Winona opens free outdoor skatepark

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Residents gathered in Winona on Saturday morning to celebrate the grand opening of a new, free outdoor skatepark.

Skaters of all ages, from kids to adults, did ollies, kickflips and grinds around Winona Public Skatepark. It is located just outside Anthem Skateboard Shop and Indoor Skatepark.

The park is the culmination of years of community work. Zach Krage, the project’s fundraising committee chair, said the park is a needed space in the Winona community.

“I am most excited that there’s a third space without a paywall,” said Krage. “That skateboarding is historically an activity that kids have to pay-to-play, where other sports, there’s public infrastructure that’s freely available to them. And now Winona has free public infrastructure for skateboarders.”

The park was created in part by a $550,000 grant from the state. Nearly $150,000 was raised by the community.

Krage says the park will help both kids and adults.

“If you pan around, you’re gonna see a lot of gray hair that people have been skateboarding and have continued skateboarding,” he said. “And that’s the great thing about skateboarding and just action sports in general, that you don’t necessarily age out of it. It can grow with you and change, and I’m 43, I’m still skateboarding.”

Krage said the park has already drawn people from Rochester, Minneapolis, Green Bay and around the country. He expects that trend to continue.

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