A hidden fingerboard park on the LA River has grown to 90 feet

I love stories where a hobby quietly turns into a neighborhood project, and this one from Los Angeles is a great example. In Atwater Village, near the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge, there is a miniature skatepark built for fingerboards, sitting on the dirt barriers along the L.A. River. It has no street address, and according to LAist, nobody really knows who built the first version or exactly when.

The first tricks on its tiny ramps and rails started showing up on social media in March. Ryan Diaz, who now helps run the park's accounts, found the spot and began expanding it. It reportedly started at about six by six feet and has since grown to roughly 90 feet long, about four feet tall, with ramps, rails and plenty of painted details, including a big Dodger Blue "LA" and a shark mural nodding to Jaws.

What stood out to me is that it is not just a place to film clips. Saturdays are build days starting at 11 a.m., when Diaz and co-manager Gilbert Medrano show neighborhood kids how to pour concrete and shape new obstacles. Diaz hopes the city might one day recognize the park as a local landmark.

The visitors quoted in the piece make it even nicer. One longtime fingerboarder says it feels like real skateboarding, and another regular, who gave up skating after a serious injury, stops by every day after work because fingerboarding lets him land tricks without getting hurt.

Personally, I find it inspiring that a spot like this can pull in builders, kids and old skaters alike. If you are ever in Los Angeles, it sounds like a Saturday build day is the best time to visit. Have you seen a public fingerboard park near you? I would love to hear about it in the comments.

Source: LAist