Grand opening for Marysville skatepark today

Marysville's skatepark was surrounded by a moat of mud from the weekend's rain.

But on Monday — Sebastian Bell's third day on the halfpipe — the small concrete and metal obstacle course was crowded with boys.

The 10-year-old skateboarder, who lives about a mile away from the new Miner Park attraction, has been waiting and watching as the structure has come together over the last few weeks.

"You can do a whole bunch of good tricks on it," he said after practicing a varial.

A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. today will officially kick-flip the opening of the park's first phase.

But more than two dozen board, bike, and scooter riders there in the last hours of daylight Monday needed no green light or invitation to hit the already-available smooth surface.

"Look at how many kids are here," marveled Heather Moldenhauer, program coordinator at the Allyn Scott Youth & Community Center, who had come by to check out the new facility. "And it's not even open yet."

Less than a year ago, a small group of skateboard enthusiasts and supporters proposed this park to the Marysville Parks and Recreation Commission.

The youth group, coordinated by Friday Night Live staff and aided by business and community leaders, sought to convince Marysville officials to use Proposition 40 funds as seed money for a skatepark.

Yuba County had set aside $75,000 from its allotment of Prop. 40 money for use within Marysville, and had been in discussions with the city about where to apply it.

Private donations made up the balance for the $100,000, 2,100 square-foot section of park completed on Saturday.

Plans call for up to 6,000 square feet of skateable, bikeable, scooterable surface, as funds become available for expansion.

"There's not much to do in Marysville," said Thomas Baker, 12, echoing a common lament.

The opening of the new skatepark, said the McKenney Intermediate School student, is a big deal for kids like him, who skate and bike.

Johnny Sanchez, 12, got a ride from Linda, where he lives and skates at another new park.

"This one's even gonna be better, I bet," he said.

"Right now, I'd say there's more here for skaters," said Koby Larsen, 12, who both bikes and skates.

His friends nodded in agreement.

But when Joseph Lizama, 16, of Olivehurst hopped his bike nimbly through the park's elements and caught air beyond the halfpipe, most other riders cleared out and just watched in amazement.

A regular rider at the 1996 Yuba City skatepark at Sam Brannan Park, Lizama had driven himself to the Marysville site at 14th and Sampson streets to see what the fuss was about.

The kids around him fawned.

"He's really good," Larsen said. "He makes it look easy."

Thomas was ready to roll as soon as Lizama took a break.

"We have to ride as much as we can before it gets dark," he said.