 for non-residents. Guests must fill out a participation waiver and turn it into the Parks and Recreation Office prior to using the Skate/BMX Park. Safety helmets and pads can be rented for $1 each. Accessory items such as helmets, pads and bike tubes are available for purchase.
