Saturday fun at the St. Ignatius skate park

ST. IGNATIUS — On July 15, 2007, the Skate Ignatius Skate Park officially opened in St. Ignatius and “has been going like gangbusters ever since,” according to Kristie Nerby the driving force behind the establishment of the park.

Described as the “best little skate park in the state,” Skate Ignatius will be the site of a Saturday Fun Day in the Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 31. David Vaughan, a family nurse practitioner with St. Luke Community Healthcare, is organizing the event and says “the purpose is to promote healthy choices and outdoor recreation.”

Four entities are involved including Mission Mountain Medicine in St. Ignatius, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Mission Ambulance and the Montana Brain Injury association.

The day’s activities include skateboard demonstrations with Dylan Tucker, former manager of an indoor skate park in Missoula, plus a demonstration of what’s involved in the rescue of someone who might suffer an injury in the bowl or pit at the park.

Maggie Roddam, respiratory therapist at St. Luke, will be on-hand with tobacco and alcohol prevention education. In addition, the Montana Brain Injury Association, a support group out of Missoula is scheduled to have a display on proper helmet use to prevent potential injuries.

Mission Mountain Medicine in St. Ignatius will have skateboard helmets and pads for sale at cost, which is $8 for each. Bicycle helmets will also be on sale for $5 although bicycle use of the park is not something for which the park was built and designed.

The Coca-Cola refreshment wagon will be on hand. Hot dogs will be available. And, music for the event is provided by Chris Morigeau of North West Native Entertainment and Media.

“I think it’s fabulous that the park has been chosen for such an event,” Nerby says with enthusiasm. “It adds credibility to the park and what it means to the kids and the community.”

She adds that skate boarding parks are not just a fad and that skate tourism can be a big boost to the region. “Just this past week a van load of Canadians traveled through the area hitting all of the skate parks from Whitefish to Missoula including Polson and Mission.”

Nerby says that those who have been involved in Skate Ignatius from the very beginning “have not been surprised at the success of venture” and that “it has proven out to be good for the kids and for the community.”