If you drive through Ipswich on any summer day you are bound to see kids on skateboards and roller-blades. Ipswich has had young people looking for a place to express themselves for years. The closest skate-park is twenty minutes away by car and the majority of skateboarders in Ipswich cannot drive yet.

Ipswich is also notorious for having no “street spots”. This is a term used by skateboarders to describe anything they might skate on that wasn’t built for skateboarding. The only popular “street spot” in Ipswich is the Ebsco eight stair. This has been for years the only place kids in Ipswich knew to skate at. Not only is Ebsco private property, but stair sets are a very dangerous feature to hit.

The proposed skate-park is not just for skateboarders but it is a blank canvas for anyone looking to express themselves. The park will be designed to accommodate free runners, musicians, and climbers. But the park is being made as a safe zone for anyone to utilize.

There have been meetings held for the park every month. These meetings are run by Daniel Bates and Nate Newton. They are open to anyone to come and give ideas. The park is scheduled to be poured in May. The park is going to be called the Switch. This is not only a shortened version of Ipswich but it’s also what skateboarders call riding the board backwards.

The park is going to have a stage for musical performances. The Switch park is going to be built in Bialek Park right behind the fenced in baseball diamond on top of the sandlot. Not only is this location close to the old diy park, it’s much closer to the road making it a safer place to hangout. The Switch park was designed by Daniel Bates. The park is mainly all transition, which is curved concrete and banks rather then rails and stairs. All the transition in the park is short and tight and looks very fun.

There is a little bit of everything in the park, there is going to be a climbing wall, stage, and snake run. Kerrie Bates has been pushing for a skate-park in Ipswich for many years now and finally secured a grant.