More than a skatepark: Rhinelander project promotes positive culture for local skaters

Editor’s Note: The following story contains sensitive and mentions suicide.

RHINELANDER (WJFW) —“A skatepark is just a certain kind of home. It's a grounds for developing a culture. It's a grounds for figuring out who you are.â€

Some days, Anthony Gaudioso is the only one here, at Rhinelander's temporary skatepark.

“This is where I know I'm not going to get kicked out,†he tells me, sitting on the edge of a shallow, DIY halfpipe.

‘A grounds for developing a culture’

The temporary park — an old tennis court— is dotted with ramps, boxes, and rails. Some of them are painted in bright colors, many weather-worn. All of the ramps and boxes are made out of recycled materials like plywood and framing lumber.

“This is where I know I'm safe to push myself, to encourage myself… it's like a deep breath of air, it's like a cool glass of water.â€

Gaudioso is used to skating alone. When he was growing up, Rhinelander didn't have a place for skaters to hang out — not even at an old tennis court. He struggled to meet skaters his age.

“To be honest, it was kind of lonely,†he said. “For the most part, I spent a lot of hours just in my garage, just kicking the board around, trying to learn different stuff until like 11 o’clock at night. During weekdays when I probably should have been doing homework, but…â€Â 

Things are different now. Today, Gaudioso's a core member of Over It! Rhinelander Teens Who Skate. The youth-led organization assembled this temporary park from obstacles donated from across the regional skate community — from Duluth to Green Bay. But Gaudioso says you shouldn't take this park for the final product.

“This isn't the skatepark,†he said, gesturing to the tennis court.

The skatepark, is just a design right now, an impressive rendering featuring wide bowls, stairs and a covered section. Over It! and local Rhinelander organizations are fundraising $1.5 million to build the permanent skatepark on the north end of Hodag Park, at the edge of Boom Lake.

“If you're going to do something, do it right, build it to last,†Gaudioso said, of the project.

Project takes on new meaning

Rhinelander skaters have been trying to get a park since the 1980s. But for Gaudioso, it was a group of younger teens who convinced him to believe in the project.

“These kids were really serious about getting this project in motion, and they just didn't know exactly what doors to knock on,†he told me.

So, Gaudioso got the kids organized. They went around town: to Bikes and Boards, Tom's Drawing Board; eventually, to city council.

But then, the group was struck by a loss.

“What it took to get this idea and this project taken seriously, was, tragically, Stephen Moren (died by) suicide,†said Gaudioso. “He was such a good kid.â€

Moren was one of those first kids pushing to get the park built. He was a boy scout, in the youth group at his church, and worked summers at the Pioneer Park Historical Complex. He was 16 when he took his own life.

“To be honest and vulnerable with you, I still believe that Stephen very well could be here if he had a skatepark to go to,†said Gaudioso.

People across Rhinelander knew Stephen. The city began to pay attention, and what the project meant changed.

“The idea of having a skatepark in Rhinelander became about way more than just having this physical space,†said Gaudioso. “It became an idea to explore about what it means to feel safe and welcome in your community, and what it means to have a place to go when you don't know where else to go.â€

A destination for a broader community

In 2021, community nonprofit ArtStart became a major partner on the project. They host Over It!'s meetings, and helped form the community steering committee behind the park.

“We really wanted to build something that was not only spectacular for our youth, but would also be something that would serve a broader community and be an attraction, and a destination, too,†said Melinda Childs, Community Culture Development Director at ArtStart.

That's why the steering committee went with design-and-build firm Hunger Skateparks. Their unique builds draw skaters from across the Midwest. Childs said to raise the $1.5 million, they'll pull from community donations, federal grants, and big donors. If that takes too long, they're considering phased construction.

“I believe there is the capacity for some major donors to step up and just get this done, I know there is,†Childs said.

Gaudioso added: “Having something put together so professionally will speak for Rhinelander and how much we care about the people who live here.”

Over It! is doing their part to raise money, while spreading love for the sport.

In May, they hosted a learn-to-skate event ahead of a youth camp this fall. This month, they're hosting a regional skate competition, drawing skaters from Green Bay to the Twin Cities. Gaudioso and his brother are launching a brand, with designs made by the youth group, and proceeds going to the park.

But that's not all—this summer, Gaudioso will try to skate 500 miles. He's pledged to donate a dollar a mile, and is looking for donors to match him.

‘It is just the beginning’

Gaudioso said by the time the park is built, his knees might be shot. But he also said that Over It! is about more than a skatepark.

“You're just seeing the beginning,†he said. “When the skatepark gets constructed, then it's our responsibility to engage in the community and make sure we continue promoting a positive and developmental culture… we've already done things that we didn't know were possible… it is, just the beginning, for sure.â€