Lincoln has a new Skate and Bike Association

After the skate park at McBean Park in Lincoln was "abruptly removed," Lincoln resident Max Moon said he was compelled to start the Lincoln Skate and Bike Association. "I moved to Lincoln from Cool 18 years ago. I thought how cool it is that there's a skate park here when other places didn't have one," Moon said. "Closing it was moving backwards." Moon said he is a real estate and broker agent by day and a skater in his spare time. He started skating when he was eight years old. He's also a sponsored snowboarder who had partnerships with brands such as Hyper Lite, a wake board company, and District 23, a T-shirt company. Moon said he was given "a long list of reasons" from the city of Lincoln about why the McBean skatepark was closed down, most of them labeled as safety reasons. Moon said the skate park at McBean Park was closed at the end of 2021 without a plan to replace it. Lincoln City Councilmember Holly Andreatta said the removal of the skatepark came as a surprise. "The prior city manager felt it was a safety risk. It was broken down and repairs had to be made several times," Andreatta said. "It was closed without due process during COVID shutdowns when other parks were closed. None of the council knew about it." Andreatta said there is a plan to build a state-of-the-art skate park in Lincoln but the location has not yet been decided on. The plan still needs to go through the council but she "hopes to have something within the next year or two." "There's a ton of skateboarders in Lincoln and they were really sad when the park at McBean closed. It was there for over 20 years." Andreatta said. "They deserve to have a place to skate free." Andreatta said she worked with new Lincoln City Manager Sean Scully and Moon to open a temporary skate park location in November 2022 at Robert Chief Jimenez Park next to the Lincoln Crossings Clubhouse. Moon donated skate obstacles to skate on and organized a group to advocate for Lincoln skaters. Moon said he's happy about the temporary skate location but hopes Lincoln soon has a permanent spot. "I started the association to help keep skate and bike amenities in Lincoln," Moon said. Moon added that he recently raised money to fund more skate obstacles at the temporary park. He's also selling skate merchandise on the association's webpage to raise money for maintenance. "I've been fighting this fight my whole life," Moon said. "Skateboarders are overlooked and underappreciated. I've seen the struggle they go through with being discriminated against." Moon said skateboarders are often seen as the vandalizers but oftentimes they're the "subculture part of society who don't fit in with mainstream sports." "Parents don't always have money for 'Jimmy' to play football," Moon said. "Skating allows you to still go out and do something that's healthy. Skateboarding has been a popular sport since the '70s." The nonprofit Lincoln Skate Association has 15 members to date. "A lot of people don't like skaters and bmx people ruining their business by riding out in front of them," said Boden Rea, a local skater and an affiliate of the association. "We get in trouble with the police for just trying to enjoy a sport. A skate park allows us to have our own space where we can push ourselves." Boden said he has attended some of the association's events and also donated obstacle equipment to the new skate park location. He said that skating "is a getaway from everything else and a time" for him to have fun with his friends. Boden hopes to soon have a "real" skate park in Lincoln. In 2021, the Lincoln Skate Association hosted a Skate Jam fundraiser in the Rockstar Music Academy parking lot. The academy's owner, Steven Pagano, is one of the skate association's biggest supporters, according to Moon. In 2022, Moon hosted a golf tournament to benefit the association. Moon said the association plans to host an event some time during spring break and June 21, National Skate Day. Details will soon be announced, he said. For information on joining the Lincoln Skate and Bike Association, visit lincolnskateandbike.com.