Interview by Warren Toombs
Dylan Grytness is a local Eugene skateboarder with great passion. Currently, the city of Eugene is building what will be the country’s largest indoor skate park. Dylan is very excited for the park’s opening and has been involved in several fundraisers to help pay for its construction.
How long have you been skateboarding?
I started when I was really young. I actually lost interest in high school and took a couple of years off. Then, when I came to college, I picked it back up in a big way. So I guess you could say I have been skating seriously for about three years.
Have you ever been seriously injured while skateboarding?
No. I have not. I have busted my toes a couple times, but that’s about it. I consider myself pretty lucky. Although, I am not trying a lot of the crazy tricks that some of my friends are trying. I have friends that are much better skaters than me and have taken some serious falls. I guess in order to get to a certain level you have to take a few nasty spills. Whatever though, I am happy with my skillset right now.
Do you skate in skate parks a lot?
Yes. Skate parks are my favorite places in the world. There is nothing better than going to a park and meeting all of your friends there and skating for hours on end.
As a frequent skater, how are you effected by all the rain during winter?
There are some good covered areas around Eugene that I like to skate at. For example, South Eugene High School. Anywhere that is covered, basically. Speaking of which, they are building an undercover skate park on 2nd and Washington. Apparently, it will be the biggest indoor skate park in the entire country! My friends and I are super stoked.
Wow! That’s awesome! What else do you know about it?
Well, they are still building it and it is going to open in June. But yeah, I am really excited. For the past two years, I have been volunteering at fundraisers around Eugene. All of the money goes to building the new park. It has really brought the skateboarding community together in a special way. And now that the park is almost done, it feels very rewarding.
What kind of fundraising?
Pretty normal stuff. About a month ago, Turtle’s Bar and Grill gave 10% of their gross sales to help build the park. It is mostly local restaurants and skate shops that are organizing fundraisers. I like getting involved with stuff like that because I feel like I am helping build the biggest indoor park in the country, which is a great feeling.