Perhaps Louisville’s most used skatepark is the ‘Extreme Park’ that is located in the Butchertown area of the city. This is a 40,000 square foot park that was formerly open to the public who had 24 hour access. However, this law is changing.

In a recent move imposed by the city council, it is being restricted to opening times of 6AM-11PM which means there will be no more late-night skateboarding sessions. This is in line with a new law change whereby all public parks will close by 11PM which is part of the ‘Metro Ordinance 42.32’. Understandably, local skateboarders are not happy, with some deeming the rule change ‘authoritarian’.

The reasons for this early closure are supposedly due to a number of fights between youths at the park which have occurred lately. However, this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon and since the beginning of their inception, skate parks have often involved disputes and confrontations.

Although unhappy about this decision, local skaters have claimed that they will continue to use the park after hours. Honestly speaking, it may be tough for the Louisville police to enforce their rules if they are not followed and will be interesting to see how it plays out over time.

Regardless of the politics behind the move, hopefully the Extreme Park doesn’t lose its character because of this. In 2014, even the legendary Tony Hawk visited the site and used its facilities which further helped cement its iconic reputation within the region.