We’d love to have you join as we skate down the streets of Ann Arbor in the Jaycees 4th of July parade. Wear your A2skatepark shirt, bring your friends, your family and your skateboard - helmets required to skate - and help show the community how much you want a public skatepark!

Parade line up starts at 9am – more details soon.

In mid-May, we sent out a questionnaire to all city council candidates running in the August 3rd primary to find out what their thoughts are on the Ann Arbor Skatepark initiative (all of the candidates are running in the Democratic primary except for John Floyd, who is running in the Republican Primary). See the responses to the questionnaire here. Any late responses we receive will be posted as they come in.

Thanks to all of the candidates who participated in the questionnaire!

Last night we opened our skate-art exhibit at the Ann Arbor Art Center (AAAC). The exhibit includes the more than 50 skate decks that were created by artists from across the country. The decks will stay at the AAAC for two weeks. Big thanks to Marsha Chamberlin and Josie Bockelman at the AAAC for making the event so perfect!

The Ann Arbor Art Center is exhibiting artwork from The Second Annual Skatepark Benefit Art Show May 22 through June 13, 2010. The opening reception for the exhibit is Saturday, May 22, 5:00pm-7:00pm, at The Art Center, 117 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor, MI, and will include the unveiling of the skatepark design concept at 6:00pm. The Skatepark Benefit Art Show Show, hosted by Vault of Midnight last week, was a live auction fundraiser for the Ann Arbor Skatepark that featured more than fifty hand-painted skateboard decks from local and national artists.

The Second Annual Ann Arbor Skatepark Benefit Art Show kicks off at 6 p.m. and runs until 11 p.m. on May 15.

Vault of Midnight, in conjunction with the Ann Arbor Skatepark Steering Committee, is proud to host The Second Annual Ann Arbor Skatepark Benefit Art Show. Artists of local and international renown are contributing original artwork using skate board decks as both inspiration and canvas. The decks will be appraised by our prestigious panel of judges (including the likes of Phoebe Gloeckner, Davy Rothbart) who will select their favorites as winners from the entries. All of the contributed decks will then be put up for a live auction hosted by Malcolm Tulip and, most importantly, 100% of the proceeds will benefit Ann Arbor’s very own skatepark.

The Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark will host Wally Hollyday Design at the second of two public skatepark design input meetings on April 25 at 4 p.m. in the Slauson Middle School cafeteria., 1019 W. Washington. There is no charge for attendance.

In October, 2009, Mr. Hollyday led over 60 local skaters, community members, elected officials and government staff in a workshop to let him know what our community wants and needs in a skatepark. On April 25, Mr. Hollyday will bring several rough conceptual designs for the public to comment on. After this workshop, he’ll create the final concept for the park. RSVP on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108635042504557

Unveiling of the conceptual design will be on May 22, 2010 at the Ann Arbor Art Center. Details to come.

Here are some of the great photos and videos from the Grinds of March. Do you have some you want to share? Let us know or share them on our Facebook page!

More after the jump...

704 Plaza Blvd., Ann Arbor MI
For info email info@a2skatepark.org

Andy Mac hooked us up and got us this Tony Hawk deck signed by the man himself, along with 24 other pro skaters. The signing was at the Grind for Life Clash at Clairmont, 2009.

Here are the signatures on the deck:

Lyndsey Adams
Jake Brown
Adrian Demain
Pat Duffy
Jason Ellis
Pierre Luc Gagnon
Rune Glifberg
Dave Hacket
Buster Halterman
Tony Hawk
Neil Hendricks
Darin Jenkins
Lester Kasai
Bucky Lasek
Holly Lyons
Andy Macdonald
Danny Mayer
Mike McGill
Zack Miller
Duane Peters
Austin Pointer
Jean Postec
Elliot Sloane
Josh Stafford
Steve Steadham

Want this deck? Well, now’s your chance! Check out our new online presence at crowdrise.com, create a profile page (it only takes approximately 17.2 seconds), and donate $26 to the Ann Arbor Skatepark Project. It’s super-easy. Anyone who donates $26 to the Ann Arbor Skatepark Project on Crowdrise between now and March 10 at 10:17 am is automatically entered into a drawing for this most awesome of collectable skate decks*. The drawing will be held at The RedBelly Boardshop Grinds of March skate event on March 13th. You need not be present to win. Good luck, and thanks in advance!

We can only afford to ship the deck to folks in the contiguous United States. If you live elsewhere in the world, we’ll ship it, but you’ll have to pay all the costs related to that… Sorry!

*By law, we have to allow you to enter this contest without donating to the cause. If you’d like to be entered, and don’t want to support the Ann Arbor Skatepark Project, send your name, address and phone number to:
A2skatepark
P.O. Box 3001
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
But, it sure would be nice if you donated to the cause ;-)

Click here for complete contest rules.

Ann Arbor Skatepark Action Committee Announces The Redbelly Boardshop Grinds of March

Eight-time skateboarding world champion and 19 time X Games medal winner Andy Macdonald will be in Ann Arbor March 13 for a skateboarding demonstration sponsored by Redbelly Boardshop in support of the Ann Arbor Skatepark Fund at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.