By Max Oppen
TANNERSVILLE—On Saturday, November 23, the Mountain Top Library buzzed with excitement as Jasper Kahn, owner of Saugerties-based Kahncrete, hosted a skatepark construction workshop. The event drew a diverse crowd of about 30 skateboard enthusiasts, young and old, united by their passion for skateboarding and their commitment to seeing a new skatepark built at Rip Van Winkle Lake.
The new skatepark will be named after Daniel Legg, who tragically passed away a few years ago. Daniel's mother, Cathy Legg, was in attendance and has attended every fundraiser.
This workshop is part of a grassroots effort to replace the original skatepark, built in 2007 with Daniel Legg at the forefront, with a modern, professional concrete skatepark, complementing the $1.3 million upper lake redevelopment project happening nearby. Kahn brought his expertise and tools to the workshop, captivating the audience with a PowerPoint presentation and videos showcasing the intricacies of skatepark construction.
Kahn emphasized the community impact of such projects, saying, "Fellow industry professionals at the workshop—Brandon Chrisjohn, Ryan Cardone, and I—have seen how transformative skateparks can be for communities. We are looking forward to supporting the mountaintop and working together to get a world-class skatepark in Tannersville!"
Kahn's journey into skatepark construction began in 2009 when he worked with top skatepark companies across 25 states and Israel. A decade later, in 2019, he launched his own business, Kaaterskill Kahncrete. His partner, Sefra, shared his impressive background: "He started building parks in 2009, working with the leading skatepark companies. Ten years later, he started his own concrete business."
Matt Soranno, a key advocate for the Tannersville skatepark project, expressed gratitude for the community's support and the Mountain Top Library's hosting role. "We want to thank everyone who came out to the workshop. Your support for the T-Ville skate project's mission was felt firsthand. We want to express our deep gratitude for the services that Jaki [the Mountaintop Library Director] and the entire library crew provide for our community. They were a great help in bringing the event to life," Soranno said.
Soranno highlighted the success of the event, noting the positive energy and growing momentum. "As a team, we are proud of the event. We learned a lot about conducting and executing an event of this nature. The smiling faces, conversations, and intuitive questions made it apparent that the event was a success and community interest and support were growing. We will look to partner with the library again soon on another event—stay tuned on Instagram at @tvilleskateproject," he added.
Looking ahead, Soranno shared that progress is being made on the skatepark project proposal. "Toniann Morabito worked diligently stewarding the project's proposal and has submitted it to the Village for review, scheduled to be addressed at the upcoming December 10th meeting," he said.
The workshop was a resounding success, shining a spotlight on the community's dedication to bringing a world-class skatepark to Tannersville. With continued collaboration, creativity, and passion, the dream of a modern skatepark at Rip Van Winkle Lake is closer than ever to becoming a reality.
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