Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament Donates $40,000 to Fund Skate Park

Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament Donates $40,000 to Fund Skate Park

2014-06-18

Story by Anne Erickson

Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam wants to make sure kids have an alternative to playing traditional sports

Pearl Jam bass player Jeff Ament loves skateboarding, and he’s willing to help keep the pastime alive. Ament has donated $40,000 to enable a skateboarding park to open in Glendive, Mont., where he grew up.

Ament’s only request for the skate park was to have the design customized to feature an “amoeba pool,” a circular, concave concrete structure with two chambers. The pool has an amoebalike shape with two 4-foot shallow sections and a deeper 8-foot section on which skaters can roll up and do tricks. In an interview in the Missoulian, Ament explained his request, stating that the amoeba pool was the perfect training for beginners and “it sort of made sense to have something that wasn’t super hard to ride.”

Ament added that growing up in a small town made him realize what it was like to lack an alternative for kids who don’t want to play traditional sports. “If (a town has) a baseball field and basketball court and a swimming pool, (it) should probably have a skate park, too,” he said. “(It’s) a great place to get your energy out and explore your creativity.”

The new park will be named the Brett Fitch Memorial Skate Park. Fitch was a 20-year-old skater who passed away when his family’s car experienced a rollover accident in 2007.

The skate park still needs $28,000 to be completed. Donations for the park are currently being taken via the Fitch Foundation’s website.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.