The Nevada Parks and Recreation Society has formally recognized the Carson Valley Skate Facility for its ideal design.
Community Services Director Scott Morgan of Douglas County Parks & Recreation picked up the Elmer H. Anderson Parks Excellence Award for the facility having the state's best new special feature in park design. Morgan received the award at the annual conference in early February in Las Vegas.
Morgan said the large size of the facility, the quality of its materials, and the safety factor grade of 2 contributed to Douglas County receiving the award.
Skate parks are graded on safety on a 1-10 scale. Morgan said the Carson Valley facility, across from Lampe Park in Gardnerville, follows a logical design with no cross-pattern skating allowed. In addition, improvements, such as shading and a drinking fountain that can be skated to, enhance the facility.
Morgan said the facility averages between 200 and 300 skaters per day during the warmer months and between 50 and 100 skaters in the winter.
Tim Jursich, 13, of Gardnerville, frequents the facility.
"The whole thing is great," he said. "There are big gaps (for jumping). and it usually isn't very crowded."
The Carson Valley Skate Facility opened in April 2001 with 35,000 square feet of steel-reinforced concrete with quarter-inch steel inbeds on all skating elements. The cost of the project was $365,000 and operates year-round, from dawn to dusk, with no cost to skateboarders, inline skaters and bicyclists.
Morgan said Airick Valenzuela was also recognized by the state for the facility design.
"I am proud to be associated with the hard work and efforts of the Douglas County Commissioners and their leadership role in the development of the Carson Valley Skate Facility," Morgan said.
"The commissioners and Parks and Recreation Commission worked for five years to develop one of the finest skating facilities in the nation."
Morgan said the skatepark received national recognition from "Thrasher" magazine last fall as one of the best skate facilities in the West Coast and the best skate facility in Nevada.