Today’s lesson
CT Skatepark history. 1st opened in the spring of 1977. “Rock Park” was located at exit #17 off RT2 in Colchester. It was an outdoor concrete park consisting of two snake runs that dropped into two deep back to back bowls. There was a large banked “freestyle” area. A small cinderblock building served as the office and “Pro shop”. The concrete surfaces were horribly rough. Which was ironic because as I recall the park was designed and poured by a gentleman who owned a concrete company! Maybe he was better at pouring foundations. The skatepark was only in business for about two years. Many of Connecticut’s pioneering skaters learned to ride concrete at this park. I can remember weekend rides with the six of us in a friends station wagon with skateboard equipment piled in the back. Tommy Owens, the Fanciullo bros, Nick Pedemonti and myself. The founding members of the “Wheelin Free Skateboard Team” But I’ll save that for next week. I stopped at the old location of “Rock Park” last week and took a picture of the site. Today it’s just a pile of sand with some big rocks around the perimeter. It’s now bordered by a Christmas tree farm. You can see it when you are traveling east on Rt. 2, off on the left side of the highway at exit 17........ Craig Pedemonti
