I was just a kid when the Starfire Skate Park was built in Camden. I can still recall the grand opening, more so in its essence than specific details. Andy Macdonald (one of the most successful vert skaters in the world) made an appearance, along with Paul Zitzer and Buster Halterman.

An enormous crowd of local residents assembled for a showcase at the new skate park on a gorgeous Maine summer day. The professional riders began showcasing their skills on the freshly built ramps, and they were ripping!

My eight-year-old brain couldn’t fully grasp how these skaters were performing such gnarly tricks with seemingly effortless finesse. Oohs and ahhs echoed off of the ramps as parents and kids looked on in splendor. I will never forget the sound of their wheels spinning as they caught air or locked into a stall on the coping. Their grip tape sparkled, refracting the sun’s glare, as did the eyes of the captivated audience.

Once the pros were finished with their demonstration, they stuck around to chat and autograph event posters (I still have mine to this day!) Needless to say, this is one of my fondest childhood memories, as I now understand the impact it had on myself and the community.

Fast forward a couple decades, and skateboarding still plays an impactful role in my life, but its importance has transformed.

In 2018, I began working at Oceanside High School as an Ed Tech and Behavioral Health Professional (BHP) in a behavioral special education program.

Around this time I began to see skateboarding as more than just a sport. Part of my job as a BHP was to find alternative and therapeutic ways to engage with students around academics and social and emotional learning.

Often, I would turn to skateboarding as an outlet of sorts to provide myself with a respite from the stressors of the work day. Then it clicked. Skateboarding can help some of my students, too.

Skateboarding can be a tool for anyone to free themselves of stressors and convoluted thoughts that build up in one’s mind. It taps into many facets of positive psychology on both a cognitive and physical level.

When an individual is performing a task that requires this type of focus, their brains are momentarily freed of negativity and detrimental thoughts, that if not monitored, can proliferate into more serious mental ailments.

Another important aspect of developing and maintaining good mental health practices is based around setting and achieving goals, regardless of the magnitude of these goals. Whether you’re busting out 900s like Tony Hawk, or learning how to drop in on a halfpipe for the first time, you are working at a specific goal, an achievable goal and that is crucial for strengthening one’s overall life satisfaction.

While working at OHS I have witnessed countless students express interest in skateboarding, biking and rollerblading. Not all young people find success navigating more mainstreamed team sports, so it’s super meaningful for them to find a way to get outdoors, breath in some fresh air, and get their bodies in motion.

This is why I feel so strongly about having a skatepark built in Rockland, and why I am writing this piece now.

I genuinely believe it is paramount for young people in the area to have a healthy outlet, and a place to get excited about going to after school hours.

I cannot think of a better environment to develop healthy life habits, build long-lasting relationships, work towards meaningful goals, and discover their identities than a skatepark. It is a goal worth working toward! 

Zackary Wincklhofer lives in Rockland