Skateboarders, scooterists and BMX bikers flew past each other on the East Woods Skate Plaza on Saturday after “Beastwood II: The Reckoning,” an annual informal skate competition put on by the local neighborhood association.
“We had kind of organized runs in the beginning and then it kind of slowly devolved into chaos,” said Justin Keskin, co-chair of the Eastwood Neighborhood Association Skate Park Committee.
Saturday’s was the second installment of the skate jam, which is more of an excuse for the local skaters to hang out and applaud each other’s tricks than a regimented competition.
The idea was to “keep things kind of loose and fun,” said Keskin. Flower Skate Shop in Syracuse donated t-shirts and Wool Skateboards, which Keskin owns, donated boards as prizes. About 25 skaters of all ages came through to show off their flip tricks and rail grinds.
The plaza was established by a couple of parents on the neighborhood association and local skaters, who wanted a place to practice. Syracuse local pro Andrew Grabowski, who died in June, used to skate there.
Today, the plaza is pretty cramped for the number of people who use it. The neighborhood association received $200,000 in grant money sponsored by state Sen. Rachel May, R-Syracuse, to expand the park. The project should be completed by summer 2024.
East Woods Skate Plaza is one of a couple of places to skate in the city, including the Everson Museum of Art plaza and “The Spot” at Ormand Spencer Park.
“It’s just small and it needs to be bigger,” said Keskin. “We need more square footage.”
After the competition, skaters pawed through a big box of leftover prizes, pulling on t-shirts and slapping stickers onto their boards.
A few members of the neighborhood association sat nearby at a picnic table on Saturday, watching the skaters whiz around the plaza.
“There’s always at least two or three people skating,” said Kristen Juliana, co-chair of the Skate Park Committee.
“People come from all over. It’s a great addition to the neighborhood.”
Jules Struck writes about life and culture in and around Syracuse. Contact her anytime at jstruck@syracuse.com or on Instagram at julesstruck.journo.
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