(By Travis Jensen)

The S.F. Skate Club, a youth skateboarding program dedicated to providing children with skateboarding lessons and mentoring, hosted an art show last Friday in Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi’s office at City Hall. The show featured a series of hand-painted skateboard decks by local youth skateboarders, ages 8 to 13. Although none of the artwork was for sale, the club was hoping the show would help raise awareness about the need for a skateboard park in Golden Gate Park, near Stanyan and Waller streets.

Supervisor Mirkarimi originally drafted the legislation for a new skateboarding facility in Golden Gate Park; due to concerns from surrounding businesses and neighbors about the kind of crowd the park might attract, however, planning has since been put on hold. Skate park supporters feel the concerns are ironic, because the proposed Upper Haight location is a neighborhood that prides itself on diversity.

San Francisco currently has one skate park, which is basically an empty swimming pool in a remote corner of Crocker-Amazon Park. Built in 2001; the park is rarely ever skated because of its old-fashioned design and out-of-the-way location. A second park is scheduled to open this Saturday, June 28 in Potrero Del Sol at 25th and Utah streets. (Continued after the jump.)