The nonprofit skatepark Serious Juju will remain open through the school year, thanks to an outpouring of community support.

The indoor skatepark was slated to close Sept. 6 unless the organization recouped a $33,500 deficit created by the loss of outside funding sources. Over the course of a three-week campaign, about 200 people gave one-time donations to the organization. Another 100 signed on as monthly contributors, resulting in a total fundraising total of about $55,000. 

“The Flathead delivered, man,” said operations manager and skateboarding coach Randy Beckstrom. “The Flathead Valley community showed that they care about programs for kids.” 

More than 10,000 kids have attended skate sessions at Serious Juju since the nonprofit first opened its doors in 2007. Both the venue and organization’s messaging have changed over the years, growing from a garage ministry to an independent secular nonprofit.  

Since 2021, Serious Juju has operated an indoor skate park at Gateway Community Center in Kalispell. The space includes a kitchen where meals are prepared and served free of charge five evenings a week, as well as a community space stocked with board games. Beyond its regular skate sessions, the organization partners with other nonprofits, including Miracle League, CASA for Kids and the Center for Restorative Youth Justice, to offer special events for youth of all backgrounds and abilities. 

“It’s not just skateboarding, right,” said Beckstrom. “We’re feeding them a meal. We’re giving them shelter.” 

Theo Rickel-Franks, 11, said he always liked “the look of skateboarding,” but it wasn’t until six months ago that he took the leap and started attending regular skate sessions at Serious Juju. He said skating has made him braver and helped him approach new challenges with a positive mindset. 

“When you get scared, it just makes you want to do it more because you want to get over that fear,” he said. 

When he heard Serious Juju might be closing, Rickel-Franks said he was “kind of annoyed” because there are no other indoor skateparks in the area. He knew snow would soon close the region’s outdoor parks, leaving him and his friends with nowhere to practice. 

Like many skaters, Rickel-Franks did what he could to raise funds for Serious Juju. He spent a long, hot afternoon with Beckstrom in a parking lot outside the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo collecting donations and parking fees from attendees. Half the proceeds from that effort went to United Way, which operates the parking lot, and half went toward the campaign to save Serious Juju. Other skaters knocked on doors in their neighborhoods or donated allowance money. 

The $55,000 raised during the effort will fund daily operations at the skate park through May 2026, Beckstrom said. About 300 individuals contributed to that sum, along with local businesses and organizations United Way, the Hetzel Foundation, Whitefish Community Foundation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Canvas Church, Lifted Meds Dispensary, Montana Skatepark Association, Northwest Montana Association of Realtors Grant, Don K Whitefish, Daybreak Rotary Kalispell, Flathead Oil and Steam Mountain Games. 

“I’m stoked that we had such an outpouring of support,” said Beckstrom. “We’re just excited about the future and that the community saw what we’re doing." 

Now, he said the board is focused on building Serious Juju’s long-term financial stability, ensuring that skaters across the Flathead Valley can continue to shred for decades to come. 

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected].