Cannon Beach boy turns his skateboard park wishes into concrete plansCANNON BEACH – Despite a steady downpour of spring rain, 12-year-old Lujac Desautel tries his best to catch some air on his skateboard.

Like most other days after school, Desautel is spending some time at the small Cannon Beach skate park. Located behind the Cannon Beach Visitor’s Center, the park offers a place for skateboarders of all ages to try out their tricks.

But the park is showing some wear and tear and Desautel, who’s been skating since he was 8 years old, has some definite opinions about what needs to be done. That’s why the Broadway Middle School sixth-grader wrote a letter to the City Council and will speak before the Parks and Community Services Committee in May.

“I would truly love a new or bigger skate park,” Desautel said in the letter he wrote after taking a school math test. “It gets boring after a while for me and everyone else. I think we should take a step forward.”

LORI ASSA – The Daily Astorian

Desautel has been skateboarding for four years.

Desautel talks about cracks and uneven cement. He outlines an ambitious series of improvements, including cement resurfacing, grind rails, skate boxes, a bowl and a half pipe. He also suggests a community dinner fund-raiser to raise money for park improvements.

During his presentation to the committee, Desautel plans to show a three-dimensional drawing of his ideas, complete with measurements and cost estimates. He will show examples of skate parks in similar-sized towns and answer questions. He even has a videotape of a skate park he visited in Kihei, Maui.

INFO.BOXWant to know more about skate parks in Oregon?

Lujac Desautel suggests visiting

(www.skateoregon.com) for photos and descriptions of every skate park in the state.”I just really wanted to do this,” he said. “There may be some detours along the way, but I really want this to happen. Grown-ups can do a lot but they’ve sort of left the kids behind. I want to open up their eyes to what we need and want at the skate park.”

Committee Chairwoman Melissa Cadwallader is eager to hear Desautel’s presentation about skate park improvements. The committee will weigh his ideas against financial restraints and community needs.

“We’re definitely going to be listening to him with an open mind,” she said. “To get this kind of request from a young person who’s actually using the skate park really helps us understand the issue. We need services in our community that serve people of all ages. I think this will be an important political lesson for Lujac.”

Positive responseAlready, Desautel’s letter has gotten a positive response. Public Works Director Joy Gannon visited the skate park shortly after receiving the letter and public works crews filled cracks and ground cement April 7. Although a new skate park would require a major capital improvement plan, some of his ideas may be accomplished without major fiscal impact.

“Maybe there’s something in between that would make people pretty happy,” she said. “One of the things we’ll have to do is open up conversations with the boarders themselves.”

The Cannon Beach skate park was designed by local skateboarder Bill David and constructed in 1988. It was one of the first skate parks in Oregon. But it’s simple w-shaped ramp design has become a bit stale as skate park designs have become more technical and advanced. Gannon said that skate park designers sometimes list the city’s park as an example of “what not to do.”

The park continues to attract skateboarders of all ages and on a summer weekend, it’s often packed. Desautel estimates that he spends at least 10 hours a week at the park.

“I’ll pack him a lunch and he’ll just spend the day there,” said Desautel’s mom, Margo Lalich. “The skate park is a hub, a meeting place for these kids. They’ll skate together for a while, then go their separate ways and then meet back up again at the park.”

Skateboarding advocateFor Desautel, skateboarding is a way to relieve stress and get rid of the day’s energy. The 12-year-old runs track, is on the yearbook staff, takes drum lessons, sings in the choir, is involved in his church youth group and is a Haystack Rock Awareness Program junior volunteer. But he is a skateboarding advocate for other reasons, as well.

“It would keep skaters off the sidewalks and it keeps kids outside and staying out of trouble,” he wrote in his letter. “It would stop them from playing video games and TV. The skate park is the only place for kids to go, everything else is for the adults like restaurants and shops.”

Skateboarding is a legitimate athletic activity, according to Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District Executive Director Mary Blake. Blake is a member of the Seaside steering committee that is working to create a parks master plan. A Seaside skate park has been identified as a major need.

“It’s a sport that has engaged people because it’s independent, not competitive,” she said. “There’s a bit of daring involved, a bit of adrenaline. It’s very cutting-edge and highly athletic. It’s something that engages boys at a young age and holds them.”

And contrary to typical images depicting skateboarders as “punks” or “slackers,” most youth who skate are bright, athletic, intelligent kids, Lalich said.

“I’m really proud of Lujac,” she said. “I think this project is giving him more confidence. He’s turning his wishes into something more concrete. And it’s not a chore. He’s really having fun with this.”