Chad Caruso has officially seen a 22 year fight come full circle.
The new $1.67M Tanner Park skatepark in Copiague, New York is now open, with Caruso helping design the poured concrete park alongside local skaters.
Caruso first petitioned the Town of Babylon for a skatepark as a teenager in 2004.
Sfter getting sober 10 years ago, he decided giving back to skateboarding would be one of his goals, with rebuilding Tanner Park at the top of the list.
After years of work, Caruso finally got to cut the ribbon and watch local skaters ride a park he helped bring back.
The old ramps had been worn down by years of use and salt air. The new concrete layout was created with input from local riders and is built for the coastal conditions.
The annual Tanner Jam has also been rescheduled from September 26 to October 24.
Caruso Posted:
"Thank you @townofbabylon.ny for the honor of cutting the ribbon at our new $1.67M skatepark here in Copiague, NY.
Ten years ago, when I got sober and turned my life around, I made a choice to do my best to give back to skateboarding instead of always taking from it.
Getting this park rebuilt was my first goal on that path. There were many times over the past decade when it felt like this day would never come. Luckily, I’m hard-headed and don’t know when to quit.
It’s been an incredible feeling to watch everyone skating a park I helped design and spent years fighting for.
Thank you to everyone involved and to the Tanner Skatepark community for being what it is.
**The annual Tanner Jam contest has been rescheduled from this Saturday 9/26 to Saturday 10/24**"
Town of Babylon Posted:
"
The new Tanner Park skatepark is officially open!
Supervisor Rich Schaffer, Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez and Town Clerk Janina Martinez, along with Assemblyman Kwani B. O'Pharrow, Legislator RJ Renna and the office of Senator Monica R. Martinez, joined world-record skateboarder Chad Caruso and local skaters on Wednesday to cut the ribbon on the new poured-concrete park in Copiague.
The new park replaces the old ramps, which had been worn down by years of use and salt air. It was designed with input from local skaters, led by Caruso. As a teen in 2004, he petitioned the Town for the original park. Twenty-plus years later, he helped design its replacement.
"Our skaters told us what they needed, and we listened," said Tony Martinez, the chair of the town's Parks & Recreation Committee. This park is built to handle salt air, heavy use and years of skating. It gives kids and adults a safe, first-class place to ride right here in their own town."