By Reid Forgrave
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DELHI TOWNSHIP - Living in Hamilton County's western suburbs can be boring, said Angelo Pastura, a junior at Oak Hills High School.

Especially if your thing is skateboarding, inline skating or riding BMX bikes.

"In Delhi, it stinks for the kids," said Pastura, 17, who skateboards twice a week. "They don't have anywhere to skate. You don't want to drive 45 minutes to skate for two hours. And everything is so condensed here, you gotta go skate in from of stores and in parking lots. And that just gives us a bad rap."

But as extreme sports have taken over middle schools and high schools, the west side is catching up.

If organizers have their way, Delhi Township - with the help of federal and foundation grants and local business sponsors - will soon have a skate park, a west-side first.

In-line skaters, BMX riders and skateboarders will be able to use the planned 12,000- square-foot skate park, to be built on two tennis courts in Delhi Township Park.

Organizers plan to have half pipes, quarter pipes, and grind rails at the park in the modular steel park.

"Kids are going to skate wherever they want to skate," said Sandra K. Monahan of the Delhi Township Parks and Recreation Commission. "So why not give them a place? That's our entire goal - to get these kids out of the business district and into a park where it's safer."

The township will find out in January if it receives the $92,000 federal Land and Water Conservation grant toward the $184,000 skate park.

The parks board will donate about $20,000. Monahan said she hopes to raise the remaining $72,000.

Skate parks in Greater Cincinnati

St. Bernard: St. Bernard Skate Park at Ross Avenue Park off Ross Avenue

Miamisburg: Miami Township Skate Park at Miami Meadows Park off Ohio 131

Sycamore Township: The Rock Boards, Bikes and Blades (indoor), 8855 Blue Ash Road (www.therock3.com)

Springdale: Sessions Skate Park (indoor), 32 W. Crescentville Road

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E-mail rforgrave@enquirer.com