Since he was 8 years old, Glenn Davidson, owner and designer of Killer Skate Park & Shop in Evansville, hasn’t stopped skateboarding. His childhood hobby led him into a life dedicated to bringing skaters together, supporting the community, and turning his dream into a job.
His first taste of building a park was in 1991, when his older brother built a public skate park in Princeton, Ind. Although it closed after three years, Davidson reopened the park in 1999, determined to reconnect the Midwest with the national skate scene. “There was nothing else around at the time,” Davidson says. “People who live here tend to be negative about skateboarding.” The park still stands, and is now run by the city of Princeton.
According to Davidson, every skater has a conflict between his “skating life and normal life,” so he decided to once again combine the two. He designed and opened Killer Skate Park & Shop in October 2009, and now his daily grind is to act as a liaison between his community and the national skate scene. The shop sponsors skaters, puts on contests and demos for the public, and offers skateboard lessons.
Most of all, Davidson believes it’s important to be involved with his customers. “You should appreciate it when someone comes to your business,” he says. “They should want to be part of it, which is important to build a strong skating community.”
Reaching beyond Evansville has always been a priority for Davidson. Last September, he and some of his sponsored skaters went to Goreville, Ill., to put on a skate contest and demo at a 4-H Club-sponsored skate park. He also hosted a camp for those same 4-H members at his park. “It’s rewarding to get kids involved, especially with skating,” Davidson said. “You set goals just like you would in any other sport, but you achieve them on your own.”
The Park
Killer Skate Park & Shop offers an obstacle course for skaters. Jay Lauf, one of the park’s sponsored skaters, says Killer Skate is similar to newer parks in California because, instead of having just one or two features, everything is interconnected, allowing skaters to become more adaptable.
The Shop
The full-service skate shop has top-of-the-line boards, pads, shoes, and everything a skater needs all in one place. Not only does having a store offer Davidson opportunities to get national-level sponsors for his competitions, it allows him to support local board companies from Indianapolis and Owensboro, Ky.
For more information, visit www.killerskatepark.com.
