Luke Nelson Skatepark (aka Medina Skatepark)
Luke Nelson Skatepark is an 11,000 square-foot outdoor concrete skatepark in Medina, New York, that first opened in 2021. The park includes a mini-halfpipe, kidney bowl, and street plaza.
Details
| Location | Medina, New York |
| Address | 1127 S Main Street Medina, NY 14103 |
| Coordinates | 43.211804, -78.385445 |
| Features | Mini half-pipe, kidney bowl, street plaza |
| Size | 11,000 square feet |
| Riding Allowed | Skateboards |
| Construction | Concrete |
| Hours | Dawn til Dusk |
| Lights | No |
| Fence | No |
| Fee | No |
| Phone | (585) 590-0602 |
| Opened | 2021 |
| Design/Build | Spohn Ranch Skateparks |
Medina Skatepark Overview
The Luke Nelson Skatepark is located just south of Lake Ontario, west of Rochester, NY, and east of Niagra Falls in the small town of Medina, New York.
Before the park opened in 2021, there had been an antiquated skatepark at this location comprised of metal ramps that were brought in and placed in and around some rundown and unused tennis courts. The new park is a giant step-up in terms of quality and design.
The skatepark, often referred to simply as Medina Skatepark, includes stairs, grind rails, ledges, a 4-foot mini halfpipe, and a kidney bowl with 5-foot and 7-foot deep sections.
Also, in one corner of the park, adjacent to the bowls and mini half-pipe, there is an oversized bank that doubles as a sculpture.
The Medina skatepark is officially named Luke Nelson Skatepark. Nelson was a Middleport native who was an avid skateboard enthusiast that frequented the old skatepark.
When Luke Nelson passed away in 2017 after a long battle with addiction, his family wanted to raise some funds to have a bench installed at the skatepark to be dedicated to the memory of their beloved son who loved to spend his free time at the park.
Once the money started coming in, the family was overwhelmed by the love and support of the community and they were able to raise over $250,000 in a short period of time for the Medina skatepark.
When the Tony Hawk and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation caught wind of the story of Luke Nelson, the foundation agreed to match the $250,000.
Between the money raised by the family and the match from the foundation, Luke Nelson Skatepark had the green light to enter the design phase and then ultimately the construction phase to be built where the outdated park was located.
It had always been Luke Nelson’s vision that one day that old antiquated and dilapidated skatepark would be transformed into a professional-grade park where people from Medina and the surrounding communities could gather to hone in on their skills and learn from one another.
Luke was well-known by the skateboarding community in around Medina, especially by younger skaters who looked to Luke for advice, guidance, and encouragement to keep on skating.
It is all thanks to the family of Luke Nelson as well as the Tony Hawk and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation that Luke’s vision was able to come to fruition.
