A HOTEL LOBBY YOU CAN SKATE IN?

How a Salt Lake City Hotel is changing skateboarding and other extreme sports

BY JULIA MCNULTY

IN THE HEART of Salt Lake’s ever-growing Granary District, Evo Hotel contains a skatepark. Yes, a skatepark. (Oh also, a climbing gym, hotel, cafe, retail store, bar and rooftop deck.) Evo is eclectic and that’s the point says manager Garret Clements, “Evo is a chaotic, high-energy place, and we want it that way.”

‘ALL TOGETHER’ SKATEPARK

Utah’s skating community is riding the revival of the sport into the future. After its debut in the 2020 Olympics, the number of people who got into skateboarding rose from 6.4 million to 8.8 million and are trading make-shift backyard half pipes for professional parks. Enter Evo, a non-traditional space that embraces the new skate scene with its 5,000 squarefoot indoor/outdoor skatepark.

As you enter Evo, you are greeted by ramps and rails and usually you’ll see some skaters on them. SJ Johnson, head of the All Together skatepark, says all are welcome. “Unlike a regular hotel, we want to be non-traditional and show that everyone is wel comed to do whatever they want,” they say. “It’s such a tight-knit community that it feels more at home than any other regular skatepark would.”

All Together skatepark hosts events, fundraisers and runs drop boxes for Coconut Hut, Utah Pride Center and the homeless shelters. The park offers camps for youth and adults every week in the sum mer, and seasonal parties and rollerblading nights during the winter. There’s also a weekly after-hours gathering for members of the LGBTQ+ commu nity. The skate scene + hotel has attracted skating legends like Amelia Bordka and Tony Hawk, who have both stayed (and skated there). On sunny days, All Together opens its garage doors to offer skaters a chance to shred some natural terrain. With a tight-knit group of skaters of all ages and skill levels, and a commitment to giving back to marginalized communities, the All Together skatepark offers more than just a place to skate.

Evohotel.com, @evohotelsaltlake, 660 S. 300 West, SLC