The Turf returns: Greenfield's legendary skatepark reopens

Yahoo

7 hours ago

In 2010, Wisconsin Department of Transportation crews stumbled upon something buried beneath the dirt near I-894 and Loomis Road — a set of concrete skate bowls that once made up the legendary Surf-N-Turf, better known as 'The Turf.' Former skaters unburied them by hand, only to see them reburied just as quickly.
The beloved skatepark, which opened in 1979, closed in 1997 amid a decline in swimming-bowl skateboarding and a rise in street skating. It was popular among local skaters and even drew professionals, including skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.
That rediscovery sparked a movement. Greenfield Mayor Michael Neitzke, backed by hundreds of pleas from the community, pledged to resurrect the iconic skatepark.
Now, after more than a decade of anticipation, The Turf officially reopened June 7 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony — and its bowls are once again open to the public.
Even before Mayor Michael Neitzke delivered his remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, skaters — both new and veteran — were already carving through the bowls, eager to celebrate the long-awaited reopening of The Turf skatepark.
Neitzke opened the ceremony by recalling the moment the buried bowls were rediscovered — a turning point that ignited public demand to restore the legendary park.
'I've been mayor for 20 years now — a lot of stuff happens when you're a mayor,' he said. 'Nothing I have done before or since has matched the amount of emails, telephone calls, you name it, when that event occurred. But a whole bunch of people stayed with it and reminded me how important this was. This was the Lambeau Field of skateboard parks. This was the mecca.'
Neitzke, who remained dedicated to The Turf throughout its restoration, thanked community members and visiting skaters from across the country for helping bring the park back to life.
'It's just so heartwarming for me,' he said. 'I want to thank all of you for coming here. I want to thank all of you for making this the kind of special place that it truly is. It's not just a bunch of concrete — it's all of you people.'
Several key contributors to The Turf project were recognized during Neitzke's speech, including John Laskowski, retired superintendent of public works for Greenfield; Mary Phillips, the city's graphic coordinator; and Art Kent, the original lead designer of the Surf-N-Turf skatepark and it's infamous building.
Kent, who recently told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his goal was to build a space where skaters felt comfortable, proudly displayed his original blueprint to the cheering crowd.
Also honored were members of the Turf Council — a group of former employees and skaters from the original park — along with Grindline staff and other project partners, and Donnie Nelson, the first skateboarder to skate at the park.
Among those who attended the reopening ceremony was professional skateboarder and Milwaukee native Greg Lutzka.
Lutzka flew into Milwaukee on Friday night to take part in the event.
'The mayor and everyone who put this together have been absolutely amazing,' Lutzka said. 'It's authentic to the original bowls, so it's absolutely game-changing.'
He said the skatepark will have a major impact on the Midwest skate scene.
'This skatepark is absolutely going to change the game for Midwestern skateboarding,' Lutzka said. 'We didn't have a big public park like this — and now, to bring in an awesome street course alongside these amazing bowls, which are actually the original Turf bowls, plus more being added — this place is going to be monumental.'
Lutzka added that he plans to return every season to skate the park and said The Turf will always remain a legendary spot.
Steve Groth, an original skater at The Turf, was back in the bowls during reopening day. He said skating there again brought back many memories.
'It brings back a lot of memories — some really good and some painful ones at the same time, 'cause it can take its toll on you a bit,' Groth said. 'I never thought this would be resurrected, so it's very nostalgic. I'm glad to be a part of its rebirth — and to keep skating.'
Various food and beverage vendors — including Red Bull, Bundtz and Goldcoast Subs — were on-site to serve guests throughout the event.
Josh Bizub, owner of Goldcoast Subs, said the Turf reopening marked his first time vending at a public event and called the energy on reopening day 'awesome.'
'We've never done an event like this before,' Bizub said. 'It's great to see everybody out here. The energy is great. It's a great spot — right in the heart of everything.'
The current layout of The Turf is not the final phase of the project. Future additions will include expanded parking, an extension of the skatepark, a seating area and a spectator berm — a raised, sloped area of land that allows people to watch events from a more elevated and comfortable position.
Adrienne Davis is a south suburban reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at [e-mail]. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The Turf returns: Greenfield's legendary skatepark reopens