Bart Smith

I have skateboarded for 30 years, and was inspired to build my first ramps as a 12 year old biker/skateboarder in Kokomo, Indiana. I studied Art and Parks Administration at Indiana University, and have worked in construction for 20 years. I have built around 50 skateparks in the United States, 2 parks in Denmark, and my own backyard bowl in Indiana.  I am the co-owner of Hunger Skateparks and also the lead carpenter/concrete finisher with Native Skateparks. I have worked with the following Skatepark Contractors: Native Skateparks, California Skateparks, Wally Holladay, Bluestone, and Dreamland.

The Story:

I built wood parks indoor/outdoor in the 90’s, and traveled extensively throughout the states and to Europe to ride spots and parks. Eventually I moved back to Indiana and lived the homesteader’s life at Homewoods. Compared to the west there was little to skate in the late 90’s and 00’s in the midwest. I was building cabins in the woods and artist studios for work and then traveling to Louisville or Indy to skate. When the Bloomington park was built, I worked as a laborer for Dreamland. I knew this is where I was headed, all my construction experience and my life as a skater came together.  With little concrete experience, but with a large amount of hunger and drive, I decided to build a concrete bowl on my land outside of Bloomington. Me and a small group of skater volunteers figured it out, at first using bags of concrete, shovels, and chainsaws. This is what makes me excited, and this is also what makes me willing to work in any setting, with volunteers, with recycled materials, and making a budget stretch without loosing the core.

I travel and work with a range of contractors all over the country, but what made me want to start Hunger is seeing non-creative and mediocre poorly built parks in my backyard. We deserve better. Small towns with groups of skaters have fundraisers, save for years, and use public money to build a park- and in return they receive cookie cutter designs or pre-fab mediocrity. I find this unacceptable- we have to hunger for more, and not accept these as the outcome.