Howard County rippers and groms stoked as long-awaited Columbia skatepark opens Friday

The Baltimore region’s newest skatepark opened Friday afternoon in Columbia’s Blandair Regional Park, and skaterboarders like Gray Smith are stoked.

The owner of Vú Skateboard Shop, with locations in Hampden and Pikesville, spent most of his 36 years of skateboarding skating in parking lots or driving miles to dedicated parks.

That’s all changing. Smith called it amazing to see new skateparks continue to pop up, especially those with the added bonus of no entrance fees or registration cards.

“Now you just show up like you would to play baseball or football,” Smith said. “I think it’s fantastic.”

Howard County officials, with Gov. Wes Moore, unveiled the 15,000-square-foot skatepark Friday afternoon alongside other new amenities in the west area of Blandair Regional Park off Oakland Mills Road. Officials said when the skatepark broke ground last year that it would support a variety of wheeled sports, skill levels, terrain preferences and riding styles.

“Being here represents what community is and what community looks like. That community requires everybody,” Moore said Friday afternoon.

The governor said it took partnerships to make sure that Blandair Regional Park came to fruition. Over the past 25 years, the state has provided nearly $19 million in funding for the park, Moore said.

Howard County Calvin Ball said Friday afternoon that it’s evident Blandair Park has become “someplace special,” for residents and visitors alike.

“It’s about creating a place where a young athlete can discover a passion for basketball, where older adults can meet for an evening pickleball match after work, a place where skaters can challenge themselves, express their creativity and encourage one another as they learn new skills,” Ball said.

At the September groundbreaking ceremony, county officials boasted in a news release that the Blandair skatepark “is set to become a premiere, destination-level rink in Howard County, with its modern concrete architecture thoughtfully integrated into the site’s sloping topography.”

In addition to the skatepark, the Blandair improvements include six lighted pickleball courts, two lighted basketball courts and the addition of more than 100 parking spaces. There are also improved walkways.

Now, nine months later, the concrete is ready to shred. The Charm City Skate Park skateboarding team will kick things off with a demonstration.

“In our 32 years of doing demos and events, this one is pretty cool because we get to ride on the newest concrete park in Baltimore at-large,” said Jason Chapman, owner of Charm City Skate Park.

Chapman, whose Canton park offers skaters an indoor space, said the Blandair spot is necessary to help the skate community thrive.

“If you can reach one person [through skateboarding], you will change a life by giving them a place to go,” Chapman said.

The Baltimore-area skateboarding community has had to do more with less for years. Too few skateparks meant skaters had to find creative ways to ride or travel out of state.

The Blandair skatepark joins a handful of others in Howard County, including the Columbia Skatepark at the Columbia SportsPark, the North Laurel Skatepark, Centennial Park North skatepark and one at South Branch Park in Sykesville. The Columbia Skatepark charges admission.

Aaron Botkin, a member of the Howard County skating scene for 23 years, said that skateparks were built around the county’s edges over the years, scattering the scene. He looks forward to the new park becoming a centralized spot.

“Hopefully this brings us back and helps us build the community again,” Botkin said.

Smith recalled needing a registration card to to use the Bowie Skatepark in Prince George’s County. He’s glad those times are changing but does have one request as more parks are built: Add shade structures.

Blandair’s got it. A shaded section with seating looks over the park, offering skaters some relief from the hot sun.