Kaua‘i skateboarders eagerly await new skateparks after reveal of ‘unbelievable’ designs

Asher Dillberg was just 2 years old when he opened a Christmas present that was almost as tall as him — a skateboard with bright red wheels.

Today, 26-year-old Dillberg is an accomplished skateboarder sponsored by Tactics Boardshop in Oregon, where he lived for several years before returning home to Kaua‘i in May.

He is among the many island residents of all ages eagerly awaiting public skateparks planned to be built at Hanapēpē Town Park and Nāwiliwili Beach Park.

“A lot of what we’ll get at Hanapēpē is going to be stuff that we’ve never really gotten to have on Kaua‘i,” Dillberg said. “And, at Nāwiliwili, the whole park is unbelievable.”

Dreamland Skateparks, an Oregon-based company owned and operated by Danyel and her husband Mark “Red” Scott, has been subcontracted by PBR Hawai‘i & Associates to design and construct the Hanapēpē and Nāwiliwili sites. Kaua‘i County contracted PBR to build the skateparks and other projects like a pickleball court, also slated for Nāwiliwili Beach Park.

Last week, Kaua‘i County and these contractors hosted a final round of public meetings dedicated to the design elements of the planned skateparks.

Dozens of community members like Dillberg turned out to ask questions and make suggestions. Attendees in Nāwiliwili on Sunday huddled against wind and rain to study concept illustrations and sketch possible alterations on notepaper.

“We didn’t get as many changes as we thought we might,” Scott said. “In general, all of it was really well received.”

Danyel, Mark and their employees also are passionate skateboarders. Since the Scotts founded Dreamland 26 years ago, the company has designed and built skateparks throughout the United States and around the world.

The planned Hanapēpē skatepark will encompass 10,000 square feet and replace the site’s wooden “pop-up” halfpipes, which will be refurbished and relocated to Kōloa on the South Shore.

Hanapēpē is set to include features catering to all age groups and skill levels. Multiple colors, textures and skateable artworks — like waves, turtles, volcanoes and a “shaka” hand gesture — will enliven the cement environments.

The skatepark in Nāwiliwili Beach Park will cover 30,000 square feet fronting Kalapaki Bay. It will be built with certain depth and height standards in mind, so it can be used as a competitive “championship skatepark.”

Kauaʻi County has a well-known skateboarder advocating for the parks: Mayor Derek Kawakami. He selected the Nāwiliwili build site, multiple project personnel said.

“Growing up, skating was an outlet for me and my friends to express ourselves,” Kawakami said. “These skateparks in Nāwiliwili and Hanapēpē will allow our keiki to meet like-minded people and skate in a safe and fun environment.”

The Garden Isle is already home to some skateboard infrastructure, including a bustling skatepark at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapa‘a and a smaller site in Līhu‘e.

The skateparks will be paid for with county general funds, a Kaua‘i County spokesperson said in July 2024. At that time, preliminary figures estimated the Nāwiliwili skatepark will cost $1 million. The Hanapēpē was estimated to cost between $300 and $500 thousand.

Dreamland may break ground in Hanapēpē this summer at the absolute earliest, Kaua‘i County parks planner Nancy McMahon said.

Construction of the Nāwiliwili skatepark will occur in 2026 or 2027, because the project carries a major special management area permit (as opposed to a minor permit) due to its projected high cost. The permit requires the completion of an environmental assessment, and flora, fauna and archaeological studies.

The county will also meet with other regular Nāwiliwili Beach Park users, including pickleball players, Pop Warner football teams, high school athletes and the nearby business community, in addition to hosting public comment periods.

Last weekend marked Dreamland’s last round of public design meetings. But those with questions about the in-progress skateparks may still contact Dreamland through dreamlandskateparks.com and its Instagram account, @dreamlandskateparks.