BOZEMAN — Tucked behind a nonprofit building in Bozeman sits a tiny skate park where many kids learned to fall, to try again, and to belong. But soon, it will be gone.
“It’s like a really good place to learn, I’d say,” said Angelo, a freshman at Bozeman High School. He’s been coming to the park nearly every day for two years. For Angelo, the park isn’t just a place to land tricks, and it’s become a second home.
WATCH: Beloved BYEP Skatepark in Bozeman Set for Demolition, Skater Community Left Heartbroken
“It’s a really good community here, and almost everyone who comes here, I know them really well. There are a lot of regulars. Everyone’s friends here, which is fun,” Angelo says.
The park was built in 2020 by Big Sky Youth Empowerment, or BYEP, a nonprofit that connects teens with mentors and outdoor adventures. Even those not enrolled in BYEP, like Angelo, feel its impact.
“I think that stuff is super awesome,” Angelo says. “They give every kid an opportunity to do stuff, go outside, and do things that you can only do in places like Bozeman.”
According to Executive Director Danica Jamison, skateboarding has been a part of BYEP since it was founded 25 years ago. She says the organization built the mini “pocket” park to give teens a space to grow, and it quickly became a hub for skaters.
“It’s an amazing asset, and we just see incredible things happen. When I come out here, I see older kids helping younger kids, some younger kids helping brand new older people,” Jamison says.
But the park will no longer exist in just a couple of weeks.
“It looks and feels like a public park, but unfortunately, it’s on private land. There are so many complications around that — with risk and liability and insurance — and really, that’s the heart of why we have to remove the skatepark,” Jamison says.
Jamison says she’s heard from countless young people who’ve made this space their safe haven, where strangers become friends.
One BYEP member shares, “Many people, including myself, think of the skatepark at BYEP as a second home. Whenever I come here, I have a great time, and it's unlike any other park. Many people will be sad, including me.”
For Angelo, saying goodbye won’t be easy. “It’s just like an enjoyable place to hang out and stuff,” he said. “So it just kind of sucks they are getting rid of it,” Angelo says.
Jamison is hopeful that this isn’t the end of the road.
“The Skatepark Alliance of Montana and maybe the City of Bozeman could partner up to build a similar skatepark in the future,” she said. “Because I know that would be very valuable for these kids,” Jamison says.
The tentative demolition date for the skatepark is June 2.
Until then, the skaters plan to keep rolling, turning loss into momentum, one trick at a time.
To learn more about Skatepark Alliance of Montana, visit their Facebook page.
