For those who don’t know, Dan Mancina is as real as they come. Not only is he a ripping skateboarder, but he’s a leading voice in the Adaptive Action Sports world. So it’s no surprise that he’s behind something this groundbreaking: the world’s first adaptive skatepark.
“The park will not only be a space for Dan to train but he plans to host workshops for visually impaired individuals and families to share his passion for skateboarding and his mission for more accessibility within the culture and public spaces,” Newline Skateparks mentioned on Instagram. Very dope. Get a closer look below:
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Dan has skated some of the best skateparks and spots in the world—including the Olympic skateboarding course at the Paris 2024 Games—but he knows as well as anyone that there’s no place like home. Which is why the park is literally a quick 20-second roll from the front door of his Michigan home! So rad.
Dennis Busenitz, Daewon Song, Mancina and a handful of others recently took a few rips around the park, and yeah, it looks extremely fun. Peep some clips below. Looked like a legendary session!
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“It’s just the size of everything. The quarter pipe, it’s 45 feet wide. Your average quarter pipe in a skatepark may be eight feet wide. The ledge—your average skatepark ledge is eight, maybe 10 feet. My ledge is 40 feet long. Same with the flat bar,” Mancina told Olympics.com. “It just gives you more time to figure out where you are, line yourself up. Not being able to see something, you got to feel it and figure out where you’re at.
Tacking on: “You might veer a little bit, but you have a lot of room for error.”
Related: Relearning How To Skate After Going Blind With Dan Mancina
This project was a long time coming. Dan was 13 years old when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa—which is a pretty major eye disease—that took away most of his vision. He kept skating, despite the unfortunate setback, but when he was 20 things got worse.
After some time off, Dan got back on his board and he’s been inspiring countless skateboarders ever since. Dan is supported by Real Skateboards, adidas, and a handful of other brands, and I love seeing him get the shine he deserves. He rips.
Have you seen Dan’s signature colorway of the Busenitz from adidas? Check it below.
All of this to say—I can only imagine how stoked Dan is to have this dream project nearly finished. More importantly, I love that he has so many plans to help other adaptive and visually impaired skateboarders progress in a safe place.
Dan recently spoke with the folks at Olympics.com and had a ton of great stuff to say. Peep the full article here. We’re so stoked to start seeing more clips from Dan’s new park along with all the progression that’s bound to follow. This rules!
