Lāna‘i Skatepark Opens with Community Celebration
The Lāna‘i Skatepark officially opened to the public on March 29 with a blessing ceremony led by Father Marcial Maglana and Deacon Henry Costales of Sacred Hearts Catholic Church. Skaters immediately began testing the park’s technical features, including a quarter pipe, a China Bank, a three-quarter bowl and a street-course area with stairs, rails and ramps. Free shave ice, bentos, cotton candy and skate contests kept attendees engaged throughout the afternoon. The event also featured a preview blessing of the new Youth Center, set to open later this summer.
Patrick McCall, Maui County Parks and Recreation director, recognized key contributors at the event. He thanked community leaders, construction teams and county planners for their efforts. “These spaces stand as a testament to the county’s support and commitment to the keiki and this community,” said McCall. County Councilmembers Gabe Johnson, Keani Rawlins-Fernandez and Tom Cook received lei as part of the recognition. District Supervisor Anela Sanchez was also acknowledged for her efforts.
Among those recognized was Jacob Janikowski, who played a central role in the skatepark’s creation. Jacob began advocating for the project as a high school student. “I jumped in probably about five years ago and just emailed and went to meetings talking about how this is an important thing,” said Jacob. The primary challenge was securing county-owned land suitable for the project.
Reflecting on the skatepark’s opening, Jacob encouraged people of all skill levels to enjoy the facility. “Just have fun, man. Skateboarding’s awesome. It’s for everybody. It doesn’t matter how good you are, how bad you are. Who cares? Just have fun,” he said.
Construction and planning involved Todd Niemann from Bowers and Kubota Consulting, Dan Blackburn from F&H Construction, Jackson Stastny from California Skateparks, and Maui County planners. The skatepark cost approximately $3 million, largely due to expenses related to shipping materials to the island.
Councilmember Gabe Johnson explained that the skatepark had been planned for decades. “The county got a contract to build three skateparks. They built one in Pukalani, one in Hāna, but never built one on Lāna‘i,” CM Johnson said. “When I got into office, I started pushing, ‘What about us?’ and finally we got the funds.”
Before the skatepark’s opening, local skaters had limited options. Longtime skater Ben Ostrander recalled that during the early to mid 1990s, skaters struggled to find suitable spaces to skate without interfering with traffic or local businesses. “The roads and sidewalks were lacking,” Ben said. He expressed excitement about finally having access to the comprehensive features now available. His goal for the day was simple: to skate without injuring himself.
CM Johnson spoke about the lasting significance of the skatepark. “I see a lot of kūpuna here. They can tell you the swings they swung on, they can tell you the slides they slid down. Now you young kids can say, ‘that was the park that I skated on.’ That’s going to bring memories and bring you back to this sweet era of Lāna‘i.”