Camas-Washougal Skate Park to get new name with revamp

It’s time to say “goodbye” to the Camas-Washougal Skate Park and “hello” to the Riverside Bowl Skatepark.

The new name — which accompanies a $350,000 revamp that will soon replace the 21-year-old skatepark’s failing wooden ramps with poured-concrete elements designed to withstand the region’s rainy weather and appeal to all levels of skaters — is a nod to the area’s history and the stouthearted group of local skateboarders who have been pushing city leaders to revitalize the park for the past five years.

“I know our (city council) would like us to change the name of the skatepark to something other than the Camas-Washougal Skate Park,” Trang told members of the Camas Parks and Recreation Commission during the Commission’s March 2 meeting. “I am asking for your approval to change the name to Riverside Bowl Skatepark.”

Located a few blocks west of the Camas-Washougal border at 2900 N.E. Third Ave., the skatepark sits next to the space where the former Riverside Bowl roller skating rink and dance hall once stood. When a group of local skateboarders first started challenging city leaders to better maintain the skatepark, they formed a Facebook group called “Riverside Bowl” and used the image of the former Riverside Bowl sign on their page.

“Now (the name Riverside Bowl) is even more iconic because we’re creating a (skateboarding) bowl,” Lam told the Commission on March 2, adding that the owners of the neighboring property were happy to share the name with the skatepark.

Lam said the city also hopes to create a public art, graffiti-style mural on a nearby wall that will promote the Riverside Bowl theme and, she said, hopefully deter unwanted graffiti at the skatepark.

Lam also said the skatepark’s neighbors, who own the vacant parcel that used to house the Riverside Bowl roller-skating rink, are interested in doing a seasonal food-cart project at the site this summer.

“Hopefully, the (food-cart) pod will line up with the opening of the skatepark,” Lam said. “And, hopefully, with the Port (of Camas-Washougal)’s help, we can get some permanent commercial (businesses) there.”

The Camas City Council approved a $350,403 bid from Lee Contractors of Battle Ground in December 2022, to revamp the skatepark with poured-concrete elements.

“There is a lot of energy around this project,” Lam said about the skatepark improvements in August. “This energy has continued over multiple years. A lot of business owners are young adults who came up here and are still skaters … and they’ve stepped up and helped fund this.”

The new skatepark, which is expected to open this summer, will, according to Lam, “provide all levels of skating experiences – from beginner all the way to advanced.”

In February, Tim Laidlaw, the Washougal skateboarder who formed the Riverside Bowl Facebook group in early 2018, posted pictures of the skatepark to the group’s Facebook page and said he appreciated the work being done by the city of Camas.

“The park as a whole has improved much over the last (five) years,” Laidlaw stated in the Facebook post. “Last word I got from (the Camas Parks and Recreation Department) is (that) the skatepark improvements should be complete by the end of May. I have been critical of Camas for neglect of this park, but appreciate the commitment and care given to the park, most recently (with) the benches being refurbished. … I am eager to see the skatepark improvements come to fruition!”

The city’s timeline for the skatepark remodel shows a ribbon-cutting event is tentatively scheduled for June 2023. For more information, visit engagecamas.com/camas-washougal-skate-park-improvement.