Author Archives: Ray Young

Groundbreaking Steelton Skateboard Park

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Yesterday May 9th 2017 will now be known as an epic day to the Harrisburg regions skateboarding community. Steelton PA had it’s Skatepark ground breaking ceremony. Yep, it’s official, Steelton will be building Dauphin county’s first FREE public skatepark. The park will fill a much needed skateboarding void to the residents and skateboarders of the surrounding regions, be it Harrisburg, Camp Hill, the West Shore, Colonial Park, Middletown, Paxtang or anywhere else in the 717 area. It’s no secret that Steelton and the Dauphin county commissioners support skateboarding. The park will be built by veteran skater and park builder Arment Concrete with funding made possible via a tourism and gaming grants from the county alongside loans taken out by the Steelton borough.

The turn out for the ground breaking was nothing short of spectacular, with Steelton’s own skateboarding police officer, the police chief, mayor, borough manager and other officials giving supporting words and encouragement to the project and the skateboarding community. In other words, STEELTON GETS IT!!

Many skaters showed up and were excited to see once and for all something being done about this long neglected population. Rumor has it that a skater even gave a complete skateboard to a local kid to skate on, now that’s love.

After all the speeches and thank yous were given an impromptu skate session broke out on the site, demonstrating the excitement and diversity of those who attended. Police officers, local long boarders, business owners, kids from out of the area, and even a father skating with his 4 year old daughter could be seen skating around.

The crew at Rayzor Tattoos and Skateshop and the Get on Board Skateboarding program are excited to see such a project happen in their town and would like to publicly thank Doug Brown (Borough Manager) for being so supportive and such an awesome dude.

Enjoy the pics of yesterday’s event below…

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Nate Demuro of the Get on Board skateboarding program showing support

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Local skaters from Steelton and surrounding areas say… It’s about TIME!

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Ray Young of Rayzor Tattoos and Skateshop talking skateboarding with the Mayor

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Ray and his ever supportive girl Jamie

Ray and his ever supportive girl Jamie

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Steelton Skateboard Cop

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That’s right…. Steelton police officer to do his beat on a skateboard!

Officer Art Etnoyer of the Steelton Police

Officer Art Etnoyer of the Steelton Police

In the spirit of Steelton’s move to embrace and connect with the times and the youth of today, Steelton Police officer Art Etnoyer will be doing his police rounds on a skateboard.

In a Steelton skatepark commitee meeting a few weeks ago (yep… you read that right, Steelton is getting a skatepark) Ray Young and Nathan Demuro (both of Get on Board) suggested that Steelton find a police officer willing to do his beat on a skateboard. The Borough manager Doug Brown, Commitee chair mike Segina, and Chie of Police Anthony Minium jumped at the idea. The next day, officer Art Etnoyer quickly volunteered to do the job.

Art is 39 years old, has been with Steelton for 10 years, and currently now a platoon supervisor in Steelton. He is also an Iraq air force Staff Sargent vet, he has worked as swat and was on the us marshal task force.

Art Picking out the right skateboard inside Rayzor Tattoos skateshop.

Art picking out the right skateboard inside Rayzor Tattoos skateshop.

In all fairness to Joel Zwicky, this was not an original idea; yet, still  it is new to this area. Get on Board skateboarding (our program to teach children with special needs skateboarding) first got exposed to the original skateboard cop a few years ago in Green Bay Wisconsin when we did an event there with Joel. Get on Board loved the idea and finally is teamed up with a progressive enough borough to implement Joel’s idea here on the East Coast.

Rayzor Tattoos has agreed to sponsor Art with the equipment to do the job, and Nathan DeMuro (VP of Get on Board) will be coaching Art with his skateboarding skills where needed.

Art riding his newly acquired Longboard

Art riding his newly acquired Longboard

Members of the Get on Board organization and Rayzor Tattoos applaud Art, Doug, Police Chief Anthony Minium and Steelton Borough council for supporting skateboarding and being progressive in their ideas.

Ray Young owner/operator of Rayzor Tattoos presenting Art with his skateboard.

Ray Young owner/operator of Rayzor Tattoos presenting Art with his skateboard.

 

Rayzor Tattoos and skateshop interview on NBC about soon to be skatepark

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Ray Young owner/operator of Rayzor Tattoos and skateshop getting interviewed by WGAL channel 8 news on his role in developing and supporting the soon to be Steelton skatepark.

Ray Young owner/operateor of rayzor Tattoos and skate shop

Ray Young decided in 2002 to start selling skateboards out of the the tattoo parlor in Steelton to support the skating community. as the population of skaters in Steelton grew so did the interest and support of a public skateboard park.

Working with the borough of Steelton and the skateboard community, Rayzor Tattoos was able to quickly assemble a team of skateboard experienced consultants like Get on Board skatepark builder Matt Arment of Arment Concrete.

The team was able to be versatile and listen to the community and the Borough reps to confidently design a skatepark well within budget that will suit the needs of the skate community well.

First draft of the skatepark, notice NO BOWL. We were quick to remedy that. The latest design will feature a bowl. stay posted for updates

First draft of the skatepark, notice NO BOWL. We were quick to remedy that. The latest design will feature a bowl. stay posted for updates

Is Harrisburg PA area finally getting a skateboard park?

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What.. a skateboard park in the Harrisburg PA area?

OR

So… Steelton PA is gonna get a skatepark

… hmm… we’ve heard that before, or have we?

Well I’ve seen it all, or at least thought I had.

Being a LONG TIME advocate and skater has not been an easy ride for myself or anyone else doing similar things in or about the Harrisburg PA regional area.

I started out building a huge vert ramp (on appropriated land mind you) with the original Public Menace crew in the early 80’s. Back then we had very little support and if you wanted anything done, you had to do it yourself. Most ramps were built in people’s back yards.

I then went on to travel the country and compete in vertical skateboarding events, meanwhile advocating and trying to assist in the local scene whenever I could.

I fortunately had the opportunity to design,  build and run a facility at a YMCA camp with some like minded people, we ran it for a few years but they eventually sold the camp. Much later, I went to the Poconos at a place called Camp Lohikan and did it again, it still runs today. Mind you these were all private Skateboard facilities, or all but.

Throughout the years some private skateboard parks have come and gone. Meanwhile there has been LOTS of TALK about a public park but NO ONE has delivered.

So, I just kept doing my thing, traveling, downhilling, park skateing, judging events, creating GET on Board, and even opening a small skate shop in the our tattoo shop, which happens to be in Steelton. So you can imagine my pessimism when I heard Steelton is building a skatepark. Yeah right?!

WELL, I took the plunge and decided to contact them. My first contact was with Doug Brown, borough manager. He was happy to show me his Black Flag tattoo and I knew right away this might be the real deal. I pulled in long time friend/skater Nathan Demuro (who also ran skate programs and works with me at the get on Board charity). We met with the borough and insisted to them that they ‘do it right”.

Doug proceeded to tell us that the county commissioner wanted to build a park and contacted Steelton and asked if they could put it there. Next thing I know we were meeting with the borough chief of police, head of codes and others who were jubilantly supportive of a skatepark in their borough.

Get on Board was asked to write a support letter to get grants and show support to the community, so we did.

Steelton is currently is working with engineers and skatepark builder Matt Arment to finalize a design. Alex Knittle of Jawnpiece skateboards, Nathan Demuro of the OGS League, Myself and a few Council members were drafted to be on the skate park committee. The commitees job (as far as I understand it) is to make sure this park is a good thing for all and over see day to day running of the park.. Rest assured we all want a “well built” park. The committee will make it a priority that the design is GOOD and the park is built WELL. Please keep in mind that there is a budget that Steelton is working with and that this park will serve many people. Park current layout is here http://www.steeltonpa.com/steelton-skate-park-coming-municipal-park-springsummer-2017/

York public skatepark, one of the many built by Arment.

York public skatepark, one of the many built by Arment.

We will be having a skateboard video showing Nov 27th here at Rayzor Tattoos. 3 skateboard videos will be shown by local 717 area skateboarders who make some incredible skate board videos.A few council members of Steelton Borough will be here as well to update all on the progress of the park. All are welcome to attend.

Don't miss the video showing of Supreme Architecture, by Alex Knittle of Jawnpiece skateboards.

Don’t miss the video showing of Supreme Architecture, by Alex Knittle of Jawnpiece skateboards. Come to Rayzor Tattos watch the video and meet Steelton borough representatives to learn more about Harrisburg Area’s first public skateboard park.

Please show up to find out more and show your support, cause i’m sure we are gonna need it.