CLINTON — Montana’s skateboard community has expanded with the grand opening of the new skatepark in Clinton. After years of collaboration with the county and generous contributions from organizations across the state, the Clinton skatepark is now officially open.
One of the key contributors to the park was the Non-profit Montana Pool Service, founded by Montana’s own Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam, who attended the launch event.
Derek Joseph
“It’s awesome just to be around all the young people that are… you know you see the wheels starting to turn and I think it’s helpful,” Ament said.
“It’s helpful in life, it helps you navigate failure because a lot of skateboarding is failure and getting back up and doing it until you make the trick.”
Ament also believes that spending time at a skatepark can open up opportunities for people to explore potential careers.
“It’s a gateway to all creative things, such as photography, painting, other sports, and looking at the world in a different way. It connects all these oddball creative types,” he added.
A crucial aspect of a skatepark is the sense of community it fosters, with individuals already encouraging each other to improve at this new skatepark in Clinton.
Isaiah Stephenson, who runs a skate shop in Helena, emphasizes the importance of young people having a place to interact and socialize, especially given the impact of COVID.
“Everyone can meet, argue, discuss, and get over it. It’s important for the youth to be engaged in activities like this, fall down, get up, and keep going,” Stephenson stated.
More information about Montana Pool Service can be found here.
