Aiming high

Lindsey Holman and her friends go to the skate park at least once a week, but it's not to skate. They spend the time cleaning up beer bottles and repairing equipment that has been vandalized at the park on North Fountain Street next to Old Lorimier Cemetery.

This weekend the park will be littered with skateboarders waiting to compete in the Cape Girardeau Skate Park Association's second skate competition to raise money for new equipment.

"Our ultimate goal is to get a better skate park in a better part of town," Holman said. She serves as the group's communication liaison.

The group formally organized about five months ago with the intentions of raising awareness of legitimate skateboarders in the Cape Girardeau area and possibly raising money for a new skate park.

"Half the town doesn't even know we have a skate park," Holman said.

The half that does isn't satisfied with it.

"It's better than nothing; it just needs to be upgraded," said Jeremy Ford, a Cape Girardeau native who now makes films in Los Angeles. He's working on his second film, "Mischievous Souls," which is about three skateboarders in Los Angeles.

Ford is bringing professional skateboarder Eduardo Craig to Cape Girardeau this weekend to promote the competition and the new movie. The two of them are going to serve as judges at Sunday's competition. Saturday night they'll be at BG's Olde Tyme Deli and Saloon so Craig can sign autographs and screen some new skating footage.

Ford said skateboarders -- especially in small towns -- need a place they won't get kicked out of.

"It'd be nice to have a concrete park that's not going to go anywhere," he said.

The association has been raising money and awareness and working with the city parks and recreation department to upgrade the facilities, but officials said a fully concrete park is a distant hope.

When the Cape Girardeau City Council shot down a sales tax increase proposal by the parks and rec department, a skate park was among the items cut from the plan.

"That doesn't mean that there would be no option to do it down the road," said Dan Muser, director of parks and rec.

People in the department have been in contact with the Cape Girardeau Skate Park Association, and Muser said they would purchase and install equipment if the association could raise money to pay for the new pieces.

The association hopes the visiting pro and the competition will help that effort.

"All the money that we get, we're saving," Holman said.

charris@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246