| 1986 was a great year, BMX racing, skateboarding, and Freestyle BMX were all over the place. Since I was 5 years old I hung out and spent the next 17 years molding "The Track" next to the creek (crick) just below Grand Avenue or Wheeler Field in West Duluth. BMX was huge in the early 80's and traveled all over racing but why couldn't Duluth get a track? Pursued it with the city and they saw what us kids could do with some shovels and with a little support from the city we could design the ultimate track for the Midwest. Working with Jim McCord of the Parks and Recreation Department we finally found a location that was approved by the city, state, and Federal governments. Plus my Mom and I interviewed all the homeowners near the proposed track. They were all fine with it. The site was Keene's Creek, Creek theme for tracks, and it was pefect for the track, nice park, parking, and shelter underneath the freeway. Had volunteers clear out the weeds to make way of this killer track. The Duluth Missabe and Iron Range donated railroad ties for support of the berms. Everything was coming together until I was not invited to a City Council meeting. I had no clue this meeting was going on and one of the items passed was not to build within 100' boundary of the Keene's creek area. The proposed track design that was well known was next to the creek and our BMX track that we worked four years on was over, just like that. It's funny how officials do not see the benefits of having "youth oriented" sports and activities. A park is not enough and BMX would have created activites for the youth, bike sales, food/entertainment sales, lodging, etc. due to racers traveling from all over to check out the hottest track in MN. We then tried to get some ramps built underneath the freeway to have a "Freestyle Park." That was too bold for the city to handle and didn't want to give up the tennis courts. I Freestyled there everyday and rarely was there any tennis going on. I had my own ramps and traveled all over to do shows but the youth needed ramps to ride so they could enjoy what our J.T. Freestyle Team was enjoying. We all skateboarded too. That's what Freestyle is all about. Just having fun with our wheels. Again the city shot us down and now it's 17 years later and Duluth still doesn't have a Freestyle Park for the youth. They keep talkin' and the kids get older, go to college, or just leave due to lack of things to do in Duluth. Another example is snowboarding. I was the first to board at Spirit Mountain in 1982. When Spirit got new management I was banned from the hills as a snowboarder? I have been a skier there since 1975 and on Team Duluth racing team in '78. Now I can't do something because "we don't like your type!" What kind of communication is that? I'm a skier who wanted to master something different. I then became a ski instructor. That was a mistake because I became less of a person due to being an employee? I had a college presentation in my marketing class about snowboarding and all the benefits it would be to the ski/Duluth area. My instructor wrote me off just like Spirit. Well look at it now and you now have more boarders than skiers. It took a few years for Spirt to catch on that they were losing revenue by banning snowboarding and reinstated it again after more parents and ski shops complained. Wish Duluth was more progressive an open to new things but I had to move on and apply my skills in California. Now back in Minnesota, Twin Cities, I have been doing the same activities that I was doing back when I was a teenager. I ride, skate, board, ski, and promote all of these activities to city, county, state level officials. The youth need parks but today they need Freestyle parks to fit into what is needed today vs. back in the day. I hope Duluth gets a Freestyle park for all types of riders, skaters, and inliners. If they do, I hope it is in the right area, properly designed for all types of patrons (beginner, intermediate, to advanced obstacles), concession area, rest rooms, and a place for adults to hang while their kids have a blast. That's what it is all about, have a good time and learning new tricks. These tricks allow the kids to apply math and physics in a way that they don't see until I show them. They get interested in designing skateboards, ramps, develop new tricks, etc. I've also seen great improvements with school grades and physical well being with kids who do Freestyle. Freestyle is just that, free to do whatever on whatever you want to use within the park on your skateboard, inline, or bicycle. The youth needs the city support and the city in return may have more kids growing up and staying in the area because they listened and supported the youth. Wish I was 15 again but I can be the liason between today's youth and the powers to be to get Freestyle parks rockin' within communities that are lacking them. Duluth will always be my hometown and when I visit my Mom, still living next to Wheeler by "The Track", I would love to finally see/ride/skate what has been so long over due. Jeff "JT" Tollefson |
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