{"id":15800,"date":"2025-10-13T22:28:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T04:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/dolores-gets-rolling-bike-and-skate-park-opens-for-community\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T21:51:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:51:55","slug":"dolores-gets-rolling-bike-and-skate-park-opens-for-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/dolores-gets-rolling-bike-and-skate-park-opens-for-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Dolores gets rolling: Bike and Skate Park opens for community"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cortez
Cortez skater AJ Saiz practices new tricks during a dry spell Saturday, calling the Dolores park a long-awaited upgrade for area riders. A nighttime celebration is Oct. 24 to officially break ground on Dolores Bike and Skate Park. (Anna Watson\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Local skaters in Dolores have a new place to ride \u2013 and the town recently hosted a party to celebrate.<\/p>\n

Dolores Bike and Skate Park officially opened Oct. 24 at Joe Rowell Park, and the occasion was marked with a nighttime celebration. The festivity included various food trucks, music and access to seasoned skaters to teach newer riders. The event was free and open to all ages or skill levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince it\u2019s going to span the daytime\/nighttime thing, we\u2019re planning on turning it into a little bit of an evening party,\u201d project lead Jake Carloni told The<\/em> Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Volunteers,
Volunteers, community members, donors and longtime skaters from Colorado Springs help shape the park\u2019s curves, ramps and features for the yearslong project. (Anna Watson\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Wheels
Wheels hum Saturday at the Dolores Bike and Skate Park. AJ Saiz, 20, rode across the ramp. Saiz said overcast skies were perfect for skate weather. \u201cIt\u2019s gloomy. It\u2019s not hot. It\u2019s not dry either, \u201d he said. \u201cSo, it\u2019s perfect weather to be skateboarding.\u201d (Anna Watson\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re going to light up the whole skate park and bike park, so you can skate and bike as long as you want,\u201d he added to \u201cturn it into a fun party vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carloni said he hoped the grand opening would bring a strong turnout \u2013 kids, families and supporters of the project \u2013 as dedication and enthusiasm for the yearslong development finally comes to fruition and culminates with a celebration that shows they can \u201cbe proud of what we built.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite a gray and rainy Saturday prior to the official opening, 20-year-old Cortez resident AJ Saiz and a few friends found a silver lining in the unsettling weekend weather \u2013 a dry spell long enough to break in the skate park.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just found a break in the storm to get outside and decided to come to Dolores and skate,\u201d Saiz said, boards clattering on fresh concrete. \u201cHonestly, I didn\u2019t think it was going to be this dry, but you know, it\u2019s Colorado \u2013 with the weather that it gives us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Skater
Skater AJ Saiz catches some air Saturday at the Dolores Bike and Skate Park. Friends from Cortez traded tips and encouragement as they skate across the newly poured park surface. \u201cIt\u2019s just freedom, really,\u201d said local skater AJ Saiz. (Anna Watson\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Saiz said he\u2019s been skating off and on for about 12 years, and the new park has been a long-awaited upgrade for skaters from neighboring towns.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been following it really closely,\u201d Saiz said.<\/p>\n

For Saiz, the sport is less about competition and more about freedom.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s telling you what to do \u2013 you\u2019re learning at your own pace,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just freedom, really. We\u2019re out here teaching each other tricks and pushing each other. It\u2019s pretty great.\u201d<\/p>\n

On grand-opening night, skating advocates and the School Community Youth Collaborative skateboarding team provided skateboard rentals and helmets, as well as safety guidance. Durango Devo coaches led kids through bike park tutorials, focusing on safe navigation and jump techniques.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a resource that families are excited about, and if they want to make sure that their kids are starting out on the right foot, it\u2019ll be a good resource for them to come here and kind of know that there\u2019s going to be some folks around that are there to show them the ropes,\u201d Carloni said.<\/p>\n

Experienced skaters attended the event as well to train and guide beginners on navigating the skating area and how to use it as a shared space, so there\u2019s no collisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a whole culture that we\u2019re going to have to learn as a community,\u201d Carloni said.<\/p>\n

\"Project
Project lead Jake Carloni of the Dolores Bike Hostel said the quarter-pipe tunnel is the most-difficult obstacle in the Dolores Bike and Skate Park. The feature is made to test a cyclist\u2019s balance, speed and handling skill. (Anna Watson\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Local
Local volunteers were instrumental in developing the project. Jake Carloni, the project lead, said Dolores residents donated \u201cdinner table-sized rocks\u201d and dirt. \u201cI really think that this is going to be a really fun thing for our community,\u201d Carloni said. (Anna Watson\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Volunteers, donations bring new park to life<\/div>\n

In 2022, the project began after a town survey identified a bike and skate park as one of the top ideas to enhance the park for teens and adults, along with the children, who already benefit from the elaborate nearby playground.<\/p>\n

From there, Carloni, owner of the Dolores Bike Hostel, applied to be on the committee spearheading the project. He was put in charge of its next steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen the plans a million times throughout the last three years and to actually see it on the ground is way more impressive. It\u2019s a way bigger asset that I even dreamed of. It\u2019s really cool. I really think that this is going to be a really fun thing for our community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The skating area is expected to be fully installed by Friday. Construction was led by a team of Colorado Springs skaters, and the concrete portion was wrapped up earlier last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really excited and happy with the crew that came out and built it. They\u2019re all old-school skaters,\u201d Carloni said. \u201cIt was a group of guys that have been building skate parks for 20 years and have really perfected it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bike park includes dirt jumps, rock gardens and technical features, with recent additions like 16-foot and 30-foot rock features installed during a community build day earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Many facets of the park were designed and installed by American Ramp Company, an action sports construction and manufacturer located in Joplin, MO.<\/p>\n

The American Ramp Company worked closely with Dolores town manager and Carloni for the project. Action Sports Construction, a division of American Ramp Company, completed the bike park portion of the build in late September, and Pivot (the concrete skate park division) completed the concrete skate park in October.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur experience in Dolores was amazing for all of our team members, and the community there welcomed our team with open arms and ecstatic energy for the build,\u201d American Ramp Company Project Manager Payton Sargent told The Journal. \u201cThe town staff that worked with our project management team to bring this park to life were excellent partners in bringing the project to a successful close, and we hope to visit in 2026 to take advantage of the awesome skatepark and bike park.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story was updated on Nov. 6 to reflect the participation of the American Ramp Company in the park\u2019s building process.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Izaiah
Izaiah Brewer tries out the new skate park at Joe Rowell Park in Dolores. (Jake Carloni\/Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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