BURNSIDE NATION: The community protecting an iconic skatepark
By Serena Khader
Cold cement covered artfully in aerosol murals and graffiti catches the attention of passersby under the east side of Burnside Bridge. Nestled between Pacific Coast Fruit Co and Yard Luxury Apartments in Portland, Oregon, the Burnside Skatepark is attended and loved by the skaters who flock to this cultural mecca.
“I love this park because there’s big ramps that you can use to go fast. It’s my most favorite skatepark and I go here everyday. I have so many friends here, even grownups,” said Sid Murrell, age 7, during his chocolate milk skate break.
“It’s a tight-knit community, but it’s not hard to get into. You just have to show up and respect the park,” Sid’s dad, Alex Murrell adds, watching an older skater help his son get out of the bottom of the bowl.
Murrell is confident that the park will stick around as it’s handed off from one generation to the next. With Sid’s baby brother on the way, the family is hoping that the park will be around for their new addition to enjoy as well.
Sid’s family isn’t alone in their love for the park — hordes of skaters like him swarm to the park to skate, spectate, and take part in the community. Portland’s skateboarding community continues to fight to maintain this iconic skatepark, most recently during the city’s planning for the reconstruction of the Burnside bridge.
Burnside Skatepark’s rich history speaks for itself, given that the space began as spot for gangs, sex workers, and drug use. Jaymeer, on the park’s Board of Directors and the artist whose vibrant aerosol murals adorn the walls of Burnside Park, explains that the park started when a group of friends grabbed some concrete and added it to the existing wall in the dry spot under the bridge.
“It’s a movement that started here and has expanded exponentially worldwide. It started out of a lack of government effort or funds to create what was needed,” said Jaymeer, looking back on how the park ignited the DIY skatepark trend that spread across the world in 1990.
Skateboarders began coming to the underpass to skate the wall, and from there the park continued to grow in the hands of skaters that visited it, while the previous unsavory visitors left. “Everyone put hard work into it, so it made it more special to them. And they protected it,” Murrell said.
This protective instinct has remained the same over the years: “They built this amazing park without any permits. And later the city of Portland gave them permission to stay, even though the park is on their property,” said Mike Pullen, Communications Coordinator for Multnomah County. The property is still listed as “vacant” in Oregon’s Property Records.
As the city of Portland began discussions about the reconstruction of the Burnside Bridge, the original proposal would require demolition of the park completely. “When that happened, the community jumped in and tons of people wrote letters, and got support about why this park is important,” Murrell explains.
“It’s my home, or a home away from home. I go there, I see my friends, I can actually skate with somebody I’ve skated with for 25 years and that’s pretty rare, it’s pretty special. And I still know their lines and we can ride around the park at the same time and not run into each other.” said Jaymeer.
Like Jaymeer, Murrell has been coming to this park since his youth. He put down his board in his 20s and only recently reconnected with the sport when his son fell in love with skating.
“It was so cool to bring him here because it’s the next generation. And back when I was a kid, little kids wouldn’t be accepted here. But people mellow — they’re getting older, and they love to see kids ripping,” said Murrell.
After an outpouring of support for the park from the community, the city agreed to do a version of the bridge that will preserve the park while also creating an earthquake-safe bridge across the Willamette River. “They really like to do things their own way and the best way to let them do things their own way is to not damage the park,” said Pullen, regarding the alternative plan.
“The park will be changed slightly, everything changes in life, but it’ll be here for my kid. Because this is his home, this is where his friends are,” Murrell said, smiling. “I just want to give my support any passion. So that’s why we’re here, that’s why he loves Burnside. It’s in his heart.”
Multnomah County’s Project Fact Sheet shows that construction should start in 2024 and last 4–5 years, with the park only being closed for four months during that time.
“It’s amazing, it’s indescribable. That passion, that feeling and that love, it’s love. Not just for the park, but for the people, and for the movement. Burnside, specifically, it’s a pilgrimage. Burnside is so many different things: it’s a sacred ground and a church and a home and lifestyle and a religion,” Jaymeer said.
Burnside Skatepark is cared for and funded completely by the skaters and volunteers from the community. To learn more about the park and lend a hand, go to https://burnsideproject.wpcomstaging.com/
I live near Burnside Skatepark and always had a frightened curiosity about it when I passed by. I spent a couple of hours each day for the week leading up to writing this piece getting to know the regulars, learning about the history, and even learning how to skate a little bit. I chose to lead into the story with Sid’s narrative since he is an extremely interesting character and the high value that he places on the park is clear. To learn more about the Burnside Skatepark, check out the website linked above or read about it in Thrasher magazine. For inquiries about this piece, email serena.khader@gmail.com.
