Lauridsen Skatepark
Greater Des Moines Partnership Chief Operations Officer Tiffany Tauscheck, Catch Des Moines President & CEO Greg Edwards and Chair of the Polk County Board of Supervisors Angela Connolly discussed the opening of Lauridsen Skatepark, located along the Principal Riverwalk in Downtown DSM, next month, as well as the upcoming Olympic-qualifying Dew Tour skateboarding competition taking place May 20 –23 prior to the Olympic Games in Tokyo this July. Up to 300 skaters will take part in the international event and kick off the summer for DSM sports enthusiasts and the DSM business community. The event is expected to be an economic boon for the surrounding hotels, restaurants and shops.
In order to land the Dew Tour, Edwards said the Catch Des Moines team reached out to USA Skateboarding, who were excited at the prospect of the skatepark, especially after learning that California Skateparks would be designing the park and that it would be the largest in the country. In January 2021, in 25 below weather, the USA Skateboarding team came to the region for a site visit and were wowed by Lauridsen and DSM, solidifying the skatepark as a major attraction for the area.
DSM was recently recognized by City Revive as a sporting mecca, and the Lauridsen Skatepark in particular was named a sports venue to watch in 2021 by SportsTravel Magazine. This national recognition helps draw people to DSM, a place they might not be at all familiar with. Events like the Dew Tour will introduce younger audiences to the region, and as a global event, the exposure will be immense.
Connolly said fundraising for the Lauridsen Skatepark was a grassroots effort. By pulling together private and public entities, including a major donation from Nix and Virginia Lauridsen to kick off the project, the project was catapulted into its next phase. The initial commitment from the Lauridsens set the tone for the rest of the project, and the excitement only grew from there.
This project is just one of many that are taking place in the region at this time. Connolly said efforts like those surrounding the Lauridsen Skatepark continue to help improve quality of life, retain workforce and build up our community.
The OneVoice DSM podcast was previously produced by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. To learn more about current events in the region, sign up for the OnePartnership Weekly newsletter.