After the Almeda Fire and years of disrepair, the community came together to breathe life into the groundbreaking public skate park

By Kayla Heffner for Ashland.news

Skaters came out to hit the pavement and grind some rails in celebration of the grand reopening at the Talent Skate Park last weekend.

Kids, teens, adults and families enjoyed live music, pizza, and vendors at the what was billed as the first annual Talent Skate Classic competition on Saturday, Oct. 11.

The Talent Skate Park has needed a facelift for quite some time. As one kid put it, this park went from being one of the worst in Oregon to one of the best after its debut to an excited crowd on Saturday.

Skaters building community and counter culture

Grindline Skateparks teamed up with a group of local contractors and began renovations to the park over the summer. After the City of Talent helped dedicate funds for the park rebuild, crews worked tirelessly for months before putting the finishing touches on the concrete on Saturday before the competition. 

Reid Higley not only does concrete work, he’s also a passionate skater himself. When he heard Grindline was working on the Talent Skate Park, he said he wanted to be a part of a project giving back to the skate community that has given him so much personally over the years.

This is Higley’s first job working with Grindline in Talent. “It’s all brand new concrete, it’s the same skate park, but poured concrete on top because a lot of the local community wanted to keep the same design,” he said, adding there were a few changes made and a couple new additions people are really liking. 

“Anytime there’s a skate project going in the community, I want to be a part of it because there’s not really a whole lot going on here these days. It’s been a long time since there’s been brand new concrete for kids to skate and so it was really exciting the city wanted this to happen,” Higley said. 

Talent’s skate park is historic. It’s the first public skate park in Oregon, and after they built Talent, Ashland was built, Medford was built and Southern Oregon was a really thriving place to skate, Higley said.

For Higley, skating isn’t just a hobby. It’s a part of every facet of his life, and the people he has met over the years in the community have become his collective family. Higley sat down with Ashland.news at his home in Ashland, where he hosts many skaters and friends who need a place to crash when traveling through the area, skating or competing. Graffiti signs and skate decks adorn his walls with a book of graffiti art as a coffee table book. He eats, sleeps, and breathes skating and the counterculture often associated with it.  

“I’ve met so many people through skateboarding, even if I’m not skating, a lot of my life revolves around it and it’s a good mental release for me,” Higley said. 

With the emergence of skate parks all over Oregon, especially in Portland, Higley hopes the skate park renovations will inspire more people and younger generations to check out what Talent has to offer.

Women ‘stoking’ the fire for skaters 

A lot of skaters at the competition echoed this sentiment about how skating has been a positive influence in their lives. Ruby Suvoy, one of the people representing female skaters, placed third overall for women during the skate classic.

Suvoy began skating when she was 12, stopped for a while and then picked it back up in her mid-20’s. She said her boyfriend who passed away reignited her passion for the sport and skating helped keep her going during those tough times. 

“We’d go on skate trips with friends and keep his legacy going,” she said. “He used to bring the most ‘stoke’ to the skate park. When I see little kids or even scooter kids I give them ‘stoke.’ You give them ‘stoke’ by keeping the fire lit,” Suvoy said. 

Suvoy skates for herself and other women. “I do it for the ladies because it’s a male dominated sport, but there’s a lot of evolution going on especially with female skateboarders,” Ruby said. “If there’s 100 guys, maybe there’s five women. Women also bring a different level and element to skating, it’s all about supporting each other instead of who wins,” Ruby said. 

Suvoy also talked about skating on a physiological level. “When I’m angry, I skate. When I’m sad, I skate. When I’m happy, I skate. There’s something about skating that connects the mind and body. I’m a firm believer of somatic therapy, getting out trauma through movement of the body. So skating is self care and a coping skill for me,” Suvoy said. 

Lost Talent Skate and Bike Shop breaks ground

Other people supporting the Talent Skate Park’s endeavors are the skate and bike shop under construction next door, Lost Talent Skate and Bike Company. 

The co-founders of this space took time out of their day to share their vision for skating in Talent and how their organization will work with kids and teens in the community. 

Kiesha Freer is a co-founder of Lost Talent, along with Dean Poshard. “This was a project born out of both of our desires to do something for the youth in the community and give back,” Freer said.

This has been a community-wide effort with people donating building materials, sourcing different reclaimed or salvage parts used to help cut costs for the project. A small house built in the 1880s in Talent will be the future home of a clubhouse. Freer said they’ve been working closely with the City of Talent for the building to remain historic.

Freer and Poshard hope it will be a hub in the skating community and provide a safe space for kids and teens to hang out. Next to the clubhouse will be a garage where kids can learn about building skate decks, how to fix bikes, and have a retail space where youth in the community can sell skateboards. 

‘Bringing a bit of Talent back to Talent’

Historically, the building site has been a bit of an eyesore and problem in the community as both spaces have been vacant for years. The arch trusses being used in the garage roof were donated by a farm outside of Salem. The arch resembles a skateboard ramp, adding to the skate and alternative aesthetic cultivated there. Bricks from the house’s chimney are being used as a pathway in front of where the skate shop will be on the property. Some of the windows installed were part of the original Talent Elementary School. “We’re bringing a little bit of Talent back to Talent,” Freer said. 

“I like to look at these windows and how many daydreams escaped through those windows. You know the kids just sitting in class staring off into space, thinking who knows what thoughts. A lot of little thoughts and dreams escaped through those windows there,” Freer said.

Freer is excited, but says it’s going to take a lot of work moving forward and will need help from the community, whether it’s donating time or supplies to their efforts. People see the potential this space has to help people and youth in the area, Freer said. 

“We want to teach whoever is interested to build a skateboard from the veneer, the glue, pressing it, shaping it, sanding it, cutting it, painting it, putting on the trucks and wheels – literally learning how to make it from scratch – start to finish,” Freer said.

Freer wants to instill the desire to help or give back to kids. They can grow up learning skills that will not only benefit them in skating, but can translate across all arenas in their life into adulthood. It will also provide a safe place for kids who want a little mischief in an environment where adult mentors can give some guidance.

In fact, one of the teen volunteers is gaining that experience first-hand, working on the Lost Talent building.

Logan Johnston, 17, started volunteering with the construction of Lost Talent and has grown a lot through this experience. “It’s a good place to be and good people to be around. It’s a productive space. It definitely helps with not forming with the wrong crowd. I believe in this project and what it’s doing for the community,” Johnston said. 

Johnston said when the skate park was closed over the summer, kids were skating where they weren’t allowed or getting in trouble with police. Johnston has put in countless hours learning how to use tools, building, and can make a skate ramp from the ground up. The half-pipe is the most memorable part of the project for Johnston. Johnston is a local skater and loves seeing the skate park renovations, along with the new skate shop, being built.

“This is a place where you can skate and be free,” Johnston said.

“It’s awesome to see your progress and it builds resilience. That’s a good skill to have everywhere, not just in skating but in any part of your life you have to be resilient,” Johnston said. Johnston dropped out of high school, but after working with Lost Talent, he has direction for his future. He’s actively working on his GED and wants to be a welder. He attributes this progress to his time at Lost Talent. 

Part of Johnston’s learning and growth is thanks to Poshard, the other co-founder of Lost Talent. Poshard is a retired professional athlete and has been acting as the construction lead for the skate and bike shop. 

Poshard said he and Freer acquired the property about two years ago. Construction ramped up over the last several months.

“We’re trying to be a social outlet for kids and provide a safe space to hang out,” Poshard said. “They can learn a trade skill. While we’ve been doing construction, we’ve hired a couple of the local skaters to help out. They’re learning how to use tools and learning everything to make this place run. ”

Poshard lamented, he said, that a lot of trade skills aren’t taught in schools anymore, and that there’s a lack of after-school programs. He wants Lost Talent to help fill the gap for kids. 

“I grew up skateboarding and remember the outlet it gave me. Even if we help one kid, and we’re helping many. That’s the thing, if we can be a part of some kid’s life who doesn’t have a father figure, or people around them to support them,” Poshard said with a smile. 

“When Logan first started working with us, he was shy, timid. Now, he’s running the show. It’s cool to see kids blossom and grow and give them direction.”

Poshard is a father himself. He said college isn’t for everyone and says both his kids can build their own homes. He wants to teach kids from schools around the area who may need volunteer hours and positively influence them.

What’s in a name?

Even the namesake for the future skate and bike shop is meant to inspire.

“If you’re trying to do some trick and totally fail, you’ve lost talent. Talent also lost a lot in the fires, so it’s a little touch on that, and there are a lot of people who don’t know the potential they hold inside them. ‘Lost talent’ is kinda a play on regaining your lost talent,” Freer said. A lot of people or adolescents lack self confidence. Freer wants anyone who may have lost their way to help find it again.

Lost Talent is not only building a place for the neighborhood, they’re also creating community through skateboarding and mountain biking. An example of that, Freer said, is watching older kids take younger ones under their wings, teaching them how to plant their feet on a board or a new trick. She says the skating community is extremely inclusive and welcoming.

The other day, a 6-year-old came by with his dad. “It was just so cute to see him get on the half-pipe and pump on his board going back and forth on the vert and watch him go. Then he had to give me a big hug when he left because he enjoyed what he did,” Freer said. 

Freer is focused on safety too. Anyone under the age of 18 must wear a helmet and sign a waiver with parental approval. They have knee pads and wrist guards available as well.

In addition to skating, one goal is to get trail stewardship of the Wagner Creek watershed area, clearing old logging trails and turning them into mountain bike trails. 

Skating here was kind of born out of this alternative community, according to Johnston. For those who feel like they don’t fit in at home or at school, or in their friend group, perhaps, skating unites people of all ages from all walks of life, he said.

In total, $2,000 in cash prizes, gift certificates from local businesses, and skate swag were handed out Saturday to the top three places for kids, women, and men who competed. To check out the full list of sponsors, visit the Talent Skate Classic website.

Check out the newly refinished Talent Skate Park at 111 E Main St., in the historic district neighborhood of Talent.

“No matter who you are, if you’re on a skateboard, you’re welcomed in. As long as you’re a good person, people are going to be good to you. I’ve noticed since the beginning of this my confidence has grown exponentially. This has been such a positive experience in my life,” Johnston said.

Journalist Kayla Heffner lives in Ashland. Email her at [email protected].