Crested Butte skateboarding found its first real momentum in 1995, born, somewhat improbably, from a ski promotion. That winter, Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) launched a bold campaign: the first month of the season’s skiing was entirely free — no strings attached. Just show up.As skateboarders — who have long embraced the art of the dirtbag freeload — we did exactly that.
Though I grew up in Boston, getting arrested for skateboarding, I was attending college at Western Colorado University at the time and living on dining hall sack lunches and free honey packets from the Rafters cafeteria.
Word of the free-ski promotion spread quickly. Florida sent a strong contingent of legendary skaters westward, including the man who changed this town and skateboarding forever, Kenneth “Lenny” Byrd. Lenny, a Florida Skateboarding Hall of Famer, had made a skate trip up to Water Brothers, a renowned skate shop in Rhode Island, where he met Tom Finn and Bryan Shea, who told him about the “Ski Free” promo. What began as a free-chairlift experiment quietly evolved into the roots of a full mountain skate scene. The only problem? There weren’t many smooth surfaces to skate on in this small alpine town.
That changed when Lenny arrived. To provide a legitimate place to ride, Lenny built the now-mythical “River Bowl” at a rental house in Riverbend. As more skaters flooded into town for free skiing, the need for a formal organization became clear.
With guidance from local filmmaker Murray Wais, fellow skater Pete Peacock formed the Crested Butte Skateboard Alliance (CBSA) to help the community navigate the official process of establishing a permanent scene. When CBMR extended its Ski Free campaign into the final month of the season, the skaters kept coming. As skating spilled into the streets of CB, Elk Avenue was found to be the only smooth street in town, and the skaters quickly became seen as a nuisance to local businesses. This tension eventually led to a call from Town Manager Bill Crank, who asked Lenny about the ramp.
The Town purchased the River Bowl from Lenny in late spring of 1996, refurbished it, and relocated it outdoors near the town ice rink, where it was immediately flooded with skateboarders of all ages. By mid-summer, Crested Butte Mayor Scott Truex reached out to Lenny about a more permanent solution. The CBSA showed up in such overwhelming numbers at a town council meeting that not everyone could fit inside. The message was clear: this wasn’t a fringe hobby. It was a movement. The town council was open-minded and agreed that skaters should be involved in designing and building a park. In June, Lenny returned to the council chambers with a formal estimate and secured a $50,000 line item in the town budget for a skatepark. Momentum quickly shifted into reality.
Photo by Robby Lloyd
To ensure the highest quality construction, the team flew in legendary Burnside builder Mark “Red” Scott to lead the effort. Scott brought invaluable expertise to the project, alongside Tim Payne of Team Pain, a specialist in wooden ramps who was just transitioning his craft into concrete.
Like any ambitious project, the park faced significant hurdles. While the crew was pouring the big bowl, unexpected rain threatened to ruin the work. The team hopped the fence of a local lumberyard to borrow materials (which they paid for the next day!) to build temporary tents, completing the job under intense pressure.
In the fall of 1997, Crested Butte opened Crank’s Tank, widely recognized as Colorado’s first concrete skatepark designed and built by skateboarders. The bowl featured a 9.5-foot deep end and a shallow end with mellow pockets and a five-foot spine. Adorned with authentic pool tiles and solid concrete coping, the design paired a timeless aesthetic with the unmistakable sound of wheels humming over grout lines, ensuring a smooth, versatile flow. Crank’s skater-led initiative established the country’s first large-scale, free public park, and created a beloved space and proving ground for generations of riders.
Legacy and impact
The 1990s were a pivotal era, as the park attracted legendary pros like John Cardiel and Tony Alva, bringing credibility and excitement to the local scene. In 1998, legend Donny Meyer, en route to Washington, rolled into town with a full vert ramp. Impressed by the town vibe and supported by Lenny, Donny set up the ramp for the locals, a collaboration that marked a significant moment of creativity and camaraderie among the skating community.
During this time, Stephanie Prater was working with ESPN to bring the Winter X Games to the area. Recognizing the potential for skateboarding to shine, she and Lenny organized a base-area vert ramp demo that showcased local talent and established the town as an extreme sports destination. As the skate scene flourished, two local skate shops emerged, with The Air Up There becoming a true community cornerstone. Founded by 19-year-olds Jacob Parr and Dave White, the shop took a risk that paid off, outlasting the competition to become the ultimate hub for skaters.
They also introduced the Bowl Bash, a local competition that has grown into a beloved tradition and fundraiser for the valley’s skateboard alliance. Recently, the event merged with Punk Fest, blending live music with the high-energy skate scene to create an atmosphere that celebrates both arts.
Expanding the vision: Gunnison
In the early 2000s, original CBSA member Pete Peacock played a pivotal role in the organization’s evolution by expanding its reach and renaming it the Gunnison Valley Skateboard Alliance (GVSA) to better represent the entire valley.
That shift was critical. Pete, Brent Kozlowski, and Markus Riders spent a decade campaigning for the Gunnison skatepark expansion, leveraging Markus’ experience building Skatopia and public projects in Athens. In 2011, their persistence paid off when Team Pain transformed the park into a premier, family-friendly destination complete with nearby camping.
Preserving the legacy
After decades of heavy use and patchwork maintenance by local skaters, the concrete at Crested Butte’s Big Mine Skatepark (as it was later renamed) was beyond repair. In 2023, after much fundraising, the park received a full overhaul and expansion.
Evergreen Skateparks led the redesign, honoring the park’s iconic big bowl while modernizing the facility. The budget this time climbed well into six figures — a testament to how far the movement had come. John Maudsley, a local concrete professional, brought invaluable expertise to both the project and the steering committee. The result is a highly functional park that bridges generations of Gunnison Valley skaters.
The new design preserves the iconic big bowl while adding two bonus pockets with pool tiles, pool coping, and a teardrop spine. When the budget neared its limit, steering committee member Josh Jackson stepped in to donate the tiles. Built with an emphasis on flow, the new sections feature “surfy” pump humps, quarter pipes, and street elements like rails and ledges, allowing riders to traverse the entire park without a single push. One ledge in particular pays homage to our own fallen skater, Levi Saylor Parr, who grew up skating the park and had all the skills and style. He tragically lost his life at 21, and the “Levi Ledge” pays tribute.
Today, the park is a vibrant community hub. Early mornings tend to draw adult beginner skaters looking for a less crowded canvas, while lunch breaks often bring local workers. After school, the park fills with youth skaters and scooters — the busiest time of day, yet rarely too crowded for a run. A few evenings a week, my peers and I host “old people skate nights” to create the vibe of a real skate session with oohs and ahhs from the skaters and spectators. The Parks and Rec department has been hosting youth camps during the summer, and we hope to expand our annual Bowl Bash into a biannual event to inspire the next generation, keep the stoke alive, and raise money for the cause.
The GVSA pushes forward
Funds have been raised and secured for the Southside Skatepark in Crested Butte South, which is slated for inclusion in the POA’s broader master plan.
But perhaps the valley’s most pressing need is an indoor facility. Winters can be long and tough on mental health; skateboarding offers a proven mental health outlet that doesn’t require a team structure — not just for kids and young adults, but for those of us who’ve been rolling since the ’80s.
The Barn at Woodward Copper in Frisco stands as an inspiring model; the multi- use indoor space blends off-season ski and snowboard training, street and transition skate features, and trampoline zones. A similar facility here would serve skiers, snowboarders, skateboarders, and youth. More than just a building, it would be a year-round sanctuary for sports, community, and the mountain culture we call home.
From the early days of Ski Free to major six-figure public works projects, the valley’s skate scene has never been about handouts, but about showing up and working together to build something together, for everyone. And we’re still showing up.
The GVSA currently operates through the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley and ensures that all designated donations are tax-deductible. For more info, visit cfgv.org